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idkyetxoxo · 9 months ago

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Eight | Vagabond | The Last Kingdom

"You're far too good at doing nothing and getting away with it."

"And yet, here you are, falling for it every time,"

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─── ✦⋅ ☆⋅✦ ───

King Alfred's decline was palpable, evident in the frailty of his form and the weariness etched into his features. Despite the lack of explicit confirmation, his impending demise loomed over us like a shadow.

Yet, even as we grappled with the weight of Alfred's failing health, another threat emerged in the form of Bloodhair, a menace whose absence brought little relief, for his companion Skade proved to be a source of relentless irritation.

Alfred had now issued strict orders to lock down Winchester and apprehend Uhtred following the unintentional killing of a man who had disrespected Gisela.

In my perspective, the man's disrespect towards a deceased woman warranted consequences far worse than what Uhtred had inflicted, reflecting the depths of his crudeness considering that Gisela had been nothing but a warm and kind-hearted woman.

With Skade held captive in Uhtred's home like a ticking time bomb, and Uhtred pacing the floor lost in thought, I considered intervening but opted against it instead ensuring Uhtred's children were being looked after properly.

After finishing braiding Stiorra's hair and tucking her into bed, I finally glanced outside. There, I observed Finan and Sihtric blocking the path to Uhtred's house, while Steapa engaged in a heated debate with Finan.

Eager to eavesdrop, I pushed through the crowd and spotted Hild at the back. Hurriedly, I beckoned her to join me grasping her arm and pulling her through the crowd with me.

Steapa's inquiry pierced the tense air, "So, she and the abbess may enter where we may not?" Finan's laughter danced on the wind, "We're scared of them," he jibed, annoying Steapa further.

Hild intervened with a soft whisper in Finan's ear, "You're goading him," she cautioned, but he remained undeterred. "I am abbess and enjoying it," Finan retorted with a mischievous gleam.

"Please, keep goading him it's the most entertainment I've had in a while," I quipped, prompting a playful response from Finan, who placed a hand over his heart, "Anything for you," he vowed, as Hild and I proceeded towards the house.

"You enable him too much," Hild remarked, to which I simply shrugged, a smile playing on my lips. "You're also attracted to him," she teased, catching me off guard.

Recoiling slightly, I rebuked, "You're an abbess, don't speak like this," though her smirk remained unabashed.

"I may be an abbess, but that doesn't mean I'm blind," she countered.

Uhtred faced Alfred's demands, insisting that swearing allegiance to Edward would bind him to the boy for life. Beocca presented Uhtred with a choice, accept punishment or witness his friends turn against each other.

Handing off his weapons to Finan and Sihtric, Uhtred informed Steapa of his peaceful compliance with the king's summons. I halted his progress with a gentle touch to his chest, locking eyes with him, "Are you sure?" I implored softly.

My eyes searched his for any signs of resistance, regret and contemplation.

"Trust me," he whispered, and I acquiesced, sensing a divergence from the expected outcome. Steapa assured him of Alfred's mercy but that did little to quell the obvious tension in the air.

As expected Uhtred's flight from Winchester with Steapa and the Wessex guards hot on his trail, driven by his alleged threat to Alfred's life, marked the onset of our journey towards Dunholm, laden with uncertainty.

── ✦⋅ ☆⋅✦ ──

Skade had surely revealed her true nature, an embodiment of evil living up to her reputation. Despite Uhtred's recovery from the sickness she had inflicted upon him, I couldn't help but harbour ill wishes toward her. For now, she belonged to Haestan a burden we gladly shed.

Our presence in Aegelsburg sought an audience with Edward, seeking his support for our cause. Positioned beside Sihtric and Osferth at the back, I observed Finan's antics, goading Steapa with irreverent jests.

"What if I need to piss?" Finan's voice rang out, punctuating the tension. Steapa, with a sudden halt, pivoted towards Finan, his expression laden with frustration. "Then take out your cock," Steapa retorted sharply, "and if you mistake it for a weapon, what then?" Finan's quick retort elicited a suppressed chuckle from me, my hand hastily covering my mouth to stifle the laughter.

In that moment, I must confess, Finan's audacious banter ignited an unexpected response within me. A primal surge coursed through the depths of my being, stirred by his brazen demeanour. He remained oblivious to the effect he had on me.

As he turned, shooting me a wink, I shook my head, grappling with the whirlwind of emotions. Sihtric, placed an arm on my shoulders guiding me away from the exchange with ease.

Seated upon a weathered wooden bench, I toyed with the uninspiring fare provided by Steapa, my appetite dulled by nostalgia for modern cuisine. "Not hungry?" Osferth's inquiry drew my attention, and I merely shrugged in response.

"I miss modern-day food," I confessed, idly pushing the flavourless meat and bread around my bowl. "I would quite literally kill for a slice of pizza right now," I muttered under my breath.

Without hesitation, Sihtric seized my bowl, initiating an impromptu exchange that left me rolling my eyes in exasperation.

"You might as well take the food I'm still chewing on," I grumbled, but Sihtric's playful gesture caught me off guard. As he reached for me, I instinctively recoiled, tumbling off the bench and onto the ground, prompting laughter from Sihtric, Finan, and the others gathered around our table.

Accepting Osferth's offered hand, I allowed him to help me back onto the bench "You're a rat," I muttered swiping my food back from him and presenting it to Osferth "This is why the sweet baby monk is my favourite," I added, affectionately tousling Osferth's hair.

"I didn't do anything," Finan protested, his voice a low rumble amidst the laughter. His gaze met mine in a silent exchange, a knowing spark igniting between us like a hidden flame.

"Ah, but that's precisely the problem, isn't it, Finan?" I replied, my tone teasing yet tinged with genuine warmth. "You're far too good at doing nothing and getting away with it."

A playful smirk tugged at the corner of Finan's lips, a silent challenge passing between us "And yet, here you are, falling for it every time," he quipped, his voice low and melodious, eliciting a roll of my eyes even as I denied his claim, knowing deep down its undeniable truth.

We maintained eye contact for a while as a silent symphony of desire unfolded, each glance an unspoken invitation to delve into the depths of attraction, a magnetic pull neither could resist.

Whilst we ate, Edward had pledged his support to Uhtred, promising an army at Beamfleot despite his father's wishes.

True to his word, Edward's commitment worked in our favour, culminating in the unwelcome return of Skade to our group, a development I silently lamented.

── ✦⋅ ☆⋅✦ ──

Seated together in an alehouse, our weariness tempered by the joys of victory, I extended my gratitude to Uhtred as he placed a cup of ale before me. The atmosphere buzzed with camaraderie as the men indulged in the ale, their laughter echoing through the dimly lit alehouse.

"You all drink like seasoned alcoholics," I jested, savouring the ale's slow descent down my throat. Uhtred shot me a playful glare, prompting laughter from the others. It also prompted Uhtred to recall memories of our shared past, weaving tales of revelry and recklessness.

"I recall the day Iseult and I stumbled upon you in the forest, barely coherent from your hangover," Uhtred teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I was celebrating," I retorted, rolling my eyes as Uhtred leaned back, a satisfied grin etched upon his face.

"Speaking of the past," I interjected, leaning forward with a playful gleam in my eye, "shall I regale everyone with tales of how insufferable you first were" Uhtred's expression shifted, a mixture of amusement and apprehension crossing his features. "No, you will not" Uhtred quickly protested.

"Yes, I would," I affirmed, glancing around the table, the anticipation palpable in the air.

"No," Uhtred's voice cut through the jovial atmosphere, a warning etched in his tone. I shook my head, determined to shed light on a moment from our shared past.

"The day I saved Hild," I began, bracing myself for Uhtred's inevitable reaction. He groaned audibly, a preemptive acknowledgement of the impending embarrassment.

"Lord Uhtred here had the audacity to declare me foolish for risking our safety, even going so far as to wish upon me the very horrors inflicted by the Dane Hild faced to be taught a lesson," I concluded, the weight of Uhtred's words hanging heavily in the air.

"What?" Osferth gasped, disbelief evident in his voice. Finan's jaw tightened, his gaze flashing with indignation "And you remained with him?" he questioned, his voice laced with incredulity.

"Unfortunately," I admitted with a playful sigh, acknowledging the complexities of our bond.

"Lord, that's just," Sihtric interjected, struggling to find words to encapsulate his astonishment.

"Now my men think me a heathen," Uhtred groaned putting his head down. "Well, at the time, I certainly believed you were," I countered, a hint of jest in my tone.

"Consider yourself fortunate I didn't retaliate with more than just words on that day," I added pointedly, a playful threat disguised within the jest.

"Shall we also recall that you then decided to grace me with a slap across the face?" he interjected, his tone laced with playful accusation. I paused, feigning contemplation for a brief moment.

"I may have conveniently left that detail out," I admitted with a nonchalant shrug, unable to suppress a laugh that bubbled up from within me.

Glancing at Finan, I found him wearing a steady smile, his eyes alight with amusement now.

Uhtred's response was a tender embrace pulling me close to him, his gesture a silent acknowledgment of our shared history and the enduring bond that transcended even the darkest moments of our past.

As he nuzzled my hair and placed a gentle kiss upon my brow, I couldn't help but groan in mock protest, the warmth of his presence a comforting reminder of the bonds that bound us together, despite our flaws and follies.

─── ✦⋅ ☆⋅✦ ───

AND IF YOU MISTAKE IT FOR A WEAPON LIKE HELLO WHO LET HIM SAY THAT AND GET AWAY WITH IT also two of my fav finan scenes 🤤

Tag list - @jasontoddorjasongrace

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alfredsolos · 2 years ago

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Just discovered your batfam posts and I got to say it feels great to find someone else with similar ideas. My biggest fandom peeve is that Dick is Damian's rather figure, when canon has made it clear that Alfred had this role for him. I'm curious what you make of Dick and Bruce's relationship? I'm many ways I draw parallels between Bruce&Dick as well as Dick&Damian: both Bruce and Dick were ill-prepared to take care of a child but did their best. Dick and Damian had strong parental figures they weren't trying to replace, and we're close enough in age to Bruce and Dick that they ended up with a more egalitarian relationship although it had mentorship/guardianship/parental elements. Now that headcanon falls apart with Bruce formally adopting Bruce as an adult, but for some reason I can't quite see Bruce and Dick as true father/sons, given their history.

Sorry for the ramble, just wanted to get your thoughts! Also, do you have any Batman fanfics that you feel are pretty well done, that you wouldn't mind reccing?

Hey there! Thank you for the ask.

Well, for one I think that Bruce and Dick's relationship wasn't always like father-son. His parents literally died in front of his eyes and just a few days later, a man he never met in his entire life takes him in as a ward.

Obviously, he was angry and bitter. He wanted revenge. In fact, I don't really think that he interacted with Bruce that much. The only thing in his mind was revenge.

Things happened, and he became Robin. He found a purpose in his life, something he craved to do. And Bruce enabled him to do so. But Bruce was also very different than his current self. He was less controlling, less possessive. He was also new to this. And having Dick around really made things easier for him.

And just as I've mentioned, Bruce was very young when he adopted Dick. He did not have a plan or any experience on parenting. So it was up to Alfred to take care of them.

I don't think that Bruce saw Dick as his son early on. This goes for Dick too. But their bond grew and formed into what we can call familial.

So for the first few years, Dick saw Bruce as; a brother, a mentor, a guardian, his own hero. The thought of Bruce being a dad to him came way later.

And for Bruce, Dick was; a sidekick, a little brother, his partner in crime (and justice), his trustworthy friend. And as time passed, he started to see him as his own son.

If I were to compare the relationship between Bruce&Dick with Dick&Damian, the most noticable difference would be that Dick chose Damian.

What do I mean by that? Didn't Bruce chose Dick, when he made the decision to take him in?

Well, Bruce couldn't save the Graysons. And seeing Dick, crying and begging for his parents to wake up, brought back his own trauma. Just like that, he was back at that alley. It was an impulsive decision, he didn't wanted Dick to feel as he did. So he took him in.

With Damian, it was a bit different. Dick already knew about Damian before he took custody of him. He had heard things about him, which were mostly bad. Yet, when Bruce died he didn't send Damian back to his mother. Because he knew that Damian had chosen them.

You may think 'Of course he wouldn't send Damian back, who in their right mind would send a child back to a place which turned them into a weapon, a killer? No normal person would allow that, let alone a hero!'

After a few days of meeting him, Bruce sent Damian back to the League.

Now this isn't very known through out the fanon, but Bruce really got to a point that he couldn't take it anymore. And this wasn't the first time either. During the Batman Inc, The LoA attacked Gotham and really damaged it because Talia put a bounty on Damian's head. Bruce, appearently, couldn't deal with that so he told Damian to go back to his mother. Damian refused, of course. But that didn't matter, as he was murdered short after that.

Dick chose and put up with Damian for almost a year. He did not took Robin away from him whenever he did something dangerous. Bruce, on the other hand, sent him back just after a few days of meeting him.

Yes, Damian can be insufferable at times but he is a child. And Bruce could not see that.

That's the difference in their dynamics.

And for the fic recs:

1) The Anomaly of Jonathan Kent

By: Drabbles_ Of_Writing

This fic focuses on a relationship between Jon and Damian. It only has one chapter yet, but it's incredibly written. It also feels very realistic and refreshing to read.

2) dawn patrol

By: asheince

This fic is about Tim taking Kon to train surfing with Dick and Duke. It's very funny and fluffy.

3) The Clone and the Bird out of time

By: Trunksie

It's about Tim, travelling to the YJ cartoon universe. It's written with detail and precision. It's an incredible read. It also has long chapters. It also does not woobify Tim and actually makes him feel like his canon self.

4) I've Got to Learn

By: BrickSheep

It's about Damian (that is from a world where he was the Demon's Head) waking up in another world as a two year old. It's a world where his father is the one that raises him, and is actually a good parent. It's fluffy and angsty, so I totally reccomend it.

5) who tells a tale of unspeaking death? who will brave this bitter grief?

By: onlythecatknows

This fic is a part of a series, where in Son of Batman, Damian does not come back from the dead. It's extremely angsty that will make you cry. I suggest you read all the parts of this series.

6) A Time To Reflect

By: Experimental_Muse

Bruce gets stuck in the past, which he does not have any of his kids yet. He tries to cope with his grief of not having them around, while trying not to let young Bruce and Alfred know that he adopted kids. Since it could disrupt the timeline. It's an amazing read, I suggest it.

