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crystalirises · 3 years ago

Note

i am completely in love with your harry potter au, got any more crumbs? maybe some young georgebur falling in love? maybe some george x revivebur reunion?

(2/2) oh also I have this hc that not only did wilbur trust george with the hufflepuff cup horcrux just like bellatrix, but that he also made george's wedding ring into the ring horcrux (yk the one that poisoned dumbledors hand? except this one wouldn't be cursed obviously) so george would always have a piece of his husbands soul with him wherever he goes :,( <3 this is way to romantic in my head considering the fact that you have to murder someone and literally split your soul in half to create a horcrux🤦

hello! So this might not be exactly what you wanted cause I kinda like...

You know when you want to write but you're like... nah, I'm tired?

Yeah I'm currently going through that XD. My second year in college is starting next week so I've been busy with enlistment of classes and stuff. I did do something about this (along with other stuff cause I couldn't help myself and someone else asked before if I could make like a second prompt for what happens to Fundy after he got obliviated).

So yeah, this is like ten parts of drabbles that take place in this AU. Sorry if this isn't what you wanted. I'm very sorry.

Fair warning, some parts are dark cause... Georgebur are the villains and well they win and this is a Harry Potter AU, y'all know the villain, y'all know what his agenda is.

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31985884/chapters/82666897

I. First Meeting

“You’re all bark, Mr. Soot.”

He stopped, one foot already at the top of the stairs. Wilbur threw a careless glance back.

And, oh, he was glad he looked back. There were many students within Slytherin, and he only recalled the most interesting ones. George Lore had always been very intriguing. “How so?”

“You’re charming, but I’ve seen your… skills. You’re not very sharp.”

Wilbur laughed, moving back down the stairs to where George waited. He’ll show him sharp.

II. Expelled

“George Lore, the only man I will ever love, I believe this is where we part ways—”

“Wilbur, please keep your mouth shut and assist me with my luggage.” Of all the replies, Wilbur did not expect that. He glanced behind George where a bunch of suitcases waited eagerly to board the boat that would lead them back to the train station. Wilbur was stricken. When they��d expelled him for the murder of some… honestly, he wasn’t quite sure who he had murdered - some nobody mudblood, that was all… one, he had expected George to track him down just for the sake of lecturing him on his stupidity. Yet it seemed, that wasn’t the case. “Well, Wilbur? What do you say? Do we head home to your family’s manor or to mine? Either works for me.”

“Love, as much as I would love for you to stay at my home, what are you… huh?” George rolled his eyes, huffing before finally placing his bags on the boat, muttering on how useless Wilbur was and how he really was just charms and good looks. Not to be upstaged, Wilbur immediately took over, carrying George’s heavy bags onto the boat despite his confusion. He bit the bottom of his lip, watching as George stepped on board, sitting down as he waited for Wilbur to get his own bags into the boat. “Don’t tell me you’ve snuck out. Think of your grades, love, you care so—”

“I care more for you than some school who accepted those filthy mudbloods in the first place.”

Wilbur smiled, “And that’s why I love you. Whoever I killed, they had it coming.”

III. Isolation

George was growing tired of the same dingy walls.

He never thought he’d end up in Azkaban, but fate tends to surprise you.

They trapped him in there, thinking that the dementors would drive him to the brink of madness.

He’d be damned if they were to devour his happiness. His husband was dead, and so was their son. There was no happiness in his mind, and he could not bring himself to hope. Hope meant food for those damned abominations. He’d keep his thoughts and his emotions kept under lock and key. He won’t let them take what was left of what he remembers of Wilbur and their child.

He refuses to lose them again. Not again.

IV. Loss

He wasn’t an orphan, but now he felt like he was.

Fundy rushed out of the house, hands wet with sweat despite the cold and rainy weather of London. His bag dragged across the pavement, his shoes splashing against the murky puddles. He didn’t dare to turn back, he couldn’t. Dream and Sapnap would be devastated if they knew what he had done, but Fundy couldn’t stay and endanger his parents any longer. He loved them, they were the best parents a kid could ever ask for. But Sally and Jared Salmon would be better off thinking that they never had a son and that their lifelong dream was to move to the Netherlands. Fundy walked faster, scared that he’d turn back the longer he stayed near the house.

He could feel the tears gathering in his eyes, but Fundy knew he needed to be strong. Sapnap and Dream needed him to be strong. They’ve all lost too much. He won’t cry until the war is over.

Who knows? Maybe he’ll actually like living in the wizarding world.

He just wished it didn’t have to come with the cost of his parents forgetting he ever even existed.

V. Wedding Ring

George found it to be quite amusing, honestly.

You would think that the Order would know better. Incompetent fools, all of them.

He admired the ring on his finger, a small smile on his face. When they’d dragged him away to Azkaban, they had given him the mercy of leaving the wedding ring that Wilbur had proposed to him with. It was hilarious, if only they had known that they had been looking at a horcrux.

His husband’s horcrux. He shook his head, gazing over at the man who stood at the head of the war table. A map of Hogwarts laid on the surface, his husband’s focused gaze nearly covered by his curly, dark chocolate brown hair. He’d join in on the brainstorming once Wilbur had gained a bit of a plan. While George did adore his husband… he was more the charms than the brains.

For now, he keeps a part of his love’s soul close to his heart.

VI. Knitting Habits

He’s never held a knitting needle before in his life, but he can’t say that knitting wasn’t fun.

“I never thought I’d see the day. You’re getting old, love. Should I get you a rocking chair too?”

George threw a ball of yarn towards Wilbur, eliciting a laugh as it hit Wilbur directly on the face.

“Ever the humorist, Wil. It would be funny if it wasn’t coming from a man who literally came back from the dead and looks decayed.” He sighed, leaning against the wall of the alcove. Wilbur was still mulling over their plans, a crease in his forehead. “I’m making a scarf for our little son.”

Now here’s to hoping that Fundy would like it. George did do it with the colors of their family.

VII. Home

He trembled, the effects of the spell washing over him like a pile of snow.

George was whispering into his ear, but Fundy couldn’t hear him over the sound of his own breathing. Dream was dead, Sapnap got hit by a crucio spell, and George was taking him back to be tortured all over again. He continued to shiver, tears pouring past his cheeks no matter how hard he tried to keep himself from crying. The world around them melted back into existence, but all he could feel was his heart beating loudly in his chest and the arms wrapped around him.

“Shh, shhh, you’re alright, sweetheart.”

His captor pulled him along, keeping an arm wrapped around his shoulders, squeezing him every now and then each time he tried to put a bit of distance between them. He was led inside a room, and from the way it looked, Fundy could tell it wasn’t an ordinary guest room. It felt too lived-in, too personal. George led him to sit on the edge of the bed, gently petting his messy and dirty hair.

“It’s alright, Fundy. You’re home with dads now.”

VIII. Scarf

Fundy scowled, the scarf somehow tight against his neck despite it practically falling off.

He felt George adjust it back around him, fussing over him like he was a child and not some captive that they’ve been keeping locked inside their room. Fundy knew he wasn’t the tallest, his best friends already joke - well, they used to - about it, but George was just a foot taller and still he somehow felt even smaller. He huffed, moving away until his back was against the wall of the alcove. George didn’t make a move to follow him, simply sighing before turning back to Wilbur.

He buried his face against the scarf, trying to bring himself comfort.

If he tried hard enough, he could catch the faint scent of ash and black licorice. Sapnap had worn the scarf at some point during the battle since he thought it looked comfortable to wear. Fundy had given it to him since he didn’t know where it came from and it had been too big for him.

What he’d give to go back to that time, instead of clinging to the fading scent of his best friend.

IX. Very Dark Blue Eyes

There was a stranger in his room.

Fundy nervously fiddled with the end of his scarf. His wand was still on the nightstand where he had left it, and the stranger was blocking his way. He’d barely seen anyone for the past few months aside from his dads, but he could already tell who the stranger was. The stranger was his age and had long black hair falling past his shoulders. Fundy knew he was a Halo immediately.

“Holy shit… Fundy! Finally, I’ve been scouting the fucking grounds for hours! This place has terrible security, well except for the wards but they were easy to break.” The stranger rambled on and on, each word striking Fundy with more confusion. He wasn’t sure why he was acting like they knew each other. Fundy had no friends - aside from his Uncle Tommy but Uncle Tommy was awkward around him - so he wouldn’t know the stranger, especially since they were a Halo of all things. The stranger moved closer, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “I missed you!”

“Who are you?” He moved away from the stranger’s hold, avoiding the stricken look that the stranger was giving him. Fundy scowled. Of all the times to leave his wand where he couldn’t reach it. “I know you’re one of those… Halos at least. Now, how did you get inside my room?!”

“Fundy…” Very dark blue eyes gazed at him, hurt dancing in their stare. “It’s me, Sapnap…”

X. You’re a Wizard, Fundy

The letter came at some point during the night.

His mama had asked his papa if he’d enrolled Fundy in a faraway school by accident, but papa had said that he hadn’t. They were whispering about it during breakfast, throwing glances at him every so often as though they didn’t want him to hear. He pretended not to care, attention focused on his breakfast. Mama and papa weren’t arguing, but it almost felt like they were. He hoped that their conversation would be over soon, but it continued even after Fundy finished his breakfast. He left his plate on the table before walking out of the dining room and into the hall. Mama and papa didn’t seem to even notice that he had left. Now to find what was the problem.