7) You, Me, and the Humanity in Between

By: JUBE514

In this fic, Bruce adopts the kids but as he slowly gets to know them better he realizes something. His kids aren't exactly human. I'm not gonna say anything more, but this fic is a freaking masterpiece. It's about 60.000 words and has elements of gothic horror and found family with fluff and a bit of angst.

8) Saving the universe, gay panicking and meeting God - a playlist

By: The_Demon_Brat

Damian, sick of his current life, seeks out a meaning for himself. He finds it in light years away in a space ship full of people from different earths and with himself possesed by two demons. It also focuses on the rest of the family, dealing with the grief of Damian's sudden disappearence. It's a mix of fluff, angst, found family. It's absoultely amazing!

9) Robins and Other Flightless Birds

By: Ionaperidot

Bruce (who in this earth never adopted children) gets a visit from another Bruce (which did adopt children) and decides to basically build himself a family from different versions of his kids. But he later decides to take in the ones that are in bad conditions and the ones that need his help. I read this fic like every month. It's so amazing and angsty and fluffly. This one, you should definitely read!!

Anyways, that's it for now. Thank you for the ask!

#dc comics #damian wayne #batfamily #batfam #bruce wayne #dick grayson

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fatehbaz · 3 years ago

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hi maybe you’ve written about this before but i’m working for someone who is part of the ecological landscape alliance and we’ve been having big talks about the concept of “invasive” species vs “native” plants and how the concept is rooted in xenophobia, and also talking about how maybe invasive plants aren’t that bad?? this goes against everything i’ve ever heard anyone talk about invasive species but i really don’t know all that much about it. sounds silly maybe coming from a farmer but i really don’t have a super firm ecological understanding, most of my plant knowledge is agricultural based and im really curious to learn more and was hoping you could point me in the right direction?

Yes, I definitely run into this disk horse all the time. Especially the “maybe invasive plants aren’t that bad” discussion. It seems the native/alien stuff is most often mentioned in disk horse about the Anthropocene. Basically, you’ll sometimes see statements like: “Is anything really natural in the Anthropocene?” I have also seen, and spent a lot of time contemplating, how belief in the categories of “natural” and “alien/invasive” in discussion of ecology might be rooted in or at least inadvertently support racism/xenophobia.

But I am still wary of the “native vs alien” and “no creature or landscape is really natural, not any more” disk horse, at least as explored by some white/settler-colonial academics, for exactly the same reasons: because it might be rooted in or support racism/xenophobia. Because the proposal that “nothing is native, nothing is invasive” itself can actually engage in a sort of “settler absolution” that obscures how there really is a contrast between imperial and Indigenous peoples, and the “nothing is natural, nothing is invasive” proposal could excuse the colonial/imperial introduction and expansion of monoculture by accepting the spread of industry/agriculture/non-native species as an inevitability. And these concepts can actually work to generalize conditions of ecological degradation and apocalypse, as if to say that “all humans now live in such a damaged world, we’re all victims” (even though many non-white, especially Indigenous, people actually bear most of the violence and burden of living in “post-apocalyptic” ecologies.)

But actually, I don’t think I can be too helpful here.

I still have a lot of contemplating to do, about how categories of natural/invasive in ecology might support the violence of categorizing people as natural/invasive. Don’t really know where I stand yet, y’know? So I don’t want to be too quick to come to a conclusion. I don’t even really want to offer opinions here. That said, I am very sensitive to language, and the language that I use. So I do appreciate that there is an effort to interrogate the negative consequences of describing things with words like “alien”. Also, the categorizing of lifeforms is and always has been a mess.

I don’t have many reading recommendations. The “native vs alien” and “nothing is really native, actually” proposals are concepts that I brush up against but don’t read too deeply into, even though this disk horse has been popular-ish in dark ecology and academic ecology/environmental studies circles for at least 10 years or more by now.

I guess, for my thoughts on native vs alien, what counts as “natural”, invasive species, and how the disk horse can excuse settler-colonial/imperial racism, I would point to this post I made about Pablo Escobar’s feral hippopotamuses in Colombia.

One introduction to the concept, which I think is an enjoyable read (though I don’t necessarily agree with all of his implications), is this essay by Hugo Reinert about the category of “natural” and the “purity” of a species: “Requiem for a Junk-Bird: Violence, Purity and the Wild.” Cultural Studies Review. 2019.

Anna Boswell’s very famous article about stoats and non-native species in Aotearoa kind of dances around this same issue of naturalness: “Settler Sanctuaries and the Stoat-Free State.” Animal Studies Journal. 2017.

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Generally, I agree with the implication that there is no “remote” or untouched corner of the planet where ecology has escaped human influence.

On that aspect, here’s a post I made about “planetary urbanization”.

But the native/alien disk horse can be extended to problematique degrees, with proposals that sometimes remind me of sci-fi goofiness, like fans of dark ecology or weird fiction or Mieville/Van der Meer got a little too excited about “the boundary between human and other-than-human has become so blurred that there may as well no longer be distinctions between native species and invasive species”, like they got a little too drunk on theory and just decided that “everything is in flux!”. Criticisms, then, of the “nothing is native” disk horse include how this oversimiplifies ecology and might enable/excuse settler-colonial invasion.

A lot of the “invasive plants are good, actually!” disk horse I’ve seen shows up in Australian literature written by settler scholars, which might be pretty telling.

Basically, it seems some scholars will take Alfred Crosby’s “neo-Europe” and “ecological imperialism” concepts, and then say something like “look, the damage is done, so much of Earth’s soils/landscapes are altered by introduced plants that we may as well accept it as the new baseline/normal ecology, and work from there.” As if to point at how North America has been entirely overrun by non-native earthworms and then to say “well, the worms are going to inevitably destroy hardwoods forests, soils of the Great Lakes region, the boreal-temperate transition zone, and maple trees which supply place-based maple syrup foodsheds, so we may as well accept that we live in a damaged world.”

I don’t know if I’m entirely satisfied with this.

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Other related concepts brought up in the same discussion of “nothing is really native” might include “invasion biology” and “assisted migration.” I see these concepts brought up in academic writing from the University of California system, Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand, and “environmental humanities” generally. Basically, these writers/scholars will point to the past ten thousand-ish years of the Holocene, and how humans have had such profound influence on global ecology that “introduction of non-native species” and “mass-scale anthropogenic climate/ecological change” are not just recent developments since Industrial Revolution or Indus/Yellow/Mesopotamian statecraft, but even older. For example, I’ve talked a lot about how, in the Late Pleistocene or early Holocene, the Asiatic steppes and parts of the Great Plains could have apparently been more like intermittent woodlands before humans engaged in deliberate fire-setting to better target megafauna herds, meaning that the human role in creation of vast “naturally-occurring” grassland regions may be underestimated. This dove-tails with the better-established fact that the forests of Central America and eastern North America in the early Holocene were/are actually more like cultivated food forests managed by Indigenous people.

The argument, then, may also point to yams, sweet potato, and coconut as examples of creatures with what now appear to be “old” and “established” widespread transoceanic distribution ranges which actually may have been introduced via assisted migration by humans.

The argument, basically, says: Well, let’s say hypothetically that humans didn’t play a role in spreading sweet potato or coconut. By chance, if ocean currents “naturally” introduced these species, if these plants “naturally” colonized whatever lands they were swept off towards, doesn’t this mean they could essentially be “natural” to anywhere they might arrive and successfully establish themselves? Therefore, does it really matter if humans helped them get there?

This seems to be related to the “no plants are actually invasive” proposal. As if to say: “If English pasture grasses have successfully reproduced themselves in Patagonia, Aotearoa, South Africa, the Canadian prairies, etc., what does it mean that their migration was assisted by humans?”

But this is where I have reservations: It wasn’t just any humans that “assisted the migration” of monoculture grasses from Europe to the prairies of Turtle Island. It was specific humans, with deliberate intent, upholding specific institutions, protecting their own well-being at the expense of other humans and lifeforms, enacting specific violence against specific victims.

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Another aspect of this which I see mentioned often is how early human/Polynesian settlement in Oceania and the South Pacific is an example of how mass anthropogenic ecological change doesn’t always involve statecraft, mass mono/agriculture, and imperialism. Aside from the famous decline of creatures like the moa, Polynesian islands were also home to relict species of large land turtles and ancient terrestrial/semi-arboreal crocodiles until human arrival in recent millennia. Writers will also point to human settlement in the Caribbean, where human arrival coincided with extinction of remnant populations of endemic Pleistocene ground sloths. (This also happened on Mediterranean islands, which hosted endemic species of hippopotamus and goats until recent millennia.)

Again, though, this is where white/settler-colonial academics advocating “nothing is natural” can kind of obscure settler-colonial violence, by pointing to history of anthropogenic environmental change and saying “see, all humans provoke extinction.”

Thus, you’ll see these scholars invoke Anna Tsing or Donna Harraway, referencing the “arts of living on a damaged planet” or “living in post-capitalist ruins.” Essentially, advocates of “nothing is native, any more” might say “we all live in a post-apocalyptic world now, so we should get used to it.”

This, coming from white/settler-colonial academics, sometimes rubs me the wrong way, as if it’s sort of like wish-fulfillment, or “an adventure” for comfortable white academics to engage in low-stakes thought experiments about extinction, naturalness, and apocalypse from which they’re actually largely insulated, at least compared to the poor, non-white, non-academic people who cope with the worst of environmental racism and ecological collapse.

This, again coming from white/settler-colonial academics, is also of course more than a little grating, since it kind of co-opts or culturally appropriates the “Indigenous/Native people actually live in a post-apocalyptic world” concept proposed by Indigenous scholars. It kind of takes from Indigenous/non-white people, and then generalizes the apocalypse as something that all humans now live with in seemingly equal measure, obscuring the fact that many people are actually forced to cope and/or live with more-serious-of-an-apocalypse than others.

-------

At the end of the day: Sure, kudzu or English pasture grasses or coconuts or European earthworms or domesticated cattle might be generalist species which can successfully inhabit landscapes across the planet. So whether humans introduce them via agriculture, or whether they "naturally" expand by some accident or by drifting across ocean currents, they might exist in this strange ontological space between "native" and "alien" which confounds human conceptions of what "belongs"? And this is worth considering! This is good to think about! But there are still, and always have been, those "small" landscapes, those isolated pockets, those relicts and remnants in shaded stream corridors, where small populations of endemic species teeter on the verge, with highly-specialized adaptations to highly-specific microhabitats. You're not going to "assist the migration" of or "accidentally introduce" a cave-obligate salamander from a limestone cavern or a temperate rainforest-dwelling land-slug to a desert biome.

But, again, I still think it is good to stop and ask ourselves whether categories of “natural” and “alien/invasive” in ecology make sense, are outdated, or if they reinforce racism/xenophobia. And, again, I haven’t read enough -- I haven’t grappled with these questions enough -- to have an opinion which I’m comfortable sharing, so I don’t want to discourage this disk horse too much.

Anyway, hope some of this is interesting. Sorry. Again, I don’t really have any good recommendations.

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alexiessan · 4 years ago

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Never alone - Chapter Twenty Three - Soulmate AU

AO3

Previous - Here - Next

Master List

Marinette didn’t sleep that night. Neither did Damian. She had spent the night in his arms, doing her best to not break down. Cloud had been there too, offering her hugs to comfort her. The dog had gotten so much bigger now, almost bigger than her own small frame, and fluffier than ever.

Having both her boyfriend and Cloud to hug helped her a big deal.

Damian made sure to make her talk about small things to distract her. They watched movies, and Dick joined them, worried about his future sister-in-law.

Marinette and Dick ended up singing along the characters when they watched Mamma mia, while Damian watched from the couch, obviously wondering what he was doing there.

But the Eurasian girl was a bit happier than she was the night before, so it was a win for the youngest Wayne. He knew it wouldn’t last, but at least, Hawkmoth didn’t get to take advantage of her emotional state.

They all fell asleep on the couch in the early morning.

Marinette didn’t have the strength to face Plagg for a whole week. It was only after a day at school when she talked to Adrien for the first time since he gave the ring up, that she decided it was time to have a talk with Plagg.

Adrien had seemed happy when she talked to him. She didn’t know if genuinely was happy or if he was really good at faking it, but he had an entire conversation with her with a smile on his face.

It was like he was a different person than he was a week ago when he had his existential crisis over his father being his enemy.

So, when she went home after meeting with Chloé for their group project, she put the ring on, its aspect changing automatically to her own taste, and Plagg appeared in front of her, a sad smile on his tiny face.

“Hey, bug,” he began and she could feel her eyes water when she heard the sadness in his voice. “Hey, none of that now. I know we’re both having a hard time, but it’s better that way, really.”

Marinette frowned. “What do you mean?”

The cat-like kwami sighed. “I’ve lost some of my chosen in the past. Some died. Others used the Miraculous for bad things and had to be put down or lost their Miraculous. Adrien chose to give the ring up so he wasn’t tempted to help his father by giving him half of the Miraculous he’s seeking,” he let out a wet laugh. “Honestly, I didn’t know the kid had it in him to do that. He can’t stand up to his father, but he still did the right thing.”

The fashion designer nodded, knowing how hard it must have been for the model to make this decision.

Adrien Agreste wasn’t the perfect teenager that everyone believed he was. He knew how to make it seem like he was perfect, but he wasn’t. Adrien… Adrien was a bit of an enabler. Being isolated by his father for years didn’t help in his social abilities, and his friends had to explain a lot of things to him. Like, what sexual harassment was, or why it’s wrong to let a liar get her way. Why it’s wrong to put the feelings of a girl he barely knows above the feelings of one of his closest friends. Why it hurt said friend.

Sometimes, if it wasn’t explained to him, Adrien wouldn’t understand, and wouldn’t put the effort to.

So, no, Adrien wasn’t perfect.

He had hurt her, both as Chat Noir when he forced his feelings on Ladybug, and as Adrien, when he told Marinette to put her feelings aside so a liar wouldn’t get akumatized, without a care about the designer’s own risk at akumatization.

He had hurt her, but she had forgiven him because he was her friend and she cared about him.

But, just like Plagg, knowing Adrien, his decision surprised her at first.

She felt bad for it, but she had thought, for a moment, that he was going to betray her.

Taking a deep breath, she scratched Plagg behind his ear. “I’m sorry you lost your partner,” she apologized.

Plagg let out another wet laugh. “I’m sorry you lost your partner.”

Pursing her lips, she gathered the black kwami in her hands. “But you didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

The kwami of destruction floating up next to her cheek, nuzzling against it.

“It’s okay. You don’t always get the luxury to say goodbye,” he floated in front of her face so he could look at her in the eyes. “We’ll be fine. And Adrien will be too. Now, we just need to end this whole thing, alright?”

Marinette laughed, but it was empty. “Alright.”

They waited a little bit before acting. They didn’t want to act so soon after Gabriel revealed himself to his son. If they acted and something went wrong, then the man could think that his son denounced him and could do something to him.

They didn’t want to risk it, so they waited until mid-March.

There were some Akumas during February but they were easy, which meant that Hawkmoth had plans for a much stronger Akuma later on. Hopefully, they would defeat him before he could act on it.

February has been a good month for them, and they enjoyed life a bit more than usual. Her project with Chloé was done and at the end of their presentation, they got a good grade. She was still seeing Chloé outside of school from time to time, beginning a tentative friendship.

She was glad to witness Chloé’s change.

Alya and Nino were doing better and remained friends. They even met Léa, Nino’s soulmate. They weren’t dating yet, but Marinette could see that they liked each other. She just hoped that when they started dating, Alya would be able to handle it. She had made so much progress in accepting her break up, she would hate to see her go back to how she was just after the breakup.

Damian and she finally got to spend their first Valentine’s Day together. They kept it simple, though, going out for dinner in a cozy restaurant, walking back to the Wayne’s apartment, and ending the night with a movie, cuddling with each other, Alfred the cat on their laps and Cloud at their feet.

She has been working on a dress for Damian’s prom and couldn’t contain her excitement. It amused Damian to no end and he would tease her about it and they would banter for a while.

Marinette was happy, and the sooner they got to defeat Hawkmoth, the happier she was.

Damian observed his girlfriend from the chair in her room. She was working on her dress, almost finished with it. He couldn’t wait to see her wearing it, knowing that she would be gorgeous in it.

He smirked, knowing that him going to prom with a date would shock everyone at school. It would amuse him for five minutes before finding it annoying, but he was good at ignoring the stares.

He hoped that Marinette would be able to ignore them too.

Looking around the room — with so much pink — he couldn’t help but think that a week from now, they would fight with Hawkmoth. He had no idea what would happen, but somehow, he wasn’t worried.

He had a feeling that everything would be alright from them.

Still, Marinette was being anxious over it, and he wanted to do something to help her relax.

Perhaps a weekend outside of Paris would help? They hadn’t left Paris ever since their little trip back in fall, and it would only benefit them to leave the city for a day or two.

Plus, it was getting warmer — too much, if he was being honest, and, wow, was the planet in danger — so they could go hiking somewhere.

Getting up, he walked to her, hugging her from behind. She leaned into him and he kissed her softly on the neck, going up until he was kissing her temple.

“I was thinking,” he began in a whisper, not willing to break the silence by being too loud.

She hummed in answer, leaning more into his chest.

“We should go somewhere this weekend, you know, to relax a little.”

Marinette sighed, but it was a happy one. “That would be great,” she admitted, turning around so she was facing him. “What were you thinking about?”

Taking her hand in his, he pulled her up and brought her closer to him so he was hugging her. She returned the hug, putting her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

It was something that she did often, and Damian found out that it helped her relax.

“How about we go hiking somewhere? I heard there are great spots for it in Normandie.”

“It’s beautiful there. A bit cold and rainy though, but we should manage,” she looked up, smiling at him and he found himself smiling back.

“Good. We’re leaving tomorrow?”

She nodded and he leaned forward to kiss her.

The weekend has been great, but too short in Damian’s opinion. He didn’t get to spend time alone with Marinette too often. There was always someone to tag along with them, and this time, they had been able to enjoy each other much more than usual.

This is why, on their way back in Paris, he decided they could take the next step in their relationship.

“I was thinking,” he began, making Marinette look away from the train’s window to look at him. She smiled at him, much more relaxed than two days ago.

“We’ve been together for almost two years, now,” he said taking her hand in his. “I was thinking we could take the next step, you know?” He saw her nod, still smiling at him.

Looking into her eyes, he felt relieved that she wasn’t expecting him to propose. Good, because with the way he was speaking, it could have seemed like it, but it wasn’t.

“When I get back to Paris for College, would you like us to live together?”

Marinette beamed at him, this smiled he loved so much on her lips.

“Really?!”

“Really,” he nodded.

And then, his arms were full of his girlfriend, who was kissing him.

“I would love to,” she exclaimed once she put distance between them.

They met halfway for a kiss, sealing this promise.

Then, it was time to confront Hawkmoth.

The day before, they went to the police and presented their evidence against Gabriel Agreste. They told them that they would act the next day and would appreciate it if they could wait in front of the Agreste residence to arrest the man.

After reviewing the evidence, the police easily agreed.

Marinette chose to put the ring in the Miracle Box. If things were to go south, then Hawkmoth would only have one Miraculous and not both.

It was better to be safe than sorry.

She was so nervous that even Damian’s word and touch couldn’t relax her.

But she didn’t have to worry at all.

Defeating Hawkmoth was anti-climatic.

She had always imagined a great battle. Blood, destruction, screams. Something messy that would attract the city’s attention and would be followed by everyone.

But it wasn’t like that at all.

Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sanscœur were the former’s office, working on whatever it was they were working on.

They weren’t expecting them at all.

Robin and Nightwing were very good in combat. Way better than she was, and way better than Gabriel and Nathalie were.

They didn’t have time to transform before Robin and Nightwing took them down.

All she had to do, in the end, was to restrain them and take their Miraculous.

“Gabriel Agreste, Nathalie Sanscœur, you used the Miraculous for selfish reasons. As the Guardian of the Miraculous, I declare you unworthy of wielding one.”

Without waiting a bit, she took their Miraculous, stocking them in her yoyo.

Gabriel and Nathalie were escorted to the police to be properly arrested, and Ladybug could only stare after them.

It was over. Hawkmoth’s reign was finally over.

Paris was free.

“Are you alright?”

Robin’s hand on her shoulder was warm and when she turned around, the warmth and love in his eyes made her tear up.

And then, finally, she broke down.

She collapsed in his arms, crying for the first time in years, not having to worry about her feelings being taken advantage of.

She cried in her soulmate’s arms, and he held her.

He held her until she stopped crying.

Tag List:

@bigpicklebananatree @animegirlweeb @crazylittlemunchkin @northernbluetongue @cutechip @justafanwarrior @iloontjeboontje @resignedcatservant @maribat-is-lifeblood @i-like-fairytail-and-stuff @toodaloo-kangaroo @mikantsume @dast218 @amayakans @zestyzealot @lunarwolfspn @corabeth11 @marinettepotterandplagg @olynix @aestheticnpoetic @hot-neighbour-nextdoor @thehufflepuffranger-blog @k-poplunardreams @tis-i-beanbandit @bluesimani @laurcad123 @notmycupoftea26

#maribat #daminette #maridami #damian x marinette #ml x dc #mlb x dc #miraculous x dc

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bigskydreaming · 5 years ago

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I actually really liked We Are Robin, and not just because of Duke, like it had a lot of great characters I wish were used more. And as a concept, it makes sense for the kids of Gotham to develop a movement inspired by the Robins, and it doesn’t really carry for me the same issues that I have with others ‘officially’ using Dick’s name and mantle without his involvement, because like....these are kids just working off what little information they have and there’s no reason for them to view Robin as anything other than a source of inspiration for them.

And I also actually liked Robin War for the most part because I enjoy the hell out of stories that have Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian all working together and more or less getting along, and it helped that they were busy enough that the others threw way less shit at Dick about the Spyral stuff in that than they did in Batman & Robin Eternal.

But what kills me is Alfred’s involvement in the whole thing. Firstly, because its so opposite pretty much every other instance of a new Robin being brought into the fold, with the exception of Tim - and the fact that Alfred was in favor of Tim becoming Robin was IMO heavily influenced by the fact that he was grieving for Jason as much as Bruce was, and simply was at a loss for how to help Bruce himself and so was desperate for anything that might work. But in almost every other instance, Alfred has been deeply hesitant about more children getting involved in Bruce’s ‘night work’ out of concern for the children.

And it just...never really went anywhere, examining the repercussions of the fact that Alfred essentially recruited these kids, and enabled their involvement in things they were woefully unprepared to deal with, compared to ANY of the other Robins or Batgirls, and which there were definite consequences for. Kids got hurt, one was manipulated into killing someone, etc, etc.

And the other aspect of all this I hate there not being more fallout over, is.....I may not think its an issue that all these kids were calling themselves Robins in an earnest attempt to help their city, inspired by the Robins, and I don’t think Dick had an issue with it either beyond simply feeling responsible for them, due to it being him who was the ultimate source point of their inspiration here...

But there ABSOLUTELY should have been fallout between Dick and Alfred, every bit as much on the level as Dick’s initial fallout with Bruce over his taking his mantle away and later giving it to Jason without involving him. Because Alfred knew damn well what it was and what it meant to Dick, and he also knows better than just about anyone how deep Dick’s guilt complex runs and how much he lets even things he’s only tangentially related to weigh on him as his responsibility....and even if all this started when Alfred literally thought Dick was dead after Forever Evil, and it was in a sense his attempt to honor Dick’s memory....Dick absolutely IMO would be like wtf, why would you ever think THIS is something I would want?

Because Robin War wasn’t even all that figurative...it essentially was a war of children, against the police and the Court of Owls, and the non-official Robins were little more than cannon fodder, in the end. And for Alfred of all people to be involved in essentially mass producing the Robin mantle and recruiting kids with no real training or background in specific skillsets, to basically BE child soldiers in a way that Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian NEVER were, even if that phrase gets tossed around in regards to them a lot....and with there being no real way to frame the We Are Robin movement differently than that, given that the only thing that’s ever really KEPT the other Robins from being JUST child soldiers is the mantle’s identity and bond between them all, as an indicator of family, tracing back to its origins....something that categorically wasn’t a factor in the matter of however many kids were recruited under the We Are Robin banner....

Like. I just think there should have been repercussions for all of that. Its a hell of a thing to just kinda slide under the rug and never examine, because in a lot of ways, it turned the Robin mantle into something it was never ever meant to be, and not just by a third party viewing it all from a distance, but under the direction of a member of the family who MOST clearly knew what it had meant to all the members of the family who had worn it since its inception...

And like, that was a big deal, that was never allowed to be a big deal, and I think that was a huge oversight, and one of the most egregious examples of how much goes unacknowledged and never gets addressed as a direct result of like.....never acknowledging what Robin means to Dick in specific, compared to every other time its used.

Its like in Robin War, when Dick manipulates things so they all get locked up where he feels they’ll be safe while he goes to confront the Court of Owls himself, since he’s the one they’re always really after....Dick said, flat out, that he wasn’t sorry for doing that because he feels all of this is his responsibility, every single one of those kids and everything that happened to them was on HIM more than anyone else, because Robin began with him, and without him, none of this would have ever happened....

And I’m just like......gah, stop making ONE person feel responsibility for EVERYTHING that’s ever happened to everyone to wear that title, 90% of them without ANY involvement, permission or inclusion from him himself.....

While at the EXACT SAME TIME.....giving him none of the BENEFITS that should go hand in hand with that much responsibility and guilt....ie, like....actual RECOGNITION as the source point of that title, and as such acknowledgment as the rightful person to dole it out or not, at his discretion - if he’s going to end up saddled with the guilt for whatever happens to a Robin anyway, he should at LEAST get a say in when and where there’s someone wearing his mantle while undergoing things that he’s likely to feel guilty about.

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bluerosesburnblue · 6 years ago

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Liz Liveblogs Bravely Second: Chapter 6, Part 1/2

Well, I said I’d shoot for Halloween, not that I’d make it. I legitimately wasn’t expecting the Yōkai sidequest to be so... dense. So, because of that, we’re splitting this chapter into two parts, too. I think the finale deserves an entry all on its own

We’re in the home stretch, folks. Get ready for Bravely Second Chapter 6, Bravely Second

Hey, welcome to my liveblog of Bravely Default. So Tiz, after the destruction of Norende wakes up... wait. Hmmm. Wrong brunet boy. How did we get to the Caldisla Inn?

Karl’s soothing voice is a welcome reprieve from... that scene

“Wait! Where’s Denys?” *noises of discomfort from Tiz, Edea, Magnolia, and me*

“We defeated Diamante...” No. We were denied the ability to defeat Diamante. Now it’s Denys’s burden, assuming someone can even survive at the end of time. The self-sacrificing idiot...

Magnolia is being called to return home, as the hero of her people... and the light of her communicator is clipping through her Black Mage hat. Whoops

Weird that Karl didn’t recognize Tiz until right now. What, was Yew the only one asleep? Was his hair so bad you couldn’t be sure until you heard his voice?

Even more insane that he recognizes Edea since I have her in her Ranger getup with a full face mask

“Me and Agnes and Edea and...?” “We always counted on him when we.. When we...” Tiz. Edea. Do you not remember Ringabel or the first game? I thought we just weren’t talking about him because it was a sore subject, but...

Tiz doesn’t even remember the king of his home nation. What happened to you kids?

Diamante’s bestiary states that when it fell, it destroyed a part of the Miasma Woods and split the continent in two. I assume that refers to the separation of landmasses between the Harena and Yulyana regions, since there’s... like... a crater there where I’m pretty sure there wasn’t last game. I never mentioned it, it’s just the spot where we keep boarding the Skyhold because Denys really liked parking over it?

Karl who are these two white-haired kids? Are they yours? They can’t be grandkids since Owen is...

Caldisla’s theme is still amazing. Feels like being home after a long journey. Love it when a game can do that to me.

Tiz really had forgotten his entire home and the start of last game. Edea couldn’t remember it either

Yew says he’s read about Caldisla, but he couldn’t remember what he’d read either

I am reminded of a plot point in the Korean webtoon Kubera: One Last God. In that, a person who uses time magic too much will “forfeit their existence” for a time. They disappear and don’t age, but as long as they’re vanished from existence, nobody can remember them. If someone tries to remember events surrounding them, they freeze up and then immediately think of something else, forgetting their original train of thought. I’m getting the same vibes here

I know that tinny tone, Alternis!

“I am the one who carried you out of the Skyhold and to safety.” But how did you get to the Skyhold in the first place? I can’t imagine it was still flying after we “defeated” its power source, so it must have crashed somewhere around the Yulyana/Florem area, in which case the party should be very, very dead. Dead beyond my ability to fix

“I would go to the very ends of the earth for you if you needed me, Edea.” Okay, Clearly-Ringabel, turn the charm down a notch and exposit for us

“That bloody witch... Yōko will pay!” So Yōko sealed everyone’s memories of Caldisla? How do you figure, Dim?