He found the problem all too quickly, his scavenger hunt cut short by the fancy letter that had been left on top of a table in the hallway. Fundy held the letter in his hand, the paper coarser than most that he’d felt. He knew he shouldn’t be snooping, but his mama and papa never talked about something so incessantly, at least not something about him. He snuck back into his room, the letter clutched in his hand. Maybe he’d failed his entrance exam at the school his parents were enrolling him in? He pouted, but he’d studied so hard for it and it had been so easy for him!

Fundy didn’t know why his hands trembled as he tried to pull the letter open. Mama had folded it back to the way it had been, and he couldn’t really see the trace of ink at the back. A part of him wanted to hide it away, maybe then mama and papa would stop worrying about it. He didn’t know why, but a part of him felt like something was about to end the moment he opened the letter. He took a deep breath. He could handle long hours of studying, even though his mama and papa said it wasn’t healthy for him to stay up so late. He could handle what was inside the letter. With shaking hands, he opened it, scanning the life-changing words that were meant for him.

If he only knew what that letter meant at the time, then maybe he would have just burned it.

#georgenotfound dsmp #wilbur soot #georgebur #fundy #sapnap #dream smp fanfiction #dsmp #harry potter AU

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inkribbon796 · 3 years ago

Text

What a Beautiful Wedding Ch. 7: The Show Stopper

Summary: The heroes and Illinois go in to face up against the Actor.

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

When Ranboo’s portal opened up they were in some theater house, and the first thing that the group saw was Logan and Janus over Thomas’s unconscious body. Remus and Joan nearby.

“Logic!” Jackie raced over.

Logan started, almost hitting Jackie with one of his batons before the speedster jumped out of the way and Logan realized who it was. The logical Side visibly sagged in relief.

“Oh, good,” Logan commented, “you are all doing well.”

“Fookin’[1] relative,” Chase spat angrily, he wasn’t sure if it was being near Logan, or if he was just becoming more and more agitated the longer he spent without knowing if Dark was okay but his skin felt like it was trying to actively climb off of him as he got closer to the Sides.

“You three okay?” Silver flew over.

“No,” Logan admitted. “I do not know where the other Core Sides are, we lost sight of everyone else when we came here, and he won’t wake up. It is my estimation that something happened to the Core Sides and the shock knocked him out.”

“It must’a[2] been the Actor, he’s been doin’[3] weird stuff all day,” Jackie reported.

“Then the other Sides must be located before he can do any harm to them,” Logan decided.

“Go, I’ve got this,” Janus told Logan, summoning his staff and using his magic to pick Thomas up.

“We’ll keep him out of the line of fire,” Joan promised.

“Don’t take any unnecessary risks, not even for yourself,” Logan told them, looking straight into Joan’s eyes.

“Same goes for you, A.I Asimov,” Joan told him and he ran off with Janus and Remus. It left Logan with the others.

The logical Sides looked at the minors. “Unacceptable, what are you two doing here?”

“The bastard took Bomble an’[4] we weren’t just gonna[5] sit around with our heads up our arses[6], now were we?” Tommy glared at him as Ranboo looked around nervously.

“If splitting up weren’t terrible of an idea, I would demand it immediately,” Logan told him.

“Hey, Lo,” Jackie called out and a good sized green mechanical sphere flew out of Jackie’s suit. The large camera on the front shuttered open and closed before flying over to Logan.

“We can use him to scout the place out,” Jackie offered, motioning to SAM. “Figured he could keep takin’[7] pictures in here.”

“Good idea,” Logan told him, and connected to the orb, sending it around to look for any traces of a disturbance. The only nearby doors were the ones that lead to the main stage.

A set of double doors that Chase was already moving towards. Once he reached them, the marksman could hear faint mumbling from inside the auditorium. He began to creep in, Sam moving in slowly with him, but the instant Chase saw who was on the stage, all subtlety flew out the window.

“I don’t why you insist on throwing these tantrums,” Marc spat as he stood on the stage with Dark. “I’m giving you a leading role and still you want more?”

“Let go of me,” Dark spat, trying to twist himself free from the smoke that Marc was trapping him in, and trying to stab him at the same time. “I won’t be your villain.”

“Come on Dames, you’ve burned down an orphanage,” Marc chuckled as he threw Dark to the side. “Let’s not pretend. Besides, the bubbles you made were weak, they fell apart the instant someone poked at them. So give me the anomaly and I’ll make everything so much nicer.”

“I don’t have it,” Dark told him.

Marc glared at him furiously before he slapped Dark across the face, his claws out and so he left deep gashes in his face.

Dark became equally furious but when he moved to retaliate, Marc elbowed him sharply in the gut and his body dropped.

The Entity coughed up black, inky blood, the body he was inhabiting was screaming in pain. His souls screamed in rage. He wasn’t running out of aura but the body he was in was starting to reach its limit.

“Dames, we play the scene after we set the stage, so give me—” Marc snapped before he was pegged in the back by one of Chase’s TASER rounds. Ripping a scream from his lungs.

Jackie quickly raced in and snagged Dark, snatching him away and back to the group. Illinois almost immediately pulled Dark out of Jackie’s arms.

“Pass him ta[8] me,” Chase ordered.

“You need your hands to fight, I don’t,” Illinois spat at him, aura and magic coiling around him, ready to strike out like a whip.

As Logan entered the room after them, the logical Side looked around and saw one of the nearby pillars and froze in horror. He raced towards it. “Morality!”

The pillar was just a giant stasis tube where Patton was floating inside, unconscious and energy coursing around it. Logan looked around with SAM to see that the other three pillars contained the two other missing Sides, and Tubbo.

Logan felt rage come over him and Ranboo’s eyes tracked around the room as he portaled over to the other side and was at Tubbo’s pillar, the young boy’s radioactive iris symbol glowing faintly as his eyes were half closed in his torpor state.

“No! No!” Ranboo scratched at the pillar and started opening up a portal to pull Tubbo out.

“Get away from there!” The Actor threw a spear of black smoky aura at Ranboo and knocked him to the side, his aura pinning him down. “I’m not done with the brat yet.”

“Let go ‘a[9] him,” Tommy spat, Logan had to use nanites to pull Tommy out of the way.

“I am using them,” Marc scoffed. “They weren’t doing much good in their own stories so I pulled them into mine. Just give me the real anomaly, Dames, quit playing around. We can quit wasting our time with these garbage stories and do something better. Something airtight that isn’t subject to such impermanent and sudden change.”

“Stay away from him, yeh fookin shitestain!”[10] Chase shouted. “An’ yer gonna give e’eryone else back too.”[11]

Marc just stared at Chase in confusion before he held a finger up and pulled a couple papers out of nowhere, skimming through them for a very specific character description. “Who the fuck are you again?”

“Wait!” Actor paused before laughing. “Wait! Shit! When did that change? That’s right Ink said that kid had changed my script again for the thousandth time.” The last two words had been spat out bitterly despite his suddenly humored mood.

Then Actor smiled at Chase, the marksman keeping himself in-between Marc and Dark. “Well, well, like sister, like brother. Ruining one man’s life isn’t enough for you, so you grab for another? Thought Wil was supposed to be the whore of the relationship.”

“Shut the fook[12] up!” Chase took out one of his guns and just shot at him in a fury, he didn’t miss the way Dark flinched at Marc’s words, and felt even more fury boil inside his soul. The demon turned into smoke and the round went right through him, jumping down from the stage.

“You just into trigger happy gunmen or something?” Actor smiled. “Because you’re now two for two, at least, if you don’t include that French sword thrower I know you were fucking in university.”

“What part ‘a[9] “shut the fook[12] up” didn’t yeh[13] hear?” Chase demanded angrily.

“Oh, I know the perfect place to put you in my story, it’ll be perfect,” Marc said, his tone laced with threat and promise all in the same breath. “Illinois, bring him over.”

“No!” Illinois took a step back, he could tell that Dark was starting to nod off, his body dropping off into exhaustion and the last thing Illinois wanted was for this lunatic to put his hands on him again.

The denial seemed to actually make Marc angry, “Illinois. Junior. Get over here and give him to me.”

“I’m not your fucking kid, I’ll take your head off before I let you touch him,” Illinois couldn’t see Logan or the minors, but he didn’t know if Marc had done something to them or if they’d slipped off to carry out some kind of plan.

“Let’s not waste our time,” Marc stepped forward, he snapped his fingers and the room flickered back to the wedding gazebo. “Give him to me, we can go back to the wedding, make it look amazing, and then we can start this story off right. Come on, I don’t want to hurt you if I don’t have to.”

“Illinois is right to be suspicious of the Actor’s claims,” the Host announced from the stage. He had appeared there and spotlights snapped to look at him as the room darkened just a little bit. Dark roused a bit at the blind seer’s voice and he began weakly struggling a bit in Illinois’s arm.

“No, no, get away from him,” Dark whimpered, trying to open up a portal to drop the Host into but the Host was able to dispel it. “Not again.”

“You again,” Marc sneered. “Thought we agreed that you were going to be heard and not seen?”

“The Host agreed to no such terms, the Actor is insane and imagined words the Host never said,” the blind seer snapped. “The Host is a part of this story, just as much as the Actor or the Entity is.”

“An oversight, and a waste,” the Actor told him firmly.

“If the Actor minds,” the Host snapped. “He should stop digging his own grave and listen to the Host, before his time runs out.”

“Your monologue needs work, kid,” the Actor chuckled, but motioned for the Host to carry on.

“The Host would like the Actor to know that he will never successfully get any of the Entity’s children on his side,” the Host warned. “Even if he was a half-decent uncle, his track record speaks for itself. There is no one in the Actor’s family that he hasn’t harmed? A wife pushed away and sacrificed? A brother-in-law strangled to death? A brother the Actor helped drive insane? And a son, cast aside because the Actor was careless.” At the last one the Host smiled and gestured to himself.