Ah, she gave him the cryptic message of “Go to Caldisla, the land of endings” and he had no idea what she was talking about but went anyway and his brain freaked out

He’s still wearing Edea’s bow! So at the very least it’s the same Alternis from the Geyser Grotto

You know, I’m just now realizing that it’s been two games and we still haven’t had party members from either the Yulyana region or the Eisen region. You know, one of the four main continents? Has a major magical artifact in the form of a capital-”C”-Crystal?

I mean, Tiz is from Caldis, Agnès from Harena, Ringabel from Florem, Edea and Yew from Eternia, and Magnolia from the Moon, which somehow got representation before Eisen did

...how dare they put a hidden item next to a child you can talk to. Do you know how difficult it was to get Yew to focus on the object and not the kid!? Yeesh

Hitboxes on hidden items are so finicky in this game I swear

And there was a Phoenix Down behind Owen’s grave. Thanks

Oh... oh no. Oh no I looked at Til’s grave. Oh god Tiz I’m so sorry

God he sounds like he’s gonna cry. “Til was a lot younger than me... Even younger than you.” I don’t think it ever occurred to Yew that while he was using Tiz to replace Denys... Tiz was doing the same thing back

And the Caldisla amnesia makes it worse oh no. Could you imagine? Walking through a town and slowly realizing that it’s your hometown. And then stopping in front of a grave and it’s your brother’s grave. And it only hits you while you’re looking at it that you even have a brother... had a brother

Til doesn’t get a big grave like Owen. His is one of the small, unassuming ones. The only person he meant anything to was Tiz

And Tiz is being lauded as the hero he deserves after his untimely coma after the defeat of Ouroboros. Can’t help but notice they aren’t celebrating Edea, who was also there, but eh. She’s got the entirety of Eternia to throw her a party. Let Tiz have his exotic cheeses

Heyyyyy, Egil! How’s my favorite kid who didn’t die in a mine!? Nice armor, buddy! Looking good!

Oooooooh a Junior Captain? Nice work!

A great beast at Lontano? It couldn’t be a Ba’al, could it? The only story-based one we’ve had so far is Urchin

That’s actually the one thing I think I prefer in Default over Second. The Norende Nemesis fights weren’t necessary for completion, which was good since I mostly played that game at college where my 3DS couldn’t connect to the internet thanks to how poorly set up the login information was. My 3DS just couldn’t handle it. I barely did them, and I really didn’t miss much because of it. Here, though, if I want to 100% complete the game I have to do the Fort-Lune Ba’al fights, and which ones I get are entirely up to chance. I have been doing them, though. Get a lot of Apparati (probably people sharing it because it’s the only one with a Catmancy skill), followed by Snowcap in terms of quantity. Heck, I only got my first Redshirt the night before writing this and the only Urchin I’ve seen has been the story one. Completing those Bestiary entries is probably the last thing I’ll be able to do just out of luck

“The Youth Brigade”? What, we doing child soldiers now or is this the Caldisla version of Boy Scouts?

“Tiz, would you care to introduce us?” “Of course! This is Egil. He’s like... um... a little brother to me.” Hey, Yew, meet your new favorite little brother. Egil’s family. Mostly because Tiz has chronic Big-Bro-itis, but still. He’s a good kid

Can Egil be a party member in Bravely Third, finally giving us our Eisen representation?

Tiz no. Don’t mention the Three Cavaliers. That’s still a sore subject!

Oh damn. “You must be, like, the best of the best! So why are you hanging out with someone like Tiz here?” Egil! Harsh! Tiz killed a World-Consuming snake demon, you know!

“Yew’s a good friend of ours. I guess you could say he’s like a slightly older younger brother.” These boys cannot stop taking in new brothers! It’s adorable! I love it! (See, Denys? This is what you miss when you needlessly throw yourself into a time vortex. You miss getting adopted by Tiz and having, like, 60 younger brothers.)

An earthquake? First reaction says it’s the “beast” but we are right near the Great Chasm. I hope it was just a rock slide, but it’s never that easy

It’s the Rubadub? Why the fuck did the Rubadub cause an earthquake!?

Damn, according to Sakura we’ve been out for over a week

Sakura is best team mom! She did the laundry while we were gone, fixed the damages from the Skyhold collapse, caught a ton of fish, and is already making dinner with it!

Oh... wait what? Wait. ...is that where Caldisla is? I... hrm.

So my poor geography sense ended up making the “Caldisla disappeared” plot point work because I misremembered where the whole continent was. I thought it was in the middle of the ocean between Eternia and Florem and just wasn’t on the map because the section it would be in would be cut-off and it wasn’t going to be relevant! I thought it was farther to the right! God, see, this is what happens when you change the orientation of the map on me. I can’t navigate for shit

So, hey, I read through my old Liveblogs to catch myself up for the finale just in case, and you know what I called out and had conveniently forgotten by the time I played the last chapter? Minette Napkatti is seventeen FUCKING years old. She’s OLDER than both Yew and Janne. I wrote everything last chapter under the assumption she was, like, 10! God, her being 17 is so much worse. Now it makes people treating her like a pet even creepier! How is Minette even worse than I gave her credit for! Stop enabling this girl and get her some serious mental rehabilitation!

Now, I should really look at that urgent Beast situation... buuuuuuuuut there’s a sidequest in Gathelatio!

Actually, Yew just brought up the Crypts in a Party Chat and now I’m curious. Where did the stairwell Denys was standing near... go? Does it just exit into the city somewhere?

Party Chat says Alfred said there was a secret passage between the Crypts and the Sanctum. I’m gonna go see if that’s what’s up with those stairs

“I’d rather we didn’t go blundering around the family crypts if we don’t have to” Sorry, Yew, I’m with Edea. It’ll be five minutes, max. Besides, it looks like the sidequest is in the Sanctum. I wanna sneak up on ‘em if I can

Uhhhhh... wh...

Denys? Denys did you leave this shadow-man ghost thing here? What the fuck is that?

Why is there a nondistinct shadow man near Foundar’s grave?

All it says is “Fear the Eye of Foundar... But I suppose it’s still too early for you to understand what that means. Heh.” Hey, don’t laugh! You aren’t the first person to give me awful, vague prophecies! Sylvie beat you to it by a whole timeline!

There are some bits of... probably hair dangling at the sides of Shadowman’s face. It looks kinda like Yew’s concept art hairstyle, honestly. Huh.

That’s it that’s unsettling I’m out

And hey, that was the secret passage into the Sanctum! I hadn’t even noticed a door there in my past visits. Let’s... uh... let’s just talk to Braev and forget that unnerving shadow boy

What’s the matter, narrator? “By what strange trick of fate do your paths cross anew?” getting too much for you? Braev’s been in the story for a while, I don’t think he needed an introduction

Ah. Well, the sidequest is still Edea-focused like all the others, but at least this one I can get behind. It’s Braev testing whether Edea’s ready to succeed him

And there’s still a choice, hm? Should you desire the power to cut down all foes, the Grand Marshal’s sword is in Everlast Tower. Should you desire the power to protect your subjects, the Grand Marshal’s shield is in the Central Command basement

I don’t suppose we could do both? They say the two are opposites, but I hardly see why. A true ruler knows how to balance the two. Knows how to change their persona to match the situation. To cut down your foes is to protect your citizens. To protect your citizens is to spite your foes. There’s no reason to limit your capabilities

Regardless, if they do make us pick one, I find the sword is the better option. A shield can only hold out so long without the opposing forces thinning out

“It’s a travesty! Ketchup is for burgers and fries!” God, Yew is a boy after my own heart. I’ll try any food or food combo once, but putting ketchup on a good steak seems like sacrilege

And Tiz is also a boy after my own heart. Keep it simple with your eggs. Salt and pepper is all you really need. Though I’ve never had hollandaise, so I can’t really comment on Yew’s choice

Aw, Tiz puts soy sauce on his oysters because that’s how Agnès did it when he first had them. Cute!

And it was all a ruse to distract them from the fact that she botched dinner! Oh, Magnolia, sweetheart. I appreciate the creativity but I think bringing up favorite foods was the worst thing to do

Edea thinks getting the sword was too easy... so she wants to talk to Elder Sirius? If I go, is he just gonna tell me to grab the shield as was my plan to attempt from the start?

Braev’s location is marked... but so is the shield still. I want both

“It’s what Heinkel would’ve done.” I have no problems believing that Heinkel would use an heirloom shield to grill food. That checks out

Aaaaand that’s why you ask Yew before you use his stuff to cook with. Leave my nerd son and his collections alone!

A true leader directly defies orders and grabs both heirlooms regardless! We make our own win states in the House of Liz!

And seek shield counsel with Goodman. ...screw it, let’s talk to Sirius and Goodman. I’m curious if either of them have new dialogue

Seems like they do! Unmarked cutscenes. Sirius warns Edea to be careful of all power, as any could be used for evil. But it can also be used for good. The power is not the issue, but the intent of its wielder. To cast aside any means of defeating all who would endanger those you seek to protect is foolish

And Goodman espouses the benefits of a shield. Separate the soldiers from the civilians, and have the soldiers become an unbreakable wall to repel all threats. The shield has no chance of endangering others (KH Goofy would like to have a word, sir)

Edea mentioned Dominus Harena, so I thought I’d check him out and lo and behold! He also has a scene. Ancheim makes weapons, but uses none. They fight instead with their knowledge, using the scholars of Al-Khampis to outbuild and outsmart their foes. And they can absolutely use those weapons if they want. “Don’t brandish a big sword - but be sure to have one ready when you need it” is pretty close to my life motto

Meeting Braev at Vestment Cave is the first relevant event in the Yulyana region, huh?

Vestment Cave is the place you were blessed with a daughter? Edea was born in this cave when Sage took you in? Did I know that or is that just some trivia you felt like sharing, Braev? Because if so uhhhh...? I don’t think I can get that out of my head

Oh? “I see you have the grand marshal’s sword AND shield. ...And yet you have equipped neither.” I... have Edea as a Ranger? Equipping either of those would do nothing for her. I was not aware you wanted those equipped

...you know what? Yeah! Have the big sword (and shield) but don’t brandish it! That is our answer!

“Justice must be supported by might and authority - but when it is delivered at the point of a sword it is naught but coercion. [...] A stout shield is needed to protect the people in times of war. Yet the true goal should be a world with no need for shields. The noble course is to believe in the ideal.” This sidequest is awesome

“But you have one more trial to face - together with the friends who stand beside you!” And you know what? Those friends are the only weapon a good leader needs! They keep you from swinging the sword with abandon or allowing harm to come passively! They balance you, keep you in check! Edea Lee, go and claim the position you have earned!

(I just wish that Edea was in a different outfit in that scene. Loses a bit of impact when her face is covered with an animal mask)

Damn! He revives more times than Diamante! You fucking hear that, Denys!? Edea’s dad is a harder fight than DIAMANTE

And now Edea receives the Stave of the Grand Marshall. She is, unquestionably, the Grand Marshall of Eternia. I’m so proud of my girl!

Ah! And we’re visiting her parents at Sage Yulyana’s old place! Seems Braev and Mahzer are moving out here to retire. Good for them

‘sup Alternis? ...still mad about the Grandship escapade?

Braev is taking up needlework, huh?

Okay, I love the way John Eric Bentley said “a new tea cozy!” He’s a good replacement voice for Braev in my book

That sidequest was EXACTLY what I had hoped the others would be! It was such a good character focus to showcase Edea’s growth from the beginning of the first game, and the actual elements of it were so nuanced! There were so many permutations of events. Did you obtain the sword, shield, or both? Did you talk to Sirius, Dominus, Goodman? All of them? None? Some combination of two of them? Were the items equipped when you talked to Braev? Ultimately, the structure was simple, but the narrative you got out of it was all up to you. I’d be interested to see every permutation of the talk with Braev, but I am so happy with what I got. And I’m so proud of Edea. She’s come a long way from the self-righteous, black-and-white girl of Default’s events. Eternia is in good hands

I love that Tiz being the king of cooking with leftovers is canon

...so I can’t help but notice that there’s a Fort-Lune Ba’al icon just sort of... floating there above Lontano. That’s weird.

What on Earth was that noise it made?

“I-it’s exuding a level of power on par with... No, even exceeding Diamante’s!” YOU HEAR THAT, DENYS? You didn’t even take out the strongest Ba’al!

“We can’t let Denys’s sacrifice be in vain!” Yew, honey. You’re sweet, but it was in vain the second he made it. We’re about to prove how useless it really was

Oh, it’s just a Turtle Dove? Not even, like, a special one? Alright

Not too bad. Only got close at the end there because Yew went down and I had trouble getting him back up

Certainly harder than Diamante, at any rate

So it seems the only two mandatory Ba’al fights in the game are an Urchin and a Turtle Dove, and I’m certain those were the only two that made appearances in Default as Norende Nemesis fights. So that’s why those two were added to the BD international release

Aw, Egil doesn’t understand how pendant-call works either and thinks we shoved Agnès in the jewel

Where is she? I can’t say I recognize that room. Wooden doors with a crystal-thing in the back?

And yet another person who just couldn’t remember Caldisla

I guess she was on an Airship?

And on the Magnolia Cooks sideplot: She’s really good! Her quest for recipes has led to her becoming a master of Luxendarc cuisine

“A bath has to be sot hot you can barely stand it!” I know Edea’s opinion is meant to be an extreme... but that’s how I take my showers so...

I will say I don’t jump out and douse myself in cold water, though. That’s a little much

I guess hot-bath-cold-bath followed by freezing iced lattes is an Eternian thing? Yew’s into it, too

Alternis and Agnès are already here talking to the king? We’ve almost got the whole family in one spot! (This Alternis doesn’t have a bow, though. Guess we’ve still gotta hunt down Ringabel and Denys if we want that family meetup. Why is it always the blond ones who are a problem?)