Marc’s eyes narrowed, he looked confused. “What?”

The Host’s smile became a little more smug, and Illinois realized something that he only could have realized after meeting the Actor. Host and Actor had the exact same sharp, toothy grin. “Illinois is not the Actor’s child, he has no claim to Illinois, and even if they were related, it is abundantly clear that the adventurer wants nothing to do with him.”

Host’s aura coiled around him. “Jackie saved the Author from the Actor when he was thrown forward, the homes he had been in would have paled in comparison to the Actor’s sloppy and neglectful parenting. Had the Actor been subtle, had he known who his biological child was and tried to manipulate him, he might have been successful. Instead, he was careless and his son died.”

“Oh fuck,” Actor sighed overdramtically. “That makes sense.”

“The first mistake the Actor made, while the Host has existed, was targeting the Entity,” the Host warned.

There was a sudden explosion from one of the pillars and everyone turned to look at it. The Host finally was successful in distracting the Actor from what everyone else had been doing.

“No,” Marc realized before glaring at the Host. “What did you do?”

The Host smiled, “Well, the Actor insisted all the Host was good at doing was talking, and he was not wrong.”

Logan, who had been invisible suddenly surged out of the wiring of the system. Skeppy, Ponk, and Marvin had been invisible and working in the background to help Logan and the two minors work the four heroes free. The first one they were able to free was Roman who was immediately grabbed by Logan and passed off to Janus who was racing to bring Roman over to Thomas.

The illusion of the theater house began breaking down, looking half like the destroyed wedding scene, and the theater house. Marc looked over at Logan in a wild fury before he burst into smoke and as Ranboo was trying to get Tubbo out. The teen was kicked to the side.

“Hey!” Ranboo shouted in distress as the Actor embedded his aura into Tubbo’s pillar as Patton and Virgil were both dropped out of their stasis tanks.

“I don’t think so, I have worked too hard for all of this to go down the drain,” Marc spat at him. “If you all get the other ones, I get this one.”

“Give him back!” Tommy shouted.

“Drop the kid before you get dropped.”

Ranboo turned at the sound of that voice and saw someone he didn’t expect. It was Eret who was standing with Puffy and Foolish. He’d rushed to the scene when Quackity and Foolish had reported that Tubbo had gone missing.

“Who the hell are you?” Marc asked

Eret flipped her hair, they adjusted their sunglasses and gestured to herself, “Eret’s the name. An’[4] my dear, you are going to release Tubbo or my boot will be the last thing you see.”

“I don’t think so,” Marc said, noticing the guy in a white hoodie with a sniper rifle trained on him. He started summoning up aura to rip a portal open. “This kid’s got more aura than half of you combined. He’s no anomaly, but he’s powerful enough to do what I want.”

“Wrong answer,” Eret summoned a sword, Sam creeping closer with a trident in his hands. “You see Tubbo might be staying with the heroes, but we all are rather attached to him.”

“Well too bad,” Marc said smugly, “you two-bit villains couldn’t beat me if you tried.”

Punz released an arrow, Virgil had made his way over to him and laced the arrow with his magic. It phased through Marc and hit the stasis pillar.

“Hah!” Marc gloated. “You can’t hit shit! You villains are nothing compared to me!”

A bubbling started forming as Virgil’s magic infected the magic of the stasis pillar, Tubbo starting to have a nightmare as the liquid inside looked like it was bubbling.

“You haven’t heard, asshole?” Virgil grinned weakly. “Everyone loves the villain.”

The pillar cracked and Ranboo raced in, immediately teleporting Tubbo away behind the rest of the Server members, scoping him ever so gently into his arms. He made little hissing and vwooping noises of distress. “Tubbs‽”

“Hghnnn,” Tubbo groaned, mumbling. “Put me down, you fuckin’[1] giraffe.”

Ranboo let out a relieved laugh as he gently touched his forehead to the side of Tubbo’s head. “Let’s go home, Bo.”

“Tub-man,” Quackity raced over. “You hurt?”

“Oh my goodness, Ranboo, gimme[14],” Puffy demanded, racing over and setting her forehead against Tubbo’s. “Gimme.”[14]

Tubbo made little groans of complaint as people fused over him.

Foolish and Sam pulled out their tridents and forced a defensive wall in front of the pair. They let Tommy through with barely a nod in his direction.

“You okay?” Eret asked.

Tubbo nodded.

Eret turned to Ranboo, “Make sure he actually gets some rest, the poor thing takes after Sam too much.”

“I will,” Ranboo stood up as his eyes turned purple and he opened up one of his portals and left for the attic room in the Bee ‘n Boo. He immediately set him down on the bed to let him rest.

As Actor was preoccupied with Tubbo getting away, Host opened up a portal to bring Illinois, Chase, and Dark to stand behind him.

“Illinois should move the Entity closer to the Host, the Entity can feed off of his aura long enough to revive himself,” the Host ordered, taking a step back.

Illinois nodded, “He’s not going to fracture again, right?”

“No, the Entity’s soul is tired, but not drained,” the Host told him, his aura sinking into the Entity. Dark was trying to open up a portal to take Illinois and Host away.

“아빠[15] come on, we’re trying to help,” Illinois had to move in to disrupt the portal several times. Dark was slowly getting stronger and Illinois doubted if he couldn’t convince Dark to calm down, that he’d hurt himself.

Marc took one angry step towards Illinois and Dark, opening his mouth to say something, but Silver flew forward and punched Marc in the face. “I think you’ve been talking long enough.”

Jackie sped in to force the Actor back against the wall as Dark ripped a portal open and he alone slipped inside of it. The Entity emerged from Jackie’s shadow as he surged up and pulled something out of the Void with him. The Entity moving quickly and without mercy or hesitation.

Dark smiled at Marc as a soul splitter embedded in Marc’s chest. “That’s for what you did to Average.”

Then Dark forced more aura into him and Marc’s soul violently discorporated. The demon had drawn in too much aura for Dark to snap his soul in half quite so easily.

But he was gone and Dark just stood there, the body he was in burning and a sense of triumph slowly bubbling up inside of him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Accessibility Translations:

1. Fucking

2. must have

3. doing

4. and

5. going to

6. asses

7. taking

8. to

9. of

10. Stay away from him, you fucking shitstain!

11. And you’re going to give everyone else back too.

12. fuck

13. you

14. give me

15. Dad. Informal, read phonetically as: Appa.

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synchlora · 3 years ago

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Tell me more about eret and Fundy in your au! Also! I would love to hear more about tubbo, ranboo, and Tommy before they meet Wilbur

YOOO let's go eret and fundy development time :]]

eret & fundy

SO. eret is (or rather was) a social science major along with niki (law student), fundy (computer science major), and wilbur (med student) at the same college, so the four of them knew one another well. fundy, eret, and their friend (elaina :]]) all roomed together freshman year onwards until the apocalypse. niki and wilbur lived together for a bit too but wil dropped out and also moved out on his own soon afterwards (leaving niki to move in w jack)

and with that backstory we get tooooo: eret, fundy, and elaina in the apocalypse Trying Their Best. long story short for that, elaina gets sick with what they hope is just pneumonia, turns out to be more sinister (as in yknow. zombie disease). and obviously the whole trio r panicked, not sure what to do here. and so they call on the only person they know who has Any medical knowledge: wilbur. and what does he do?? completely fucking ghosts them

and so here they are: no access to any medicine or professionals, too afraid to take their friend anywhere because they will probably just fucking kill her. and it progresses. Fast. its the lung infection version, so it spreads fucking fast, like within the godamn Week fast. and she is completely fucking out of it within a few days

so fundy and eret are terrified. fundy has always been very openly nervous, and while eret has tried to keep a brave face, even she starts to break as the situation just gets worse. and then, it's too far gone. and elaina is awake, but not in the way that they hoped. she's completely turned, and this realization came only after she lunged at fundy. in desperation to keep him safe, eret ended up killing her (i will figure out the logistics of this later rip). and they're both in fucking shock

they run off, leaving the apartment behind and taking only what they need. the car ride is silent and erets not really sure where they're going. just. anywhere but there

he ends up pulling off the side of the road, the sun is rising on the horizon, they've been driving all night. the two of them only break the silence to cry

bench trio before wilbur

gonna be honest, before wilbur they were just fuckin scrambling around trying to figure out what to do with very little medical knowledge. they are about as clueless (if not more so) than eret and fundy. so yeah, tommy and tubbo are Stressed

that first week or so, tommy and tubbo are scouting the area for some sign of a place that would feasibly have supplies. this is an unfamiliar city to them, so it takes them a while to find a hospital while also conserving gas and only traveling in daylight. its also made extra difficult considering they don't want to leave ranboo on his own. hes struggling enough with the disease, he shouldn't have to fight off zombies on top of that. but they also can't exactly bring him along either

they compromise by bringing the RV to stay parked in the hospital parking lot for a while, staking out a camp there. its risky, especially considering the density of zombies at night around the hospital (many were brought there when it first broke out as you'd imagine) but its one theyre willing to take

from ranboos perspective, this sucks. everything is painful, their arm feels like its gonna fucking fall off, their sight is failing them half the time, its a horrible combination of nothing to do and everything being overwhelming. however, because his infection isn't in his lungs, it is far more difficult for it to take root (which gives him a lot more time). but this does mean that it makes his bones hurt inside of his arm, which was a pain he did not know was even possible. most days are bad days, with days where he's completely nonverbal being the hardest to cope with considering he can't talk and signing with one arm is difficult, just about as hard as writing with his left hand. makes it difficult to communicate and those are days where everything feels all the more hopeless

basically: before wilbur, its hell. after wilbur, its also hell, but at least it passes eventually

#its altogether a struggle lmao #i dont think eret and fundy will ever forgive wilbur. and wilburs choice is something he'll have to live with for the rest of his life #and then ranboos just suffering. clingyduo are fucking STRESSED and its just a mess #wilbur did save a life in the end but it simply wasnt the one that he expected #i'll explain wils motives some day.. thinking those out a little still but id be happy to spitball it a little if anyone wants to hear #just vauge ideas for now #answered #apocalypse au where ranboo lives and its all happy and good and wonderful #wolf the beloved

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blogspersonal707 · 3 years ago

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neuxue · 4 years ago

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Wheel of Time liveblogging: Towers of Midnight ch 6

Morgase serves tea and makes a choice

Chapter 6: Questioning Intentions

Oh man Morgase POV is always sad.

Though I suppose her situation now is arguably better than it’s been in…oh…ten books or so, so maybe it will get better for her.

Right now, she’s serving tea.

Tam al’Thor, the simple farmer with the broad shoulders and the calm manners.

And also your in-law. Well, sort of. I mean, it’s complicated.

Okay sorry now I’m distracted by the thought of how absurd those family dinners would be. You’ve got Rand, Elayne, Min, and Aviendha (we’re just going to count that bonding as a marriage because to all intents and purposes…), then Tam, Morgase, Min’s aunts (are they alive? Why can I not remember this?), probably Amys given the sister-bonding ceremony, and if she’s there Rhuarc and Lian probably would be as well. Then Birgitte and Niella and Galad and Gawyn, and that’s just the immediate family but would you also have to extend a courtesy invite to Alanna, and therefore also Ihvon? And if we’re extending courtesy invites based on ‘has real estate in Rand’s head’ then we’ve got to invite Moridin as well, and at that point even without additional plus-ones I don’t envy the person who has to make that seating chart.

That was a tangent.

Of course, Morgase had seen Rand al’Thor once, and the boy hadn’t looked much more than a farmer himself.

Okay I do sort of want to be a fly on the wall when Morgase finds out that Elayne is pregnant with his child.

Speaking of seating charts, we get a roll call for this meeting but it does not add up to 23. Yes I will be looking for that everywhere now.

Very little about that time in her life made sense to her now. Had she really been so infatuated with a man that she’d banished Aemlyn and Ellorien?

Oh Morgase. If she can get one thing out of this mess, let it be the knowledge of who Gaebril really was. Because sure, sometimes it’s better not to know. But one of the cruellest things he did to her, in that whole mess of cruelty, was to leave her with absolutely no way of knowing this was not, truly, all her fault. He took away her self, her trust in and certainty of who she is. He undermined her nation and banished her friends and made her believe, even after his death, that it was by her hand and by her choice.

As if the physical and mental violation wasn’t enough. He found a way to violate her on another level as well, by twisting her own sense of herself, by leaving behind a ruin and leaving her no way to understand that it wasn’t of her own making. The Queen is married to the land, and for all she knows, she has betrayed that in every possible way, and she can’t possibly know that her choices were not her own.

Knowing that it wasn’t her choice, and that there was nothing she could have done… I mean that won’t be fun either, but it would at least give her something of her self back.

Meanwhile, Perrin’s annoyed at how long it took the Wise Ones and Aes Sedai to burn that village. Listen, people, you can’t keep judging these things by Rand. Just because he could take out a city in a matter of seconds doesn’t mean everyone can. Do I need to invent more units of measurement here? The Therin: potential mountains created or destroyed per unit of time.

“You wetlanders would have much trouble dealing with something as deadly as the Blight.”

“I think,” Faile said, “that you would be surprised.”

Yeah. Also don’t say that in Lan’s hearing.

Oddly, Faile’s sense of leadership seemed to have been enhanced by her time spent with the Shaido.

Nope, sorry, still not here for halfhearted attempts to pretend that storyline was All For Her Benefit, Actually. Especially because if we do take that on faith, it leads to some… okay no I’m not rehashing all my issues with the Malden plotline here; none of us need that.

Suffice it to say: ughhhhhhhhhhhh.

At times, being a servant seemed to require more stealth than being a scout. She wasn’t to be seen, wasn’t to distract. Had her own servants acted this way around her?

Morgase and Siuan could have an interesting conversation about dramatic changes in social and political status in a short space of time. And also, you know, extreme trauma and other fun pastimes, but especially the way they both then look at and try to come to terms with their new situations. They both do the same sort of thing of looking at all the ways in which they can still exercise power, only more subtly. The advantages of being overlooked and underestimated. And some of it is likely a kind of denial—a way to not feel like everything they knew and everything they were is lost. To try to focus on the advantages because that makes it hurt less. And the way in which they approach that is the politician’s way: turn it to your advantage, look for lines of power that weren’t there before. And also to think through the implications, and see things they may once have overlooked.

It's a hell of a price to pay for a change in perspective, but the fact that she can look at it that way, and think along some of those lines, is in its way a testament to her capability.

It discomforted her that the two Aes Sedai no longer seemed to resist their station.

Pretty sure we’re not really talking about the Aes Sedai here, Morgase. Because this is the other side of that acceptance of a new role: the fear that, in accepting it, she will lose what remains of herself. Oh look, we’re back to that central idea of identity and self and what it means to hold or lose or change that, and the fine balance between those possibilities.

Pouring tea was more complicated than she’d ever assumed.

This is something Jordan occasionally did as well: centring a chapter—especially one told from the viewpoint of a more minor character—around a motif or touchpoint like this, returning to it as a way of anchoring the rest of the chapter, and giving it more shape, especially when much of it is introspection or observation rather than action. Ornaments comes to mind, from Crossroads of Twilight, but there are quite a few others.

And of course I’m never going to complain about tea being used as a device for focusing a chapter.

It gives us a point from which to segue into Morgase’s thoughts on Perrin, which boil down to a solid ‘it’s complicated’. Mostly because by the standards of the Queen of Andor, he’s technically a rebel.

Alliandre’s cup was half empty. Morgase moved over to refill it; like many highborn ladies, Alliandre always expected her cup to be full.

And so we see the function of the tea: it’s a focal point for the chapter, but more than that it’s the method we’re using to get Morgase’s thoughts about and insights into the various people gathered here. Little bits of character and personality in… not so much how they take their tea, but the considerations around it. The things Morgase has to think about and keep track of, even for so simple a task. And so we get insight into Morgase’s new role as well, and into some of what she’s learning: that even in a position where she is largely unnoticed, there is a great deal she can and must see, and know, and understand about those around her. To pick up on those cues and know what they mean, and how that gives her insight into far more than how they take their tea.

Morgase was no longer the person she had once been. She wasn’t sure what she was, but she would learn how to do her duty as a lady’s maid. This was becoming a passion for her. A way to prove to herself that she was still strong, still of value.

In a way, it was terrifying that she worried about that.

And really fucking sad. But also entirely true to who she is and her situation. She’s lost everything. Her role, her nation, her friends, her sense of self, her sense of autonomy, her name, her identity. And she believes most of it to be her own fault, through her own poor choices and decisions. And now she’s here, under a new name and a new role and everyone believing the person she was to be dead, and Morgase herself came pretty close to making that true. How could she not feel lost, and uncertain of who she is, and desperate to prove that she’s still…someone. To prove that she was right to let Lini draw her away from that open window. Which, yeah, that gets dark fast, but Morgase’s story is not a happy one.

With all she has lost and all she can no longer be, she’s left in this space of not really knowing her purpose, or her place, or even who she is, anymore. And that’s hard enough, but then we add in all the self-loathing stemming from what she thinks she did, and failed to do, and the choices she’s had to make, and you end up here: with Morgase struggling to find any sense of self-worth. And so believing she has to prove—to herself, to others—that she is worth something, because there’s so much in her mind telling her she’s…not.

Meanwhile, Perrin still seems to think he can just send everyone home and everything will go back to normal. Speaking of denial.

“I’m not trying to recruit,” Perrin said. “Just because I don’t turn them away doesn’t mean I intend to enlarge this army any further.”

That sounds oddly like Lan’s resignation to Nynaeve recruiting him an army on a technicality. The difference being Lan at least recognises that’s what’s happening.

Perrin please.

“I didn’t make this banner,” Perrin said. “I never wanted it, but—upon advice—I let it fly. Well, the reasons for doing that are past. I’d order the thing taken down, but that never seems to work for long.” He looked to Wil. “Wil, I want it passed through camp. I’m giving a direct order. I want each and every copy of this blasted banner burned. You understand?”

Two steps forward and one step back.

I mean, I suppose you could make an argument on either side of this: on the one hand seriously, Perrin? You have been trying to deny this banner and your place as leader of these people for nine books now. Has it ever worked for you before? And do you really want to take away that focal point, that symbol to these people of what they’re fighting for and who they’re loyal to and why?

On the other hand… giving up his claim to Manetheren wasn’t a popular decision but I think it was the right one, because it helped focus them on what was truly important and prevent unnecessary tension between those who should be allies, by getting mixed up in the politics of raising a dead nation from the land of existing ones. And you could maybe argue that this is a similar angle, and that he’s trying to get them to focus not on him but on the larger purpose they all need to serve. But that feels like I’m trying too hard.

So, in summary: sigh.