According to the king, the people of Caldisla forgot the rest of the world in turn. That’s some nonsense that’s going on

Bow-Alternis is absolutely Ringabel. Alternis doesn’t know anything about his arm being hurt or Yōko

It’s an interesting way of doing the Alternis-Ringabel thing. Last game they made them seem like the same person, too, up until the reveal by having them get injured in similar places and never on-screen at the same time. This game we’re able to tell them apart despite Ringabel actually trying to impersonate Alternis because of their differing injuries

Where do Ba’als come from and what are they? It’s a question that’s been forced to the background thanks to the immediacy of the Kaiser’s plot, but now with that settled it and Anne’s plan are all we have left to solve

I like how Yew and Magnolia got cut off in that shot, leaving only Agnès, Alternis, Tiz, and Edea. A version of the first party

Oh, Magnolia. She’s beating herself up because she never thought to ask what the Ba’als were, but still dedicated her life to stopping them. But no one knows what they are. She would’ve been asking a question no one could answer

I appreciate Yew trying to commiserate by telling her he didn’t know anything about the Crystalguard or Denys but I don’t think those situations are really... comparable? Magnolia is talking about unknowable eldritch horrors. That’s a little bit bigger than the Crystalguard stuff

“There must be someone out there who can give us a clue!” “Do not judge a carrot by its leaves, nor a man by his words alone...” Leave it to Altair to announce his timely appearance in the most dramatically dorky way possible

“It’s a ghost!” ...I mean, yeah? Technically? But we know Altair. Edea, chill. Team dad tire-man of the vegetable proverbs is here to enlighten us

So the Ba’als are Vega’s emotions given life. Born of her memories with Altair, and I imagine the fight with Geist back in Sagitta is what tipped him off. Diamante probably only confirmed it. I can’t imagine anyone else whose memories Diamante’s background could have belonged to

Altair theorizes that something found Vega’s regrets upon being left behind and gave them form to be used as weapons

And that just leaves one place the Ba’als could be from. The last place anyone saw Vega alive: the Celestial Realm

“Let’s go to the Celestial Realm!” Yew, if travel between Luxendarc and the Celestial Realm were so easy Vega wouldn’t be trapped there, Ouroboros wouldn’t have had to create a chain of worlds just to break through, and I would travel to Luxendarc just to hug you. It’s just not that easy

And Altair agrees. It’s just not... simple. Maybe not possible

“Never say never until you’re dead!” Okay, but Altair is super dead, though? He has every right to say “never” at this point

At least he’s got a good sense of humor about it

...3DS did the going black thing again

“Of course I do not... accept it...” This game does some interesting things with the concepts of acceptance and denial. To not accept something is similar to, but not the same as, denying it. I like that they brought it up like that

He’s getting desperate. Begging the party to help Vega. Altair...

“You’re our friend, Altair.” “Your... friend? Oh, thank you, my dear children!” Altair, I nominated you for team dad. You’re not a friend now, you’re family. We live to make the impossible possible. We have (or most of us have) defeated Ouroboros. Let’s go get Vega.

So who could help? As Altair said, Anne. A fairy who can control the Ba’al and who spoke of a Master. She clearly knows something about them the rest of us don’t, and I’ve still got a bone to pick with her

I’d know that place anywhere. She’s at Norende’s Great Chasm

Norende has a path between the Celestial Realm and Luxendarc... right where the Dark Aurora was... I should’ve known Ouroboros would use the weakest point in the barrier to get through

So that’s your plan, you little shit? Use this path as an express lane to get Ba’als to Luxendarc without interference from the Moon people? And then maybe get your boss in? Not happening. Nope. I refuse. Yew, Tiz, and everyone else deserve better

Funny you’re monologuing, Anne, since I know you know I exist and can, presumably, hear you. What’s their secret if it’s not the hourglass that let them keep their memories? I think you already know

They are directly using the fact that we, the player, saw that scene and now know where to go next and the party doesn’t. Party’s got no idea. That scene was for our eyes only

And the last sidequest has opened up. Yōko Yōko Yōko Yōko Yōkaiiiiiiiii

Oh thank god the Vampire Castle’s unlocked. I would’ve cried if they made me do the dragon fights again

Why should only Magnolia dress warm, Edea? You’re wearing about as much as her!

I don’t like Alternis’s helmet sitting at the door like that. Ringabel, you’d better be okay! You were my favorite last game, don’t you die on me!

Oh! My encounter rate is locked at standard. Guess I have to fight, huh? That’s... it’s never done that before

There’s a painting no one ever noticed before. Yōko in both human and Yōkai form, with a blonde child

And there’s the girl of the hour! You gonna pull a DeRosso and give us your backstory while we climb the tower?

I have never heard Vampire Castle called the Hall of Truth? Did I forget? It’s been a while. Hall of Exposition, more like

“Tiz! Do not think you can avoid the dangers that you encounter in this place.” AKA: no. You have to fight the encounters. Also, I forgot setting the encounters was a Tiz thing

“The powers of Luxendarc’s gods will not avail you.” So it’s a Celestial power Tiz was using. Assumed as much. And according to Yōko, this is Luxendarc. We play by Luxendarc rules this time (unfortunately)

So either Ringabel or Alternis can work the pendant call. He didn’t have the bow, but he talked like he knew what we were on about. Suspicious

So Yōko slept. And slept for quite a while. Twenty years ago an ambitious man came to wake her up, and with him came a girl with the Plague. The man in the painting is wearing Crystalguard clothes, and came to plunder the offerings at Yōko‘s shrine. The man was so determined to take those treasures home that he ignored the girl’s grandfather, who asked for her to be quarantined due to her sickness and pleaded with the church to let them sail. The church sent Geist. Once she was exorcised, the fleet could move. His ritual didn’t cure her at all, though. She doesn’t need to say it. I can already tell that the man was Yew’s father, Greide

Greide Geneolgia, whose greed sparked the Great Plague

She gave us his journals.

Foundar left behind texts for his descendants, texts that Greide managed to decode and use to locate Yōko’s shrine. The girl was the granddaughter of their patron from the church, sent to help them find the shrine that the Orthodoxy wanted so badly to find.

Greide used the girl to house Yōko’s soul, so she couldn’t stop them from raiding her shrine. It was there that they found the statue of Cú Chulainn that Bella would one day animate. The girl only fell sick with the Plague after the raid on the shrine. Griede’s writing comes across as paranoid. He thinks they’re being manipulated, and that his “enemies” are behind it

Judging by his outfit, the figure in this painting seems to be Geist

Hey uhhhh. Yōko? How long have you been staying here that you managed to replace a ton of DeRosso paintings?

Geist’s report went through, despite Greide’s attempts to stop it. The girl was put under quarantine and banned from travel. But another man and Greide decided to change tactics to get their plundered loot back. They asked to bring the girl to Eternia so that she could get the best medical treatment available to her. So they let her travel. And at every port they stopped at on the way back, they spread the Plague. To many continents. When the sailors began to freak out, Greide poisoned everyone aboard, including the girl. He was the only survivor, returning home with perhaps not all of the loot he wanted, but certainly enough. And one year later, Denys was born. Right on the heels of his dad murdering a whole crew of people for some sick loot

(I wonder if the timeline actually works out)

So Norzen and Braev were the ones opposing Greide the most, besides the elders. Greide looked into their pasts to see what he could use to... convince them to come over to his side

So if this happened in 2379... Denys was probably born in 2380-ish. Which seems about right? Definitely not 2384 like the Final Fantasy Wikia says. That would make him younger than Agnès and I’m very sure she isn’t over 23, which is Denys’s canon age as confirmed in the Bestiary (What are you guys doing, FFWikia?)

And this is just a painting of a huge area of gravestones with ravens.

The first deaths were in Eternia. “A sleepy border village.” And now we hear what we know from Default. Braev begged the church to help his home, and in return they sealed off all roads. Quarantined the smaller villages and left them to die. The incident that sparked Braev and the Anticrystalists’ revolt against the Orthodoxy. Braev gave Norzen full authority to investigate the Plague, where Minette’s mother would eventually discover a cure, but not before the first wave had killed more than could ever be counted

On the timeline: Greide’s 4/11, 2379 journal entry mentions a woman bringing her son and claiming he was Greide’s. Since he recognized her, he figured yeah, sure. Kid’s probably his and he can’t prove otherwise. So he took her and their son Denys in. So at the very least we can confirm that Denys was born before April 11, 2379. Unfortunately, I have no idea what year this game takes place in and can’t do math, so... I still have no idea if that date checks out?

And Denys’s mother... “left them” by 5/25 2380, and Greide became engaged to who I assume is Yew’s mother just over a year after that. And, like, jeez, Denys’s mom died when he was 1 or 2 years old? The way people talk about her it sounded like she was around for longer than that

Greide pretended to be loyal to Braev’s Duchy, but was appalled by how... businesslike they treated him. Like the idea of people not groveling at his feet because of his family name was repulsive

“There has been no warning from the Eye of Foundar...” God, is the Eye a prophecy machine? Why did a shadow man have to tell me about it in the Geneolgia corpse basement?

Hah. When Greide met with DeRosso and Sage Yulyana they called his ancestor a “sickly man” and a “monster,” respectively. And for the first time in his life, Greide felt true fear, but only at the potential loss of his status

Bestiary Tiz described DeRosso as “the pretend vampire with the baritone voice” which is really all you’d ever need to know about DeRosso

And here’s a painting of a burning Crystalguard banner. Greide disbanded the Crystalguard after Braev’s successful uprising, since the church was no longer in power and Greide wanted to keep himself and his allies out of the way of the rebellion. Houses Geneolgia and Camlann destroyed any who wanted to keep the Crystalguard together. Their biggest opponent: Janne’s father. His dying words were giving custody of his son to his squire, Angard. And Nikolai watched it all. After that, he tried to reinstate the Crystalguard and get himself and Janne a place in it. And just as Nikolai explained, the now unemployed soldiers went and looted the few villages left with survivors. And the Geneolgia and Camlann families formed private armies to save their own asses by taking down the bandits that they caused

Yew’s so shaken he collapsed. Hey, someone help my boy up? He’s having a rough day and I only see it getting worse

According to the Journals, Yew cried the whole night the attack on Jerome Balestra happened. Empathetic beyond belief, even as a baby

Seems Greide at least entertained the notion of choosing Denys as his heir. He says it himself: Denys had all the courage and skills he could want in an heir, but Yew had the superior bloodline despite his seemingly lesser talent as a kid

And he dies with some unspecified “promise” left unfulfilled

...I don’t even need to examine that painting to know who that is on the left. That’s Denys. I’d recognize him anywhere

Ah, a symbolic painting. On one side we have a young Yew grasping the Sword of the Brave, with Denys behind him. On the other side is Yōko and Danzaburō mirroring the Geneolgia brothers. It’s so obvious now that Danzaburō was just Denys in a hat and with two real arms. And I think with a different voice actor, maybe?

Yōko is a different kind of being. They called her a Yōkai, but that confuses her as she is the only one of her kind she knows. Her goal is simply to achieve true growth and lift the world into a higher plane of existence. True growth? It’s looking at yourself in the most open sense and accepting all that you are. By doing so, you become truly and fully realized, able to be the person fate wanted you to be

Girl, you didn’t have to switch forms on me

“Brave the dark depths within their heart”? Is that what you tried to do at the Geyser Grotto? Show everyone the parts of themselves that they deny to try and get them to accept those flaws and grow?

Yeah, I think that’s it. And she remembered that she never looked at Edea’s heart. Yōko... is absolutely right. Edea says she defected in the last game because she was appalled by their actions, and to an extent I’m sure it’s true, but it was also a ploy to get her dad’s attention. Selfless and selfish in equal measures. So often are actions both, and all it takes is a different angle to see it

And her other secret is exactly what I called out last liveblog: she misses Ringabel more than anything, and it kills her to see all of her friends and family and even enemies pair off while her love is probably in an alternate reality, loving an alternate her. Her love is a version of a man she should never have had the ability to meet if the worlds had stayed intact. The version of a man who wouldn’t have existed without that universal fabric being breached

“And what hurts most of all, is that he chose to leave you.” He did. He left the Edea he’d journeyed with to go try and save the Edea he’d failed. Just like Alternis is probably dismayed that she loves an alternate him, Edea probably can’t help but fear that Ringabel only saw her as a temporary replacement for her alternate self

Yoko’s being so mean since I am fairly certain she knows Ringabel is here. She called him interesting at Geyser Grotto. I know she knows who he is

OHHHHHH FUCK YEAH THAT’S LOVE’S VAGRANT

EDEA QUICK CHANGE OUT OF THE RANGER OUTFIT. GET SOME GOOD CLOTHES. UNLESS HE’S INTO RABBIT GIRLS? HE PROBABLY IS, ACTUALLY

That’s my last game fav! How’s it going, ‘Bel? Good to see I correctly identified his appearances, too. Geyser Grotto, then Florem, then Caldisla

Cute hug. CUTE HUG.

I don’t know why the revelation that it’s Ringabel means anything to Yew and Magnolia. I mean, it’s basically “You thought I was Alternis, but it’s actually me, his twin who you’ve never met!” but with the added bonus of “how did you dimension hop?”

A painting of Yōko fighting unidentified warriors. Ringabel calls them the Planeswardens, the group he’s taken up working for. They... warden planes. Which is to say they defend alternate realities. According to him, Yōko only wishes to create chaos, nothing more

“Growing as a human being is about more than drudging up old fears and traumas...” God, I missed ya, Bel

And the Planeswardens have classified Yōko as an S-rank Malevolent Spirit of Concern. So she’s dangerous, though I’m willing to listen to her spiel, at least. The most she’s done so far is emotionally traumatize us, right?

She’s over 4.6 billion years old? Because that’s just how long she’s been on Luxendarc, she’s actually older than that. Do... do you people know how time works??? (Evidently not because no one in the Glanz Empire did, but still) That’s a LONG TIME, GUYS!

No. NO. Do NOT cut to Ringabel, standing alone, going “No matter what the cost, I must defeat her!” I already had one unexpected favorite dumb blond boy sacrifice himself this game, I’m not letting you do it to the other one, too!

So Ringabel and Denys for Bravely Third party when?

And according to Greide’s journals, Foundar’s dying message was basically “If you have more than one son, have them duke it out. Winner gets his inheritance, loser is either his brother’s servant or dead. That applies to every generation after me. Have fun, losers!”

“Fear the Eye of Foundar.” What IS IT. What can it DO. Do I have to worry for my boys because I’m already worrying you don’t need to make it worse

To enter Yōko’s shrine, you have to decipher Foundar’s code using the symbols carved into the walls of the crypt. And you have to do it on your own. You cannot tell anyone how. Only then can you hope to know if you are even qualified

...Greide didn’t write “Fear the Eye of Foundar.” It simply appeared in his locked journal after he deciphered Foundar’s texts

YEEEEEEEEEW I think your family’s cursed. There’s some fucked up demon magic going on here and I DON’T LIKE IT. We gotta go get Denys. Like, now. I think you’re both doomed but he’s doomed and without Celestial guidance. And also trapped with a horse

Year AO 3. I think this is from Foundar. Proposed to by the pope’s daughter, then he spoke to Yōko at her shrine, describing her as “pitiful”

The “promise” was Foundar’s to Yōko. A task he needed someone with “the vast wealth needed to support a million souls, great military strength enough to strike down a thousand political foes, and technology advanced enough to grant a hundred men hundred-year lives” for. Greide suspects that those who failed Foundar’s request for his descendants gave up on the last part, with the Eye warning them of failure

Yōko was put to sleep to contain the first Plague. If you seal her inside the girl... the Plague returns because now the girl has it

Greide what... “Well, I didn’t get an ominous demonic message on the last page, so I should be good to go on the fulfilling Foundar’s promise thing!” N... no???

So first he wanted fame. Then he wanted the “power” Yōko bestowed on Foundar that caused his meteoric good fortune and rise through the ranks. Not a single shred of selflessness, as befitting a man named “greed”

Confirmation that Yōko had the Plague sealed within her and was put to rest in the shrine to keep it from infecting Luxendarc. I see we’ve got a morally grey fox demon here. For all she tries to help, it may do more harm than good sometimes

Greide was legitimately shocked that the Origin Plague spread as the Great Plague. His decision to poison those on their ships was due to a message from the Pope claiming he wouldn’t let any potential carriers dock

The Plague had one clear physical identifier on the effected: a star-shaped pattern on the pupil. He killed anyone he saw with that mark, and apologized to both the girl and Yōko sealed within her, who Foundar had wished to save and who he had failed

God, that star mark is just... ripe for a scene of someone turning around and having it in their eye as a dramatic reveal. If it doesn’t happen in this game I feel it’ll probably happen in a potential Bravely Third

“To my sons, and my son’s sons... I leave you this message: Blame me. Hate me. And then lead the church and this world on to a path which will ultimately eradicate the Plague that the fox girl so desperately wished to contain. To my sons... To all who come after me... Fear the Eye of Foundar. But do not fear failure.” And in the end... a moment of clarity. Who is right? Yōko or Greide, two tellers with biases that are different but no less strong?

I have never felt the pull of a sequel hook so strong in my life

Oooooh hello! Tent event with Ringabel!

And after giving him coffee, Yew and Magnolia make a hasty retreat so the Default crew can get some reminiscing done

Yes. Call Agnès. Get the quartet together again

Oh fuck Alternis picked up ABORT. ABORT.

So Agnès had him take her calls while she was in the bath, and now The Dim Twins are arguing

So Ringabel saved Braev and Alternis after the Kaiser’s attack during the first timeline. Alternis, did you not recognize your own damn voice when he saved you?

“Did you say Agnès was in... the bath?” *Edea whips her head to look at Ringabel faster than I can blink* Boooooooy you’re in... hot water now

...never change, Bel. Never change.

Did Yōko eat the team’s breakfast? The monster. Now she’s done it!

I’m gonna kick her ass and become a fox demon myself!

Yōko, that’s an amazing sword. I super love it. God, the pale pink fire theme? So rad

OH HOLY SHIT. Ringabel jumps in at random points in the fight to do his special attack!? THAT’S AMAAAAAAAZING. Love’s Vagrant may as well just be the battle theme at this point and I looooooooove iiiiiiiiiit

So, hey. Game. I see you can do this? Have a guest party member during a fight? Why couldn’t you do this with Denys!? Especially during the Diamante fight! It’s like literally every boss in Chapter 6 is designed to remind you how stupid Denys’s sacrifice was!

And Yew and Yōko‘s conversation is really something. She accuses him of bearing the sins of his forefathers, and when he tries to assert that he is himself, not Foundar OR Greide, and therefore shouldn’t be held accountable for their actions, she accuses him of denying his family. And that he sounds just like all the rest of them. Full of sentiment and idealism... and ultimately just as flawed and helpless and self-serving

So, hey, first of all leave my boy alone? Yew’s doing his best and has been this whole game. He’s the sweetest kid. You are not allowed to speak to him like that. I’ll kick your ass

Second, it just really goes to show how both Yew and Denys have spent their whole lives trying to fix a problem that shouldn’t have been theirs to fix. And it goes to show what great foils they are to each other. Denys instantly took the weight of their sins on himself, accepted them as a problem he had to fix, and dedicated his life to doing so by actively denying any good that came out of their actions and trying to undo it all. Yew is the one denying that it should be his problem to fix, yet he’s the one who accepts that what happened happened and is trying to fix the problem by looking at what went wrong and what went right and trying to smooth out the rough edges. It’s an interesting dichotomy of the acceptance-denial theme present in the narrative, where you could say that Yew’s denial led to a form of acceptance, and that Denys’s initial acceptance led to a form of denial that later had to be worked back into acceptance, but a less extreme kind

I LOVE YOU RINGABEL

God, he’s going, like, every turn! He’s using every weapon in the book! THIS MAN IS UNSTOPPABLE

Man, and a boss that doesn’t revive? I love this quest

And changing jobs back, I see we’ve unlocked something I’ve known about for a while: Job Level 11, the hidden level. 9999 JP? That’s actually not an awful requirement

The final truth. The song of Altair is playing (and his bestiary entry has him mention that Yōko is familiar). One day, two people appeared on a glimmering ship, travelers from another world. Yōko aided them, as they looked for a way back to their own world. But a disease from their world that they had been studying in their ship’s lab escaped, and mixed with a disease from Luxendarc to create the Plague. Yōko feared for the people of this world that she loved, so she sealed the Plague inside herself and then sealed herself away, so that none could get sick again. People began to worship her as a god and built her a shrine, until eventually they, too, fell (I imagine this is Wa, the nation that sank beneath the sea eons ago, mentioned in various weapon notes, most notably katanas and other Japanese weaponry. It would explain the Japanese aesthetic of Yōko). 2400 years ago, the subject of our final painting (maybe? Nice mustache either way), Foundar, found her (..heh) and promised that while he didn’t have the means to help her, one day he would have one of his descendants free her from the Plague and her self-imposed imprisonment. Greide sealed her inside the girl to transport her to Gathelatio so that they could use their medical equipment to cure her... and we all know how that ended. It all destroyed any sense of goodness and love left within Greide, the would-be savior of a doomed spirit whose overconfidence led to a Plague that destroyed half of his world’s people

Hey, somebody hug my crying boy? Somebody hug Yew for me? Please? ...please?

Yōko is grateful to both Foundar and Greide. Foundar couldn’t save her, but could inform her that an old friend of hers was safe. Greide freed her, and even though he killed her host and left them beneath the sea, he did help end the Plague as she always wanted

Yew doesn’t even have anything to say. It’s his turn to shape the future? It is. But I know he’s gonna make it a better place

And Ringabel has to go. He wasn’t even supposed to let us know it was him; his superiors forbid it. But Yōko essentially turned this castle into a pocket-dimension that she regulates, so he figured he could reveal himself without his bosses knowing

“Edea, I never left you and I never will. Wherever... whenever you are in peril, there I will be!” ...Edea has died more than anyone else in my party, to the point where she’s a full half a level down from everyone else, even in the mid-70s. You’re sweet, but you’re doing a terrible job, pal

And to Magnolia, a job: with Yōko gone, there isn’t anyone to hold her Sins back, and they have been unleashed. (Dark summons!) No one knows fighting unearthly demons like Magnolia!

And his request to Tiz: tell Agnès he says hi. She’s the only friend he never got to see again (thanks, Alternis)

Wow, way to just warp out in a flash of light. Later, ass! You couldn’t just escort us to the door? (Trash fav)

WOW that was a dense quest. Goodness. And it’s still technically not done! I’ve got Sins to snag! But holy shit, why couldn’t the other sidequests in the game be like this? I mean, there was plot relevance! Character focus! Backstory! I’m so glad the Chapter 6 quests managed to be so good, it’s just a shame there weren’t more of them!

So the Adventurer’s fox opened a high level magic shop and... taaaaalks? This isn’t Persona 4, why is there an entrepreneurial fox here?

Hey, you shadowy DICK. What’s the Eye of Foundar!? I read the notes, fess up! Do I have to start worrying for my two favorite boys or what!?

And now he says nothing. Cool. Thanks. If anything happens to Yew or Denys I’m coming after you first

(So I think the reason my 3DS screen goes black when I put it down sometimes is because I’m putting it down on on my computer, where there’s magnets to keep it closed when I fold the screen down)

Ooooooooh looking for the Sins I found the hidden village of Chompshire in the Yulyana region. That’s what that owl guy meant during the Grandship quest

I mean it’s really pretty. Seems like an easily missable area unless you’re going for completion. Not bad, just not super important

So let’s get this show on the road and see what these sins are all about, huh?

The first sin is Asmodeus, the embodiment of lust. I mean it’s freaking sick looking? Like a floating cloak with a bunch of snake heads? There’s a blood moon rising in the background. And the battle theme rocks. I mean that literally, we have wailing guitars and some riff that sound like old-school Final Fantasy songs. Which, I mean, I guess that makes sense, since I think these guys are supposed to be cameos from Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light (I have a friend who played that game a lot). The Adventurer’s a cameo, too, since Bravely was originally envisioned as a spiritual sequel to that game. Neat trivia

Okay??? It can imprison people in the Infernal Realm??? Not my boy! Bring Yew back!

Hey, he did. Thanks, you demonic monstrosity!

Guys, you look winded. That fight wasn’t that bad. Bit worrying, I guess, what with the Infernal Realm nonsense, but not awful

Sin 2 is Beelzebub, the manifestation of gluttony. I honestly have no idea how Magnolia knows what these guys are and their names, but whatever. It’s a head wearing a crown with some squid tentacles. The sky is red. He’s classified as a bug? Do enough damage while it’s in Gluttony mode (all attacks heal instead of hurt) and it dies instantly. Which is what I did. Later, doofus!

Next up is Mammon, the being of avarice (aka greed for non-pretentious folks). It’s a chick with wings, fox-like ears, and four, clawed arms coming out of her back. Her Avarice attack lets her steal the whole party’s BP, so it’s a bit of a waiting game at times.

Died the first time after getting very close and then getting wiped, level grinded everything to max in between then and the second time. I don’t forsee any more combat deaths, I’ll tell you that much

Oh, it’s a “he” according to the Bestiary? Alright.

And now we have Belphegor, a creature of sloth. And... hey, I thought I recognized this guy when fighting Yōko! It’s a weird furry guy sitting in a wheelchair. I fought this guy as a Norende Nemesis last game! He was one of the few I did. How do you like us now, man?

Okay, scratch that “no combat problems” thing this asshole absorbs anything that isn’t magic of the specific element he’s weak to. Yew? Darling boy of mine? Think you can Spellcraft Summon him into oblivion?

Atta boy

Well kids, let’s go kill Satan, the manifestation of wrath. With all the ranting I do sometimes, you guys sure I’m not the manifestation of wrath? I will say, this is probably the coolest depiction of a wrath-based foe I’ve ever seen? I mean, it’s a buff guy with four arms each holding swords, a torn black cloak, and his head doubles as a helmet and a full blown furnace! No wonder we’re fighting him near the Eisen volcano, he fits right in!

I looooooooooove Meteor Raiiiiiiiiiiin

And on to Leviathan, the manifestation of envy. AKA a bunch of wiggly serpents that go offscreen. Joke’s on you, jackass. I have Yew Geneolgia, destroyer of all on my side. Boy’s a terrifying spellcaster now

See, this is what happens when you let Yew do what comes easily to him instead of trying to make him be a swordsman like his brother. He becomes THE MOST POWERFUL BOY

Guess he had a turtle shell head? I dunno, he died too fast

And for the last one, no one’s surprised by their appearances anymore. Heck, the team’s enjoying it! It’s Lucifer, the manifestation of pride. Guy took the “fallen angel” thing and ran with it. It’s a suit of armor with a double angel wing on one side and a feathery sword-wielding arm on the other. And a dog head on its belly that bites? A’ight, man, you do you

I love my powerful magic son

And it seems Yōko’s left Yew a note thanking him. Good! You’d better thank Yew, specifically, because he did all the work!

That was an interesting sidequest... related thing? I will say, the most interesting part of it is the Bestiary entries, which take the real-world stories of these demons and comes up with Luxendarc analogues for the stories. It paints a really interesting picture of their world, but other than the references to real-world religious figures I don’t have much to say about it

Okay, I know Agnès’s hint line of “Yew... where are you going!?” is supposed to be referencing the fact that he shouldn’t know where Anne is and the player does, but considering that since we left Caldisla we’ve:

Trekked down to Vampire Castle and hung out there for a long while for seemingly no reason to an outsider

Flown across the world, stopping at various points to fight high-ranking demons in no particular order

Walked around in circles in Florem Gardens for, like, 10 or 15 hours to level grind (and bounced around to various shops to blow off the excess cash)

And gone in for a few last-minute Bestiary entries that I knew the locations of

I mean... it’s a valid question. Like, from her perspective we probably look completely insane. Or, since it’s Agnès, like we’re just as directionally challenged as she is. I didn’t do anything here I didn’t do with you last game, Agnès, but I promise. Next time...

We’re gonna go save Vega.

#bravely default #bravely second #liz liveblogs bravely second #denys may be gone from the narrative but he lives on in a dozen admonishments in the liveblog

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voidcrow · 6 years ago

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The Battle of the Road to Caen

A historical treatise by Josephine Childress-Busey Published November the ninend, MMVII

1119 is a year that many of my fellow historians look to as that in which the world's fate was forever derailed from its course. To assume this is to ignore the factors that enabled the brief battle fought on that day.

Personally, this scholar is more given to arguing that the true tipping of destiny's scales came in 1102. This was, after all, the year in which Pope Paschal II excommunicated the nation of Norway seemingly on a whim. Paschal never openly stated a reason for condemning the Norwegian people to spiritual damnation and would take whatever rationale he had to his grave. Whatever the case, the ripples started here-- ripples that, by the time they reached English-ruled Normandy, crashed ashore as a tsunami.

The news that they were no longer Christian in the eyes of the Christ-on-Earth rattled the Norwegian people. Collective dismay hastily evolved into collective anger, fueling a nationalistic movement that saw the Norwegians embrace their pre-Christian traditions to set their identity apart from that of other European powers. Chief among these deviations was their choice to reject Catholicism outright and return to the old polytheistic beliefs of the Norse, wearing the derogatory term "pagan" as a badge of pride.

That winter, Norwegian raiders made landfall in Scotland by longboat for the first of many new pillages. The Vikings had returned.

For over a decade thereafter, the fruits of Norway's ongoing pillages fueled a war of expansion back in Scandinavia. Gradually, Sweden and Finland were absorbed. In 1117, forces under the command of Snorri Ragnvaldsson captured Jutland. This move had the dual effect of not only wiping the Kingdom of Denmark off the map, but giving the Norwegians a convenient staging point for raiding the Holy Roman Empire, Poland and northern France by land.