Faile is also very much not convinced. I do sort of get where Perrin’s coming from, that if these people want to fight, they can do so for the Dragon Reborn because he’s the actual champion of the Light. But in reality, delegation is important, Perrin! That’s why you have a place in this as well! That’s why the Pattern dumped leadership superpowers and also wolves on you! Someone needs to actually do the groundwork of leading these people and Rand doesn’t have time or capacity for all of it.

And these people know you, Perrin. You’re the one they chose to follow; Rand is… well, as in so many things, more a force than a person at this point, in the eyes of most. They can fight for his cause, sure, but they’re not really fighting for him the way they’ll fight for the one who helped save their village or their people, and the one they see day to day and choose to give their loyalty to.

“Son,” Tam addressed Perrin, “the lads put a lot of stock in that banner.”

That pretty much says it all. This isn’t a time to be taking that kind of symbol from people, or messing unnecessarily with their sense of identity, or their foundations. In a weird way I’m reminded of Egwene’s approach with the Aes Sedai, and all her thoughts on how to reforge the Tower without breaking it. Making some compromises where needed because while there are some places where she can push, she can’t afford to completely shatter their sense of who they are. Not now, when there’s so little time.

And with Perrin, it’s that same sense of… work with what you have. Forge the metal you’re given. This is the situation, and maybe it’s not perfect, but it’s what you have. That loyalty is a part of the toolset you’ve been handed, so see it for what it is and work with it rather than trying to force it into a different shape and risk breaking the metal entirely.

Literally no one thinks this is a good idea.

“Husband,” Faile said, her words clipped. “Might I suggest that we begin with the ones who want to be sent away?”

And so it comes down, like so much else, to choices; Perrin wants to send them away but these people have chosen to follow him. He’s not keeping them here; they’ve decided to stay. And yes, you can flip that around and say he should also have the choice not to lead, and… yeah, okay, that’s a bit like how Rand technically has the choice not to fight. It’s a choice but not one either of them could really live with themselves for making, and so it becomes a question of framing and perception.

But also, Perrin does lead. When it comes down to it, he takes on that role. That is the choice he makes, over and over, in the moment. It’s in the time between those moments of action, when he is his own worst enemy in a way: he doubts and he fights against it and he looks back on past choices and questions himself and his role and his purpose. In the moment, he leads and he fights and he uses what he has. But in these periods of inaction he thinks himself into a tangle of ‘I’m only a blacksmith’, even when all his actions say otherwise. He just needs to get to a point where he can acknowledge and accept and own that.

Instead, he keeps wavering. And keeps trying to make it stick, but he’s trying to make the choice for those who follow him, rather than making his own choice, and so it doesn’t work.

The Pattern’s bringing maths into it now as well: they literally can’t keep large enough gateways open long enough to send everyone away. A hint, Perrin. Take it.

“Also,” Faile said, “perhaps it is time to send messengers to contact the Lord Dragon”

Someone suggesting proactive communication? If we didn’t already know the apocalypse was near…

“I…” Perrin seemed to flounder. Had he a source of information he wasn’t sharing?

Morgase. Please. Do you even need to ask? Does anyone in this series share anything?

Though in this case ‘I see swirls of colour and sometimes a bit of context whenever I think the names of my friends’ is, understandably, the sort of thing you might want to keep quiet until you can think of a way to frame it so that it doesn’t sound absolutely absurd. Although ‘absurd’ is sort of a moot point when the sky is full of black and silver clouds and the Blight appears in villages that don’t actually exist, so. It’s all relative.

Edarra suggests linking with the Asha’man and on the one hand yes! Cooperation! Good! But on the other hand why would you make it easier for Perrin to continue to try to send everyone away?

I suppose she’s thinking more of the refugees who do actually want to go home, though, so… okay fair enough.

“What would it cost me for you to try this?”

“You have worked too long with Aes Sedai, Perrin Aybara,” Edarra said with a sniff. “Not everything must be done at a cost. This will benefit us all.”

On that last, she is absolutely right. This is what they all need to be doing, and finally we’re starting to see it: cooperation, collaboration, setting aside old divisions and realising that perhaps if they work together they will be stronger for it. Small steps, and all that.

“Burn you, woman, why didn’t you bring it to me earlier, then?”

“You seem hardly interested in your position as chief, most of the time,” Edarra said coldly. “Respect is a thing earned and not demanded, Perrin Aybara.”

Ouch. On both sides there, because they both very much have a point. Edarra should have brought this up earlier, to someone even if not to Perrin.

But Perrin… this is where he kind of tries to have his cake and eat it: he says he’s not a leader, that he’s only a blacksmith, that he wants to send people away or let them fight for Rand rather than him. Tries to deny his role during the times when it’s not absolutely imperative that he claim it. But at other times he is quick to take command, and to make the decisions, and to give direction. And now, he wants to know why she didn’t bring this to him. Because he is, after all, the authority here.

If you would have that, Perrin, you have to accept all the aspects of it. You can’t keep leading these people and then saying you’re not actually their leader, but then also expect them to abide by your decisions—whether that’s to send them away, or to expect them to come to you with information.

There’s an interesting irony in how, by trying to be responsible and not take on a role he doesn’t think he’s suited for, he ends up doing something arguably irresponsible by neglecting the duties of a role he has in fact taken.

It’s not easy. It doesn’t seem like fun. But Perrin, you have to make the choice and claim it and understand what it means, and stop denying yourself.

To his very great credit, Perrin takes the admonishment seriously.

Aiel were people, like any other. They had odd traditions and cultural quirks, but so did everyone else. A queen had to be able to understand all of the people within her realm—and all of her realm’s potential enemies.

I like this about Morgase, and it’s something we see in Elayne as well: this acknowledgement of the importance of cultural understanding. They don’t always get it right, of course, but they understand the importance of it, and while we haven’t seen as much of Morgase in general, we do see Elayne try to follow through on this whenever she’s faced with a different people or group or culture, and I think this is where she gets it from.

Ah, so Balwer wants to visit Rand’s academy in Cairhien. What exactly are you hoping to find, Balwer?

Would [Balwer] tell Aybara who she really was?

I…huh. I hadn’t even thought of that. The others in that group obviously didn’t want or intend to tell anyone who Morgase is, but Balwer has given his loyalty and service to Perrin, so it is actually kind of interesting that he wouldn’t have said anything. But then, if Perrin hasn’t asked, and Balwer also has no specific desire to betray Morgase, I suppose he wouldn’t necessarily bring it up either. And it’s not like people here default to communication when there’s any other option, so… okay, that checks out.

Besides, think how much more fun it will be for this all to come out when Perrin and Galad run into each other. And by fun I mean probably the opposite of that for nearly everyone involved. But fun for me, which is of course the important thing.

She should have approached the dusty man earlier, to see what the price would be to keep his silence. Mistakes like that could cost a queen her throne.

She froze, hand halfway to a cup. You’re not a queen any longer. You have to stop thinking like one!

Oh, Morgase. There’s just… that’s quite a lot of pain packed into a few almost-offhand thoughts.

Especially because, again, it brings it back to this question of self and identity and who is she, now that she’s not a queen? To the point where she’s trying to remake the very patterns of her thoughts, to make herself into someone else because she can’t be who she was before, but if that person is lost then what is left?

Also, on a somewhat less sad note, there’s another small irony here: Morgase, a former queen, trying to force herself out of those habits of thinking, while she and everyone else around her is trying to push Perrin into them.

Of course now Morgase is thinking about how she can’t really go home, because people have to continue to believe she’s dead and Elayne has to be able to stand on her own otherwise it’s a political nightmare and she’s not necessarily wrong but man, Morgase’s story is fucking sad.

Why had she done such things?

I know I’ve already said this at least five hundred times but please, please just let her find out. Of everything, and there’s a lot, I think this is the worst. Bad enough she’s lost everything else and suffered everything she’s suffered and is now adrift, effectively an exile, and trying to find her place—how can she do that when she doesn’t even have her own self to hold on to? When she can barely even trust that? And especially when it comes with the consequences of those things she thinks she did of her own volition, because it’s not just that she doesn’t trust herself; for some things she hates herself.

Perhaps she should have done the noble thing and killed herself.

Wow.

Okay. So that’s.

Yeah. That got dark.

I mean, it’s not… a surprise, given that we very much watched her near-suicide, but…damn. For her to think that would have been the ‘noble thing’. For her to think that her survival is not in and of itself a victory.

She doesn’t even know if Elayne is queen yet, or even in Caemlyn. And politics aside, how hard that must be to not know where her daughter is or even if she’s alive.

Apparently she officially likes Tallanvor now, which… okay sure she deserves whatever happiness she can find, at this point, but this one has always sort of weirded me out. Then again that’s true of a lot of the romance in this series, so okay sure whatever.

Looking into those beautiful young eyes of his, she could not entertain the notion of suicide, even for the good of Andor. She felt a fool for that. Hadn’t she let her heart lead her into enough trouble already?

Okay, there’s a lot to unpack here and I don’t know that I’m going to even try with all of it, but I’m… not a fan of the way it plays to this whole he’s-what-keeps-her-from-killing-herself angle. I just find that an uncomfortable space in general, for any number of reasons.

But the part that hurts, here, of course, is the last part. Hadn’t she let her heart lead her into enough trouble already. Because again, she thinks this is all her fault. Everything that’s happened; she thinks it’s just… her own poor choices, when the truth is that she had no choice, for so much of it. Which… I mean I don’t think I need to make the obvious real-world connection here, but it plays very true to that tendency for those not at all at fault to blame themselves, and how devastating that can be.

Perrin of course knows none of this but does know there’s something going on with Morgase and Tallanvor, because Tallanvor in particular is not exactly subtle.

Morgase raised an eyebrow. From what she’d seen, Perrin himself had followed Faile around lately nearly as much.