By this point, England had gained more territory on mainland Europe-- specifically, the county of Brittany that lay west of Normandy. A road running between the cities of Rennes and Caen became one of England's busier trade routes, so it should come as no surprise that a band of Vikings came along to prey on caravans along this road. Each time they captured a haul of goods, they'd keep the food and drink to supply themselves, send the treasures home to Norway, and feast in celebration until their fingers itched for another plundering. As the English nobles thought little of this problem in the grander scheme of things, this group of Vikings was able to keep up the profitable venture for two years, until a young English serf-- born in Cornwall but living in Brittany at the time-- roused himself from his drunken stupor to loudly declare that enough was enough.

His name was Alfred Codd, and he had no earthly idea what he was doing-- only that he was tired of bar brawls and pushing around wheelbarrows full of dung.

When spring came in the year 1119, Codd was successful in convincing the Earl of Brittany to let him levy and command a militia. He put out a call for able-bodied citizens of Rennes to defend king and country from the Viking menace... but less than a thousand answered, all desperate peasants like himself. Those volunteers with experience in hunting were equipped with a bow. The rest were armed with pitchforks. Their armor mostly amounted to padded cloth and leather vests, with the few available chainmail shirts being given to Alfred himself and some of the pitchfork-wielders. In total, around seven hundred men were put at arms-- four hundred archers, and three hundred "spearmen" (insomuch as farming tools can be treated as spears). Following the morning sun, they departed from Rennes through its eastern gate and started trekking up the Road toward Caen, certain that the Vikings would show themselves somewhere along the path.

English morale was low on the morning of April the sixenth, and it is little wonder, as Alfred woke up with a hangover only minutes before the fighting began, and his second-in-command had to remind him what was going on. Through a spyglass, it had been determined that the Viking band headed toward them numbered about one thousand, and consisted wholly of melee infantry and light horsemen with axes. After splashing some cold water on his face and having his second punch him in the face a few times to induce alertness, Alfred ordered the peasant mob into a formation; he told the archers to stand together in a short, broad column and instructed the "spearmen" to surround them as a two-row-thick box, then ordered them all to stand their ground.

On being told it would help the men's morale to say a few words before battle was to be joined, Alfred Codd spoke thus:

"Bah, my head rebels against me. Thank you for joining me, brave Britons. I'm told many a general likes to rouse his men before battle with some manner of lip service to God. I am not one of them. Instead I will pay lip service to Maggote, a fine barmaid here in Normandy whom I am proud to call the first person ever to punch me out cold. God's blood, what a woman. Would that she would join us today. Now, our foes are Norwegians who would see us dead and our treasures looted. I, erm... I respect the Vikings-- not for their violence or their heathen beliefs, but for their prowess and courage in battle, and the hardiness forged by the harsh winters of their homeland. It is a shame, therefore, that we must now fill them with pointy sticks. Still, I confess that my codpiece is tightening at the prospect. Is that a snake? A snake! Kill it! Kill the bloody snake! Wait; it's only a twig. Thank the Lord. What else? Remember to watch out for spears. Oh, shite, they're almost here. Hold steady, lads!"

Alfred's oratory skills would improve over time.

After delivering the above speech, he took up his pitchfork and joined the other "spearmen". The Vikings stopped on their way west when they noticed the English army standing on the road in formation. Confident in their ability to quickly do away with the rabble but with no options to attack from a range, the raiders charged forth.

Whilst Alfred used protests and threats to keep his infantry from breaking formation, the four hundred hunters began to let fly. Their accuracy was lacking, but by virtue of there being so many bowmen and a decent supply of ammunition being available to them, they filled the air of the battlefield with enough arrows that for some of them to find their mark was an inevitability. At least ten volleys were fired before the mounted Vikings could complete their charge, and by the time they did, a third of the raider band was already dead.

The Viking horsemen plowed into a section of the "spearmen" box, trampling over some, causing dozens of others to spend a few moments fleeing, and even wedging some ways into the archers' formation. But now these horsemen were surrounded. Horror gave way to confidence, the hunters nearest to the mounted Vikings drew clubs, and together with the pitchfork wielders, they crushed the cavalry. It quickly became clear that, given some time at a smith's grinder for sharpening, a pitchfork lent itself decently to killing a horse or forcing a cavalryman off his mount in a pinch.

Alfred was able to rally the mob back into formation, and the hunters continued firing on the approaching Norwegian footmen. A little over half the Viking band had fallen by the time its main bulk closed in for melee combat. Flanking the English proved futile; the box of "spearmen" surrounded their archer comrades on every side. The melee struggle was grueling, but the long reach of the Britons' pitchforks did prevent many Vikings from being able to get a solid swing in without being skewered, and the hunters carried on firing over the melee lines to kill more raiders that were waiting behind those already engaged in combat.

In the end, the raider band-- reduced to a fifth of their numbers-- gave in to survival instinct and was put to rout. Alfred Codd looked around to see many of his fellow peasants on the ground, bloodied and writhing. The victory would turn out to be less Pyrrhic than it seemed; among the many dozen injured, only two had actually died of their wounds. These numbers surprised Alfred himself, but not as much as his family's elevation to the nobility as a reward for his accomplishment that day.

"If this is to be my lot in life," remarked Alfred upon his appointment to the lofty position of a general, "then I will need a substantially larger codpiece."

Spirits were high across the French provinces of England in the wake of the battle, a minor triumph over the Viking Resurgence though it was. Yet Lord Alfred was scarred by it in more ways than one, and wrote as much in his personal journal:

I drink to the dead now, until I achieve a blissful stupor. Us suffering a mere two losses would be much happier news to me had those two not been my only friends.

Granted command over an army of professional archers, heavy infantry and horsemen, Alfred Codd was soon summoned across the English Channel to the isles of Britannia. The new wave of Vikings had brought the Kingdom of Wales to its knees, handed Scotland some grievous defeats and placed fortresses along the eastern coast of England. It was time to bring these isles to order.

#Alternate History #Total War

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surly01 · 4 years ago

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A Geezer Crosses the Bar

Originally published on the Doomstead Diner on June 14, 2020

“Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; For though from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar.”

― Alfred, Lord Tennyson

"Crossing the bar" is a nautical metaphor Tennyson uses to compare death with crossing the "sandbar" between the river of life and the ocean beyond (death), the "boundless deep", to which we return. My friend Joe has crossed the bar.

When you retire, lunch is one of the few ways an old man has any chance for a social life. Thus it was with a small circle of my local friends. Every 4 to 6 weeks, several of us would gather for a "geezers' lunch." My friend Joe would generally facilitate the gathering, making the phone calls and wrangling the troops. He was the straw that stirred the drink.

We geriatrics would toddle into some local pissoir for seafood, a couple of beers and some spirited conversation. Attendance would vary, but centered around four people: Al, a writer, poet and local gadfly, and publisher of a journal of working-class poetry with a small but fervent national following; Angelo, a painter and entrepreneur, who was successful at business without any real love for it, and who was far more interested in art and his own lines of independent thought; your obedient servant; and of course Joe. All of had met during Occupy in 2011, when old gathered with young on the streets to protest repression and economic injustice. Joe was a Renaissance man, by turns boat builder, contractor, student, teacher, gardener, actor, and especially raconteur.

And now Joe is gone.

Joe's devoted wife called me with the news and asked me to spread the word. The news hit me like a building falling. He had just been part of a gathering at my home the previous Friday, where we brought our own lunch, socially distanced on the back deck in heartfelt conversation while sucking down a twelve-pack of Modelos. I still don't believe it.

Joe was immensely intellectually curious, and was always delving into historical or nautical subjects. At lunch that Friday he had three books on 9/11 In hand. This was completely typical Joe; his appetite for knowledge and his intellectual curiosity was restless and unquenchable.

According to Joe, he once attended St. John Vianney seminary in Goochland, Virginia. At the end of that year he received a letter from the bishop, cordially inviting him not to pursue further studies for the priesthood. Joe attended Old Dominion College (at that time a branch of William and Mary) in the late sixties before embarking on a career in construction. From Joe's unofficial bio:

From there, Joe worked for a year or so at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in their small boat shop but did not enjoy daily exposure to clouds of fiberglass dust and polystyrene vapors. He took over the management of a utility/ general-purpose carpentry shop for the Navy Exchange, then applied for a teaching position with the brand new Norfolk School of Boat Building opening on the downtown Norfolk waterfront. A direction was set for ship building and ship repair, and acting(!). Even though he left college without graduating, he maintained a lifelong interest in American and European history, as evidenced by his voracious reading habits.

During the mid-1970s he worked in the U.S. Merchant Marines. Sailing on small and medium sized tugboats while controlling tugs and barges of vast tonnage gave him a fundamental understanding of how ships handled under challenging sea and weather conditions. His practical experience, coupled with a respect for traditional building skills enabled him to teach woodworking and boat construction at the Norfolk School of Boatbuilding. This school was (as far as I know) the first official, permanent boat-building institution in one of the nation's earliest ports. It closed in 1991.

In 1980 Joe had already left, to work with the Norfolk Shipbuilding and Dry-dock Corporation as a rigger, eventually working his way into production engineering management. In 1985, Joe started his own company, Decking Design, Inc., a shipboard marine flooring and decking firm serving naval and commercial shipping on the East Coast. He became a federal contractor and laid teak decks on warships. With that company, he ran work with 35 full-time tradesmen through 1993.

Since then, Joe continued work as an independent boatbuilder, artisan, craftsman and instructor. He also worked with the historical department at the Mariners Museum in Newport News, VA as an interpreter and historical character actor. He portrayed, "the old sea captain", for audiences from all over the world. It gave Joe the opportunity to commit some of the works of Tennyson, Conrad and E.B. White to memory. His work as a character actor led to his being hired to portray a wealthy New York banker in the two episode historical documentary, "Clear the Way", based on a life of the Irish-American Civil War General Thomas Francis Meagher. The film was set during the 1863 draft riots, and produced by an Irish production company. The documentary film was shot in and around Hagerstown, Maryland in conjunction with the Smithsonian and National Geographic.

Following "Clear the Way", Joe continued to work in film and theater projects. He has appeared in, "A Witch in Time", and "Bon Voyage" produced by John Graves Warner, another personal friend. Joe's gift for voices and a beard straight out of the 19th century, led Stephen Spielberg to cast him in "Lincoln" as a "Republican Senator." He's in a number of scenes.

Joe also loved to perform and would memorize long seafaring stories and poems, from authors like Tennyson, Conrad, Villiers, Masefield, A.H.Clark, C.Fox Smith and E.B White, then perform them in public. He would commit many pages to memory, with the accuracy and precision of an Islamic adept memorizing the Koran.

In his later days, Joe served on the board of directors for Nautical Adventures, Inc., a nonprofit that helps disadvantaged youth in Hampton Roads. His last love was the Tidewater Wooden Boat Workshop. Aside from his wife, "Miss Patricia" in Joe-speak, the Tidewater Wooden Boat Workshop may have been his greatest love.

Of all the many things Joe did, perhaps the Tidewater Wooden Boat Workshop was his finest hour.

Joe's partner there was retired Marine Col. Tom Brandl, who shared his enthusiasms. The Tidewater Wooden Boat Workshop is a program that teaches young people life skills through boat building. Every meeting with Joe was an opportunity to be regaled with stories of young people having breakthrough "aha" moments as the learned the relationships between math, design, and problem solving. Joe's phone was always loaded with photos of the students and their workshop projects, and he beamed with pride and he shared those photos and the stories behind them One of Joe's greatest pleasures was knowing that he was helping to shape lives, as the realization dawned upon his students that they could solve problems they heretofore had no idea they could even address. By learning concepts, how to use tools, and how to apply effort wth their own minds and hands and heart. This was Joe's greatest gift.

We geezers and broken-down former Occupiers recognized Joe as a wordslinger of the first order, a tireless fighter for causes of social justice, fairness, and equity under the law. Joe had empathy out the ass for anyone getting the short end of the stick or dealt a bad hand, an attitude which infused his latter day boatbuilding teaching and evangelism. He was always aware that those folk were his folk, working folk, and always felt a tie to the weaker-thans and the forgotten. He was an honorable man.

And now he has crossed the bar.

Surly1 is an administrator and contributing author to Doomstead Diner. He is the author of numerous rants, screeds and spittle-flecked invective here and elsewhere. He lives a quiet domestic existence in Southeastern Virginia with his wife Contrary.

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mermaidsirennikita · 7 years ago

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Victoria Season 2 Review

First off: I will be watching Victoria still, I do enjoy the show, I don’t think it’s the worst thing that’s on TV (I prefer it to Downton, that’s for sure) I just don’t (and have never) consider it like... High Quality Television. I have realistic expectations for this show, and I think that by having those expectations, it’s easier for me to enjoy it.

But I think it’s important to note that season 2 was a downturn in quality.

I can’t say that I didn’t expect this in a sense, because season 1 was written with the possibility of it being a miniseries in mind and thus was very contained. It had an overarching main plot that was very simple: Victoria’s first years on the throne, Victoria moving from girl to woman, her first crush on Melbourne, her falling in love with Albert and being ~sexually awakened~. The pitch we as an audience were given for season 2 was more vague: Victoria struggles to balance work with family. (”Work”.) Never mind that you could really just use that as a theme for her entire married life. It wasn’t very solid, and the season showed that.

It was all over the place. The first episode--fine. The next two--taken up in part by a Melbourne plot meant to bait, definitely going to end with him being written off despite the fact that he had a nice, enclosed storyline with a pretty lovely ending all things considered in season 1. Episodes 4 and 5 were good, if taken up by a plot that had no root in history--but that’s ok, as long as it’s giving drama and serving your characters. Then episode 6 goes off on a rather bizarre rewriting of history to make Victoria some heroine of the Irish Famine when in reality she’s known for disliking the Irish, stopping further financial aid to the country, and is actually called by some the Famine Queen to this day. This episode had literally no bearing on any other part of the plot, unless you count the hinting towards Peel’s fall and Victoria and Peel becoming vague friends which is supposed to make us sadder about his departure in the finale. Episode 7 was good, but aside from the forward motion in a doomed romantic subplot that would only end up being offensive... It was basically a bottle-y Scotland breather episode. Which, fine, Victoria and Albert loved Scotland in real life too and it was a major part of their life together, and indeed that’s impacted the monarchy today. But then we get to the finale, and there are plots that suddenly have to be Everything, and the finale wasn’t bad but it wasn’t as good as it could have been had Daisy Goodwin had a better handle on what she was doing.

I’ll address the elephant in the room first: I always knew that Drummond and Alfred’s storyline would end badly. I knew that it would be offensive; it was always going to with “bury your gays”. I can tell you why they chose to make these characters gay (or bi, we really don’t know). Drummond was going to die, and Daisy had that out even though the timeline is so off that it isn’t an out. And Alfred had a minor scene in season 1 wherein he was foppish and cute and had a dog that curtsied and I can almost guarantee you that Daisy Goodwin associated that little dandy moment with “gay” and threw him into that storyline for that reason. (After all, in real life he was married with thirteen children and no known romantic entanglements with men.) What we got was sweet, but I’ll also point out as I have before that it was the bare minimum. We barely got to see them discuss their relationship, and when they did it was never *really* as a relationship at all, was it? It was vague and “subtle” and just not-present enough for ITV to feel okay about it, especially if one was going to die in the end.

Daisy Goodwin did this for the same reason that she has all of those fake feminist moments for Victoria. She’s patting herself on the back.

This storyline was offensive all around, as good as the actors were--and I have no idea if it’s even going to affect anything in the future. One actor brought up the possibility of Wilhelmina being with Alfred, which, like... I don’t know. He could be bi. Some dialogue made me think otherwise. But do we really want to watch Wilhelmina be a consolation prize? Alfred being bi wouldn’t invalidate his love for Drummond, of course, but there’s just a “why did you do it in the first place” about the storyline.

Then there’s Lehzengate. This was a hugely important moment in Victoria’s young life, and what I saw was... fine. It just wasn’t as dramatic as it should have been. Albert essentially telling Victoria to choose between him and Lehzen is pretty much historically accurate. But for God’s sake, the whole thing was done with such a whimper versus a bang. Victoria barely fired her. Lehzen left with a smile (in real life, Victoria essentially forgot about her after a time). The show never delved into the toxicity of Lehzen’s relationship with Victoria--an enabling relationship that consisted of Lehzen being sycophantic and rarely critiquing Victoria, allowing for little growth. She did put a wedge between Victoria and her mother that Albert found disconcerting in real life. Melbourne thought that Lehzen was a bad influence on Victoria and agreed with Albert on the fact that she needed to go. We’ve barely seen Lehzen over the course of the second season, and the show should have built up her incompetency as a governess, the enmity between Lehzen and Albert. She resented him taking her place, essentially--and y’all, I’m sorry, this is weird. If your partner is male or female, it doesn’t matter; you do need to put your relationship with your partner first, and someone intentionally trying to sabotage your relationship is ODD. If this show had built up the conflict between Lehzen, Albert, and Victoria from 2x01, this climax would have been very affecting. As it is--it’s okay. Not offensive, but not as dramatic as it should have been.

The thing is that a lot of this is fucked up by the timeline. Lehzen got fired shortly after Bertie was born, before Alice came into the picture. The show skipped over incredibly long amounts of time with little explanation--at the end of ep 5, Victoria is newly pregnant. In ep 6, she suddenly brings out a baby that doesn’t appear to be a newborn. (Also, Vicky looks way too old--the age gap between her and Alice was like, three years.) Leopold makes a comment about how he missed Albert’s birthday--like, which one? Bertie was born in ep 4, Alice was born between 5 and 6, it seems like years have passed since ep 4 so.. Historical shows often fuck up timelines, but the reason why they’ve fucked up the timelines here is... nonexistent.

Daisy Goodwin needs to figure out what she wants this show to be. I don’t expect accuracy, but I do expect some level of consistency in the writing. When this show is good, it’s very fun. But when the cracks show--they’re glaring.

#victoria itv #itv victoria

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gregoryferrell · 4 years ago

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lil-nest · 6 years ago

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The Talon and the Demon’s Heir, chapter one: Si tu n’existais pas

Fandom: Batman comics Characters: Bruce Wayne, Damian Wayne, Dick Graysson, Alfred Pennyworth Work Summary: ‘The verse sang "fly me away". As he cried after the Court sent him to his first murder, he sang that line again and again, hoping someone might come fly him away. One day, someone did.’ or Dick used to be a Talon, until this kid got him out of the Court and threw him into another prison. Only this time, they both plan to escape - with Batman's help (AU Talon!Dick, Dick and Damian are the same age) Chapter Summary: Bruce comes home with two repentant and slightly codepent children assassins. They swing between hoping he’s their salvation and expecting the worst from him. The end result is somewhat less disastrous than anyone had any right to hope.

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The ride back was pretty quiet – that is, once they had finally lost the missiles. Bruce had no idea what to say, and the boys seemed to just be naturally silent. Well, Damian could be, at least; the boy Bruce remembered from the circus had been quite lively, but he supposed whoever or whatever took him from a Gotham circus to the League of Shadows had made it a second nature to him. Either way, neither boy seemed to notice the awkwardness, busy as they were observing both him and the jet somewhat warily. The mistrust, if not unexpected, was a bit hurtful – had he not rescued them after they had contacted him? That was actually pretty concerning: was life in Nanda Parbat so awful that their last resort had been to call someone they didn’t trust?

Bruce was so lost in thoughts, he only realized he'd forgotten to tell Alfred they were to have two guests as they flew over the limits of Gotham city. He promptly corrected this omission. If the butler had taken any time to freak out over the fact, he'd gotten over it by the time the plane landed in the Cave. He stood stiffly by the landing dock to greet them. After a short yet formal introduction, he turned to his master and announced that he had prepared the rooms on each side of Bruce's for the boys to sleep in.

Upon hearing the words, their bodies shifted, so much that Bruce wondered how he had thought they were tense before. Same went for their faces, which lit with something he couldn't quite place for a single moment. They were adopting the fakest, blankest facial expression he had ever seen, even in the mirror. For a split second, he actually expected them to attack Alfred, but nothing happened. They just turned to him, as though waiting for the next order.

Unsure of what to do, Bruce suggested they take some time to get familiar with the cave while he got changed into civilian clothing. He half-expected some kind of protest, perhaps even an indication as to what was wrong, now that someone had broken the silence. He received nothing, not even when he asked – almost ordered – them not to touch anything. All he got was twin nods of agreement, clearly directed at him, but no eye contact whatsoever. While he had not quite expected mutiny, he was surprised by this somewhat servile obedience. Surely the son of Talia al Ghul would not take kindly to being ordered around? Surely the exuberant Richard “Dick” Grayson would be delighted to explore his new surroundings or disappointed to be forbidden from touching anything?

Clearly, he thought as he undressed, even though he was one of these boys' father and had been looking for the other for years, he knew nothing about them. It bothered him – a lot. Then and there, he decided he would have to discuss things with them. The earlier the better.

At the darkest hour of the night, Richard quietly left his room. He did not like being Talon, and all the efforts that had led him to this had been part of a plan to stop being Talon. Yet, as it was, he still was Talon, and thus, no one heard him, because no one ever hears Talon. Not even Bruce, who slept right there and knew all the natural sounds of the house, even in slumber. He opened his door, closed it, and, on the lightest of feet, passed Batman's door and slipped into Damian's room. Only habit enabled Damian not to jump at the sudden appearance in his room

“Grayson?” He whispered, unable – unwilling – to hide his confusion from his trusted partner. “What are you doing here? We have been assigned different rooms, and I do not wish to displease my father so early in our stay.”

“Nothing was said against leaving them. This isn't explicitly forbidden.”

In the years he had silently rebelled against his masters, first the Court and then the League, Richard had quickly learned the subtleties of technical obedience. Of course, that particular behavior was often punished in the Court, but the feeling of victory had been worth it. In the League, Talia had sometimes been in good enough a mood to be amused and almost impressed, leaving him unpunished in reward of his wit.

(Richard did not like to dwell on the times she had been annoyed or absent, if only because Damian saw it in his face and then would blame himself for hours.)

Still seeing conflict on his partner's face, Richard walked to the bed and sat down next to Damian, who was now leaning against the headboard.

“Damian, don't you remember why we are here? I care about you, I want to be allowed to say it, and show it. If I can't, why did we leave the League at all?”

The other boy was still silently looking at him, his face a mixture of wariness and confusion, as well as just the slightest sign of hope. He looked more out of his depths than Richard had ever seen him. It made sense of course, as unlike the Talon, he had never known any normal life, and could only work with his partner's words. Those words would have to be good, then.

“I don't remember much, but I know people who care about each other like each other's company.” He hesitated. “They also like to... hug, sometimes...”

To prove his point, he carefully wrapped one arm around the other's shoulder.

For a moment, Damian stayed perfectly still. He was barely even bold enough to dare use such words as “caring”, but this closeness... While Talon had slept in Damian's room to assure his protection, it was always either on the floor or at best a mattress next to the bed, and yet here they were, hugging. It did not feel absolutely terrible, if he was completely honest. Quite the opposite, in fact.

“I suppose it does make sense” he finally answered. “Human contact allows the production of oxytocin, and without wariness of hostile contact, the hormonal answer would bring a positive feeling...”

He trailed off. It was very nice, and he had an instinct it would be even nicer in silence. He could feel his muscle relax already, as though, for just this moment, he was completely and absolutely safe. Feeling rather drowsy, and not wanting this new comfort to end, he wrapped an arm around Richard's torso and brought him with him as he lied down under the covers again. It took a few minutes of awkward shuffling before they found a somewhat comfortable position, but soon enough they were sleeping, holding each other tight for their first peaceful night in years.

When Alfred woke Bruce up, he told him that their guests were yet to come out of their rooms, and suggested the master of the house inform them that breakfast would be served shortly. Bruce understood the unvoiced request; as capable as Alfred was, waking up and potentially startling already unsettled child soldiers was a task best left to the Batman.

He went in search of his new wards, randomly choosing to knock on Richard's door first. The silence he received was not entirely unexpected. While he was certain his knock had awoken the boy, if his footsteps hadn't done it first, not exposing his presence and location in the room was a valid strategy, considering he didn't know who was on the other side of the door. So Bruce waited a bit, before announcing who he was and knocking again. Again, he got no answer. A little concerned, he knocked a third time, warning that, lacking a sign of life, he would enter anyway.

He was loath to breach the child's privacy like that, especially since he probably hadn't been allowed any in years, but he was starting to get worried. What if Ra's had been bold enough to come get the children in his home after all?

With that thought in mind, he entered the room, only to find it completely empty, bed lied in but remade, and sheets already cold. The bathroom proved to be empty too, although no sign of struggle could be found. Surely if ninjas had come to take him he would have resisted, right? Unless... unless they had already gotten to Damian. He had seen the way they lingered around each other, how they stayed in each other's peripheral vision the whole time. They were clearly very protective of each other. Perhaps even more than what was League-acceptable. Perhaps that had been why they had left Nanda Parbat.

Feeling the panic rising in his chest again and resolved to ponder the matter further once both boys were accounted for, he rushed towards his biological son's room. Heedless of privacy this time, he slammed the door open, only to find the two children jumping out of each other's arms as though burned. They turned to stare at him, fear and the last remnant of sleep and surprise in their eyes. Rising his hand non-threateningly, Bruce took a step backwards.

“Damian, Richard... I apologize for bursting in the room and breaching your privacy like that. I did not find Richard in his room and worried you might have been taken in the night. It was thoughtless of me, I am sorry.”

Their look turned confused, though still wary. They were probably unused to receiving apologies from hierarchic superiors, and it seemed like they were still expecting some form of comment – or perhaps punishment? – for what Bruce had witnessed.

Silence fell on the room, growing more awkward by the second.

“Well, now that you're accounted for, I'll leave you two alone. Alfred would like you to know breakfast is about to be served, though. I trust you'll find your way back to the kitchen?”

Without waiting for an answer, he turned tail and fled – not that he ran, he still had an image to maintain; but he just… left, a little more brusquely than was really needed.

That had probably been the most awkward conversation in his life. Why had he ever thought he could take care of these children already?

He recalled the fear in their eyes, like they were expecting punishment for hugging. That was why. Deciding instead to focus on the glimpse of their embrace he had caught, he made his way downstairs. They had been absolutely adorable. He hoped they would one day willingly let him witness something like that. Perhaps a discussion of all the things allowed after breakfast would be a good first step towards that goal.

Bruce's hasty departure left the boys sitting frozen on each side of the bed. Richard broke the spell first, getting out of the bed to stand, shoulder hunched, gaze fixed to the ground, back to his partner.

“I'm sorry.” He said after a beat. “You were right. I'll go back to my room and change.”

There was something in his voice, in his posture, that didn't settle with Damian. He didn't quite know what, but he knew he needed to fix it. He only had to find out how. Since the very beginning, Richard had been the one to initiate things: he'd cracked a joke when they first met, shown kindness even in an assassins' nest, let Damian in on his doubts, and so many other things that eventually led them to this attempt at freedom.

It was his own turn, now. He needed to reach back, to be the one with hope and ideas this time, and that started with fixing this. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself.

“Richard, wait!” He managed just as the other reached the door. “There is nothing to apologize for. I wasn't right, you were.” This was hard, so hard, what were words and where were they and why were they even a thing?

Actually, they didn't have to be. Few of the decisions they'd come to together had been voiced aloud. Clearly words were not what he needed to get his point across. Instead, he stood, joined the other boy. Sent him a look, attempted a smile – he'd need more practice – and went for a hug.

Just as nice as the previous one had been, he noted. After a few seconds, barely loud enough to hear, he whispered “I'm not sorry”.

He didn't say “I care about you and I want to act upon it”, or “if this displeases my father, then he can go to hell with my mother” or even “we will leave this place too if we must, even if we need to burn it to the ground first”. He didn't need to, because Richard heard it anyway.

When they parted, the ex-Talon gave him something that looked a little more like an actual smile, though it was still rusty from lack of practice.

“I'll come back when I'm done” he added, somewhat out of the blue. With that, he left.

Damian was both relieved and disappointed to see him go, as he felt completely unbalanced after this unusual display of emotions. Yet, for the first time since it had all started, he felt centered, like a boat shaken by a storm but still safely anchored close to land. He didn't know where he would be the next day, or even how breakfast would go, he was still mostly clueless about right and wrong, but he knew that this caring, this friendship was right.

This he would put above all. Understanding the finer points of morality would be the next priority, because if it hadn't been for this friendship, this quest of theirs would have never happened at all. If Richard hadn't existed, then this version of himself wouldn't either.

He hoped his father would not separate them, though, because the Batman himself seemed like the best candidate to teach them how to be good.

#fanfiction #batman #damian wayne #dick grayson #alfred pennyworth #talon!dick #au

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