Point to Morgase.

PERRIN. NO.

“I was given a suggestion back when you first joined us,” Perrin said gruffly. “Well, I think it’s about time I took it. Lately, you two are like youths from different villages, mooning over one another in the hour before Sunday ends. It’s high time you were married. We could have Alliandre do it, or maybe I could. Do you have some tradition you follow?”

YOU. ABSOLUTE. IDIOT.

Hang on a second, I need to go find a wall to hit my head against repeatedly.

I just. Perrin. No. Why would you even. Think this was a good idea. Pause for five seconds and consider.

Even without any of the knowledge of how awful Morgase’s life has been for the last year or so, Perrin should know better, damn it. You can’t just tell two people to get married as if they have no say in the matter! Especially when it’s not even like he’s taking one of them aside to have a quiet word about ‘this is getting in the way of your work; sort it out’, which would be kind of awkward but just about skirting the edges of acceptability. No, he’s saying it to both of them, when he has no confirmation from either that this is actually what they want. But he’s in charge here so now it’s hard for either of them to refuse him, and of course that would mean publicly rejecting the other, and in short this is the worst idea you’ve had in a while, Perrin.

And then of course—not that Perrin has any reason to know this—there’s the reality of Morgase’s recent past, which makes having her agency taken away (again) in the context of marriage and all that entails (again), even more of a glaring Do Not Want.

Morgase felt a sudden panic

I mean yeah, that’s probably the understatement of the fucking Age.

“Gather any you want to witness and be back here in an hour. Then we’ll get this silliness over with.”

So it’s not enough to take away any choice they may have in the matter and assume you know best; now you need to trivialise it as well? Perrin Aybara you are better than this.

“Well?” Perrin asked.

“No,” Morgase said.

Such a small, quiet thing, but it’s everything in the context of her story. That at last, after so many kinds of violation, after so many instances of her choice or her agency or her name or her will taken from her, she can say no. And she does.

It’s not precisely subtle but it’s also not precisely loud; it’s just a turning point and a reclaiming of self after so long of having that taken away from her. That now, she can stand as herself and say no, I will not.

She didn’t want to see the inevitable disappointment and rejection in Tallanvor’s face.

Which is the other reason you don’t just drag two people into a room and tell them to get married! Because even if they might want to marry each other, one or both might have some objections on principle to being told to do so! And then you’ve just created unnecessary tension in the relationship itself because now she’ll have to explain that ‘it’s not you, it’s that for once in my damn storyline I want to be able to give or deny consent of my own damn volition’.

I’m just very, very here for Morgase Trakand finally having a chance to stand up for herself and say no, because that has so long been denied to her in so many ways. And to find it in herself, even with all that has come before, to do that, because it would be so easy to just…accept it. But instead she stands her ground and in doing so, in asserting herself in front of someone else, it’s almost like asserting herself to herself as well. That she is here and she is someone and she has a choice and she will make it.

“Why, the Queen herself wouldn’t demand this!”

Ha. Okay, you’ve earned that one, I think.

“Forcing two people to marry because you’re tired of the way they look at one another? Like two hounds you intend to breed, then sell the pups?”

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“You said it nonetheless.”

Yeah, this is… very much not Perrin’s finest hour here.

Whereas for Morgase… everything about this carries so much more weight than meets the eye, given all she has been through, and I’m just very here for it.

Pulling herself up to her full height, she almost felt a queen again. “If I choose to marry a man, I will make that decision on my own.”

Reclamation of identity! In reclaiming all the choices that have been taken from her! So much of what came before, all those times she couldn’t choose, was just this long agonising process of stripping away everything she was and everything she could hold on to in herself. And she’s been so lost for so long, and so here, in claiming that choice again, she finds some part of herself again as well. She may no longer be a queen but it’s not really about the crown, it’s about feeling like herself again, and finding something there.

Really, Tallanvor, in this case it’s honestly not you; it’s… a whole pile of other things. Don’t take it personally.

Morgase measured Perrin, who was blushing. She softened her tone. “You’re young at this yet, so I’ll give you advice. There are some things a lord should be involved in, but others he should always leave untouched.”

I do like that we get this—it was important for Morgase to be able to draw a line and stand by it and say, unequivocally, no. And to make it very clearly understood why Perrin was crossing a line.

But she also acknowledges that there was no malice in it; it was fucking stupid, but he did mean well. So let him feel painfully awkward for a few minutes, let it sink in, and then grant him this to soften it.

Man, that was awkward.

I mean, again, absolutely here for Morgase finally getting to make a damn choice, but would kind of have preferred if it weren’t at the cost of Perrin being written into quite this level of uncomfortable idiocy. Which I suppose is part of why I’m glad it ends on that sense of ‘you meant well but no’, rather than letting it escalate.

Basically: great character moment for Morgase but overall not a particularly well-done scene, I feel like.

It seemed she had some spark left in her after all. She hadn’t felt that firm or certain of herself since… well, since before Gaebril’s arrival in Caemlyn!

That pretty much sums it up. She needed this, needed to find that within herself.

And now enter Whitecloaks, stage left. This’ll get interesting.

Next (ToM ch 7) Previous (ToM ch 5)

#bit of a mixed bag of a chapter #Wheel of Time #neuxue liveblogs WoT #Towers of Midnight

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chronalshifts · 4 years ago

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Q’s 1, 7, 11, 20, 23, 45 for Ashe and Kaatima :0?

gonna put this one under a cut because it gets looooong, but oh boy these are great questions :D

1. does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? which one are they closest with?

ashe is an only child and would definitely have the corresponding Ego if her parents had actually paid attention to her. she always used to want a sibling, though.

kaatima is the middle child of four siblings - before the monastery, she had a younger sister and an older sister and brother. her brother, kazim, is the only one she’s been reunited with, and he was in his mid teens when she was taken away aged eight, so there’s a bit of an age difference. he’s great, though - once he recognised her, he gave her a big hug and accepted her immediately. it’s been a bit... stilted, trying to get to know one another again after so many years apart, but kaat is just happy to have someone back. their parents died years ago, and their sisters went missing at the same time, so neither kaat nor kazim really want to let the other out of their sight. (which is difficult, as kaat is busy trying to save her monastery and/or the world, and kazim is the king’s aide, but they try to stay connected.)

7. does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

answered for ashe, but the general theme is just. small spaces, silence, cold, helplessness. all the good stuff.

kaatima’s nightmares are either terrifyingly vivid and gory, or completely banal, and there is no in between. the one that keeps popping up - and the one she hates the most - is just. being in a library. just like the ones in her cobalt soul monastery, except the stacks stretch on forever, endlessly. all the books are written in languages she can’t understand, and there’s nobody else there. she always wakes up frustrated and lonely, and has to go meditate for a good while to clear her head. (that, or punch something.)

11. in what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

funnily enough, it wasn’t imprisonment that did it for ashe. she escaped and ran off and hid in the woods, which would’ve been a great plan if it wasn’t the middle of winter. the only reason the guards didn’t catch her was that a snowstorm descended, and everyone in oqun knows that you don’t go out in a snowstorm and keep all your fingers. ashe hid in a cave and tried to keep warm, but was not even remotely dressed for the weather. long story short, she almost froze to death. the thing that scared her the most wasn’t dying, but rather the knowledge that nobody was coming to get her, and that, most likely, her parents would never even know she was dead. that was also the first time she intentionally cast produce flame, and it kept her alive, so y’know. silver linings.

kaatima lived a fairly sheltered life in the monastery, and she doesn’t remember much of her childhood before it other that that her family was poor, so she didn’t have much to be afraid of before the campaign started. i’d say her worst situation was when the party were scouting out an old abandoned house - used to be the BBEG’s childhood home, so they were investigating - and were ambushed and trapped inside by the cobalt soul, who were now working for the BBEG. the worst part of it was, kaatima knew these people. she’d trained with most of them, or seen them in passing. she knew they’d have every exit covered, so the party would have to fight their way out, and the idea of killing the people she’d grown up with was... devastating. (they found a way out in the end, but it was a very tense few hours.)

20. in what ways does your character compare themselves to others? do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?

for ashe, it’s a bit of both. she has a strong judgy streak, and can’t help but compare herself to people she dislikes in order to feel morally superior and like a ‘better’ person. deep down, though, she knows that’s all bullshit. as sure as she is in her ideals, she considers herself a pretty bad person. she knows she’s a coward, a disappointment, that she was never quite good enough and that she’s lucky to get any attention at all from her goddess. whenever she meets people who are better than her in things she’s actually somewhat secure in, like her commitment to her faith or her healing abilities, she becomes very jealous and resentful of them, even though she tries not to show it. in short, she compares herself to others in the way that an insecure fourteen-year-old would, bc that’s who she still is at heart.

kaatima has always had somewhat of a superiority complex, since she was the fastest learner in all of her classes. her physical training fell somewhat short, though, since she was so malnourished as a kid, so she had to train extra hard to reach her peers’ level in that area. basically, she knows she’s good at what she does, and she’s proud of it. the tradeoff there is that she’s not very good at... anything else. she didn’t take very well to the charismatic, inside-knowledge aspect of her training, and is still awkward in social situations. she wishes she were better at it, and is somewhat in awe of people who find that stuff easy, but she’s less jealous than ashe because she knows her own talents.

23. what does your character dislike in other people?

ashe dislikes people who follow blindly. those who don’t even think to question the orders of their higher-ups, those who value made-up laws over people’s lives, those who are too sure they’re in the right. a lot of the soldiers she’s met fit into these criteria, so she tends to mistrust them in general, but they’re hardly unique in these qualities. (ashe also knows that she herself can be stubborn and preachy, but she’s never liked rules and has been actively trying to question her faith despite how uncomfortable it makes her. so, uh, she’s getting better?)

kaatima dislikes wilful ignorance, laziness, and self-satisfaction. fat cats who sit back and watch those below them suffer, when they have the power to change so much. it’s not that she dislikes authority figures in general - her mentor was like a father to her, and the king of her country is actually a good-hearted man who wants the best for his people - but just those who wield their power for their own gain and screw everyone else over. the BBEG is a noble who seems to have made a pact with a demon in order to take over the continent, so she hates him for many, many reasons.

45. what does your character believe will happen to them after they die? does this belief scare them?

ashe knows about the god of death and his garden of souls, as most people in her campaign setting do, but the rest is pretty hazy for her. she never finished formal education, and her faith is less organised religion, more her making up her own rules and setting things on fire in way of prayer. she hopes that her goddess will take care of her soul, if she’s good enough. maybe send it back into the world to be reborn? that’s a pretty idea.

kaatima has never been one for religion. while many scholars have theorised on the soul’s journey after death, there are no established facts, and this is... strangely comforting to her? like there’s a mystery waiting at the end, personal to everyone uncovering it. one last adventure. it’s kind of exciting.

#thankyou! this was very interesting to write #i'd actually been thinking abt half of these things before i even saw this ask meme sdbjbd #ask #tourmalinedice #oc: ashe #oc: kaatima

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amollion · 7 years ago

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Newcomers Pt 28

“Gone? All of them?” Jenkins asked looking over the holographic map.

“Yes, all Benemar forces have retreated to Potellan and our scouts met no challenge all the way there” Cho replied pointing to points on the map.

“They have been fighting tooth and nail over that territory for months, why pull back now?” Cathy asked,

“They know we are coming, they only held the line at these points to stop us having too much free rein” Jenkins said.

“How could they know our attack is imminent?”

“A smart commander could guess as much” Jenkins said “He knew we would have to move on the city eventually and after that bombing raid he has forced us to attack sooner than we intended. That was likely his intent of that assault, he wants us to attack on his terms”

“It also means that the city has now been reinforced with a large number of enemy veteran forces” Cho pointed out.

“Which is going to make the whole fight for the city more fun” Cathy said pulling out a chocolate bar. The quizzing looks from the other two made her explain. “Sorry I have been craving these things like mad lately”

“Okay then” Cho said turning back to the map “So when do we leave for Potellan?”

“Well the new Chieftain's Crowning is in a few days and we are expecting Williams and his men to reinforce us a few days after that. During that time we will hand over all security duties to the Benemar, how is their training going by the way?” Jenkins asked Cathy.

“It's going well, they learned how to use our rifles and guns pretty quickly and we have given them a few tanks and armoured transports. By the time we leave they should no longer be considered a militia but an actual fighting force”

“As long as they support the new Chieftain our flank should be secure” Cho stated.

“Don't underestimate the kid” Cathy pointed out “He may be young but he has a way with words, he seems to grasp politics as well. Did you hear all the elders who he was chosen over have been given high offices in his court?”

“Is that wise?” Cho asked.

“It's smart” Jenkins said “Keep those who are likely to oppose him close by where he can keep an eye on them all while giving them some sort of power that they wanted”

Cho smiled “I can see why Hopkins spoke highly of this kid but that is still the problem, he is a kid”

“And that is why he will be underestimated” Jenkins smiled.

“I have heard that you have been asked to be the one to crown him?” Cathy asked Jenkins.

“Yes he believes it will be symbolic, we took power from the Benemar and deposed the previous Chieftain and we are now handing it back to the Benemar in the form of a new Chieftain”

“One they chose” Cho stated “A powerful symbol”

“Let us hope the power does not go to his head”

Ceran carried Taleena out of her home with his bodyguard waiting for him and a large crowed had gathered having spotted the young Chieftain entering a seemingly unknown persons house. A cheer erupted as he emerged with her and he held her higher as if to show her off to the crowed as the flashes of many lights signalled camera flashes to immortalize the moment. So many that Taleena was nearly blinded and wonder how Ceran was still managing to see where he was going. His bodyguard quickly surrounded him and parted the crowed so Ceran could make his way through them. His home may be some way away but he was determined to make the journey. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and thought to herself that he was stronger than he looked then remembered he had told her he was a salt farmer growing up. A small parade had begun to follow them with the young men shouting their approval and even some of the girls that Taleena had met while waiting to meet him calling out their congratulations. But what made her really satisfied was when they passed a few of the more wealthier and high ranking girls who had on more than one occasion while waiting to meet Ceran made horrible remarks on how she did not deserve to be there. Well now it was her that the Chieftain was carrying home in his arms not them and the looks on their faces made her laugh.

Looking up at him their eyes met for a few moments and he smiled at her, she loved that smile, it was so, genuine. Instinctively she placed a soft kiss on his lips and pulled away embarrassed but he only laughed. He stopped briefly to reaffirm his grasp on her and stop her from slipping from his arms and began walking again, only then did she notice he was sweating. He had been carrying her for some time now.

“I can walk now if you want me to?”

“No, tradition says I have to carry you all the way home otherwise it's a bad omen”

“I thought you weren't superstitious?”

“I'm not, this just seems like the right thing to do though”

He breathed heavily as the muscles in his arms begged for release. “Although I will say, now I know why it's customary to carrying you over the shoulder, that way is easier over long distances” he was almost panting now.

“We can switch to that way if you want”

“No, I said I'll do it this way and this is the way I'll do it”

She felt him struggling to carry her the whole way, she did not consider herself heavy but carry any weight for a length of time and it will feel like it weighs a ton.

“Although” he said “There is a water flask at my left hip, could you get it for me”

She wrapped her arm behind herself and felt for his hip to find the flask.

“Whoa, left a bit” he said suddenly.

“Oops better leave those intact for the wedding night” she laughed as she grabbed the flask and put it to his lips to drink.

Finally they arrived at his home, they had not moved into the Chieftain's tower yet as he was not their Chief till the Crowning. He had not taken two steps through the front door when he put her down and almost collapsed on the floor.

“Are you all right?” she asked kneeling by his side.

“I'll be okay” he panted looking up at her smiling, he took her hand and squeezed it tight. Looking up he saw his family were standing in the hallway.

“Mother, Father, Selan, this is Taleena”

His mother rushed forward and pulled her to her feet and embraced her “Welcome to our home, or your home as well now”

“I feel sorry for you, you have no idea what my brother is really like” Selan joked.

His father though stood over his son who was still laying on the floor exhausted.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I should have put her over my shoulder”

“Yes...you should have. I did when I kidnapped your mother”

“What? Is that true?”

His father didn't answer and walked off.

“Father? No you can't say that and just walk away!”

He got up and ran after him but stopped at his mother. “Mother, did father kidnap you?

She said nothing and looked to her husband who was sitting on the sofa grinning.

“I'll let him tell you the story”

Ceran looked at them both shocked and confused and Taleena laughed at her future husbands confusion.

“Right, we need to get you measured for your dress for the Crowning” his mother suddenly to Taleena.

“Mother I think maybe they would like to spend some time together?” Selan pointed out.

“Nonsense they can't do that until the wedding night!” Oolana said pushing Taleena into another room.

“Mother that is a very old tradition they don't need to be virgins any more”

“Shut up, if he is going to be Chief then he needs to follow these traditions”

“But mother can't we at least-” Ceran started.

“NO!” Oolana shouted pulling Selan inside and slamming the door.

“Oh okay then” Ceran said standing in front of the door “We'll talk later Taleena

“Okay!” came her response.

He looked at his father who was now drinking ale with a small grin on his face. “You have no idea what is in store for you do you?”

“I err....no” he said joining his father on the sofa and was handed a can of ale by him.

“Neither did I when I grabbed your mother”

Ceran looked at his father who gestured to drink, he did and the taste of the ale went right through his head making him shiver.

“You'll get used to the taste, and trust me you will need it”

“Did you really kidnap mother?”

“Kidnap is not what it was called back then, you know the old ways? Well in our town they did not fade very quickly nor any where else in the wastelands. Quite often the only sure way to get a wife was to take one. Your mother was promised to another and I had always had my eye on her, we had spoken a few times but not at any great length. But I knew, I knew what her life would be like if she married that bastard”

“Who was he?”

“It doesn't matter, what does matter that during their wedding I drove my truck straight into his home and disrupted the ceremony and killed him with my farming tools. Not bad I think considering he was armed with a blade. Once that was done I proclaimed she was to be mine swung her over my shoulder and went home. I totalled the truck so I couldn't drive and as you know it's part of the custom that you walk home”

Ceran looked up at his father shocked, he had never asked how they met and of all the stories he expected to hear this was not among them.

“Did...did mother even want you to take her?” he asked.

“You kidding!? She asked me to mount her there and then the moment we got through the door, if my father wasn't there I probably would have, luckily that old bastard died soon after the wedding”

They sat in silence, Ceran smiled though as this was the first time he and his father had sat and spoken like this. In the past when he was a creten his father would dote on his brothers and sister and simply yell at him to go away.

“Why did you name me Creten?”

His father did not answer, in fact he did not react at all and just stared ahead as if seeing the very moment he gave his son that name.

“You were born...sickly” he finally said “You were small and had the features of a breeder, unfitting for a male”

Ceran said nothing.

“On your first birthday when it was clear you were not like your brothers, I named you Creten. For I did not want you”

In Benemar culture children are not named until their first birthday as their names often carry meaning that they earn or show signs they will have during that year.

His father looked at him “I am happy, that you no longer carry that name, Ceran”

Ceran couldn't help but have tears fill his eyes “Father” he whispered throwing his arms around his fathers neck and holding tight.

“I am proud to call you my son, and my Chieftain”

#amollion #newcomers

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cordlock7-blog · 6 years ago

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As Philly’s Amazon HQ2 Hopes Dim, Details Emerge of the City’s Secret Pitch Dinner

News

With reports coming about second-round visits to other cities, observers are wondering whether Philadelphia is even still in the running. Meanwhile, documents obtained by Philly Mag reveal Amazon’s apparent code name for the city and a secret dinner at Barbuzzo between the company and special city guests.

Every Thursday, get the latest dispatches from Philly’s business and innovation community delivered right to your inbox.

Upstairs at Barbuzzo | Facebook

Philadelphia first submitted its bid to be the site of Amazon’s second headquarters, known as HQ2, in October 2017 and made the short list in January, along with 19 other finalists. The effort has reportedly cost Philly organizations around $545,000, and city officials are still fighting to keep the bid’s incentives package a secret.

Now, reports are trickling out from the Wall Street Journal and other outlets that the tech giant spent the summer making second visits to a handful of its finalist cities. Company representatives reportedly revisited Chicago in mid-August and Miami around the same time. The company even made its way back to our neighbors New York City and Newark in the past few months. There have apparently been follow-ups with Washington, D.C., too.

Given the number of reported second visits and Jeff Bezos’s promise to announce an HQ2 decision by year’s end, it’s fair to ask whether Philadelphia is still in the running. Three sources close to the effort to secure the second headquarters have suggested to Philadelphia magazine that Amazon has yet to make a second formal visit to the city to scout sites or meet with officials.

One of those sources, Wilco Electronic Systems executive vice president Brigitte Daniel, who was involved with the initial “Philly Delivers” storytelling phase of the city’s proposal, told Philadelphia magazine on Tuesday that the city “hasn’t heard much from Amazon” since its first visit in February. Daniel is confident that if Amazon had been in touch, she would have heard.

The city isn’t sitting around feeling dejected, she said, but is “moving full steam ahead with or without Amazon.” And there’s still hope: “There are great chances for Philadelphia, so we’re making sure we’re ready for a visit [should Amazon decide to come back].”

If Amazon doesn’t swing back around to Philly, though, it won’t be because we failed to bring out the big guns. We already knew that the city had welcomed a delegation from Amazon’s search effort in late winter; now documents obtained by Philadelphia magazine reveal some of what happened during that visit, including an exclusive dinner with a hand-picked list of powerful local executives and other invited guests.

Dinner Prep

According to documents obtained by Philadelphia magazine, Philadelphia’s host committee — a group of eight local executives — welcomed a team of seven Amazon representatives on Monday, February 26th, for an exclusive dinner on the second floor of none other than one of Philadelphia’s best — Mediterranean eatery Barbuzzo. The organizers also invited 15 additional Philadelphia guests.

According to the documents, the host committee included Commerce Department leaders — director Harold T. Epps and chief of staff Sylvie Gallier Howard. PIDC, the organization that’s been spearheading Philadelphia’s communications with Amazon this year, also brought two representatives to the table: president John Grady and chief strategy and communications officer Anne Bovaird Nevins. Two other city representatives on the host committee were Vaughn Ross, deputy chief of staff to Mayor Kenney, and Anne Fadullon, the city’s director of planning and development. Dennis Davin, Pennsylvania’s secretary of Community and Economic Development, and Matt Cabrey, executive director of the Select Greater Philadelphia Council, round out the eight committee members.

The Special Guests

As for the invited guests, the host committee handpicked and gathered business and civic leaders to represent the region to Amazon, according to an email correspondence obtained by Philadelphia magazine. The same email, from a dinner organizer, made it clear that the event would be informal — an unscripted opportunity for Amazon to meet with key Philadelphians who shape the city and region.

The 15 guests called to the table are not all a surprise — many of the attendees were vocal during the Philly Delivers application process, offering up takes on why Philadelphia is the best place for Amazon to settle with its $5 billion investment and 50,000 high-paying jobs.

Let’s start with the glaringly unsurprising attendees.

Drexel University president John Fry, who, when Philly submitted its bid in an event at the Barnes Foundation, got on stage and declared, “There’s no better place for Amazon’s HQ2 than Philadelphia.”

In the same vein was University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann, who called herself an “avid admirer of Amazon” in a letter of support included in the city’s application.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia CEO Madeline Bell, who wrote a letter of support to help lure the tech giant, was also in attendance. As Philadelphia’s second-largest employer behind Penn, the leader wrote, “many great things — including important collaborations with companies like Amazon — are in our future.”

Aditi Dashputre, head of new product development at La Colombe, was in attendance. The company and its CEO, Todd Carmichael, have been outspoken in promoting Philadelphia to Amazon, even going as far as 3-D printing the tech company’s logo onto lattes last year.

Others in attendance included First Round Capital partner Josh Kopelman, Vanguard chairman William McNabb, Thomas Jefferson assistant dean and associate professor Bon Ku and PIPV Capital senior managing partner Osagie Imasogie, all of whom were involved in the Philly Delivers marketing campaign and application process during the fall of 2017. Some of them even made cameos in the Philly Delivers videos or had statements on the proposal’s accompanying website.

Interestingly, Campbell Soup sent a representative — vice president and head of digital and e-commerce Shakeel Farooque. As the Camden-based company moves to bolster its e-commerce capacity, having Amazon in the same town could jeopardize its ability to attract the region’s best tech talent, but Amazon’s presence could also trigger new strategic partnerships.

The host committee worked to impress Amazon by also having Rhodes Scholarship recipient Hazim Hardeman present at the dinner. Hardeman is Temple University’s first Rhodes Scholar and likely the dinner’s youngest attendee.

Morgan Lewis & Bockius partner and chair Jami Wintz McKeon, who penned a testimonial for Philadelphia’s application to Amazon, was also an attendee. In the testimonial, McKeon wrote, “As I reflect on how our firm got to where we are today, much of our success can be attributed to Philadelphia’s unique profile.”

Peirce College vice president of Institutional Advancement and Strategic Partnerships Uva Coles, who previously showed no strong ties to Philadelphia’s Amazon bid, was also listed as a guest.

The host committee brought Philadelphia’s tech scene to the table by inviting two of the city’s most well-known tech leaders — ROAR for Good founder and CEO Yasmine Mustafa and SEER Interactive founder and director of strategy Wil Reynolds.

And lastly, perhaps the evening’s most surprising guest was Comcast senior executive vice president and chief diversity officer David L. Cohen. There’s no doubt that Comcast has long advocated for a more business-friendly Philadelphia, but the company has largely remained mum on Amazon. A Philadelphia magazine request for comment from Comcast on Philadelphia’s HQ2 bid was declined last year and preemptively put an end to future inquiries about Amazon.

In Philadelphia’s application materials, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts did write a testimonial, but it was relatively passive. It pointedly celebrated Philadelphia but said nothing about Amazon.

“We have the land, we have the resources, and we have the wherewithal to catapult the city; and it needs a catalyst,” Roberts wrote. “Philadelphia’s ready, and I think Philadelphia will be one of the great cities in the world for the next 200 years.” (Does Roberts perhaps think that Philadelphia’s catalyst is already in Philadelphia?)

While Cohen is listed as a contributor in Philadelphia’s Amazon application, his contribution appears limited to an obligatory signature at the bottom of a letter of support from the Chamber of Commerce, on whose board he sits.

How It All Went Down

Though the host committee planned for an unscripted evening, there was some structure provided, says a source who attended the dinner but asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation by the committee.

Guests were sent Philadelphia Delivers messaging to use as context when speaking with the Amazon representatives. “Philadelphia is centrally located,” is the first point in a list of six items on the document, which also includes glowing statistics about the city’s talent pool, innovation sector, culture, cost of living, and potential HQ2 sites.

According to the document, Philadelphia is the “Goldilock’s zone for Amazon” since it is “centrally located in the Northeast Corridor, offers a vast talent pool, and has rich cultural life of a big city at a fraction of the cost.” The document also underscores that the city has “plenty of capacity to grow.”

The host team seemed to sharpen the city’s messaging on topics like talent. Instead of just touting that the region has 102 colleges and universities as officials did during the application period, the document states that the region has the “highest number of top-100 universities within 150-mile radius.” And to shine a light on Philly-area schools, the documents says “There are more top-20 public school districts in our region than in any other region in the country.”

The officials who assembled the document also didn’t hold back in comparing Philly to cities like Seattle, Boston, and Washington, D.C. The document’s notes on affordability parse out the idea that Amazon would save by settling in Philly. Cost of living is “20% higher in Seattle, 25% higher in Boston, 26% higher in Washington, D.C., 50% higher in San Francisco and 92% higher in New York City” and cost of doing business is on average “33 percent higher in comparable East Coast cities,” it reads.

The memo ends by talking up the sites where Amazon could establish its second home. Philadelphia’s housing market would be “moderately impacted by the 50,000+ HQ2 employees with less than 1%-point increases predicted on rent,” the document says citing “various external studies.”

Over a period of two and a half hours that kicked off at 6:30 p.m., the special guests stood up one-by-one to deliver brief presentations about why they love Philadelphia, according to the source. “Everyone had the mission of trying to get Amazon to Philly. Everyone came together and said great things about the city,” the source said.

An additional document distributed to the local guests lists general “Topics for Dinner,” a list of potential questions that would help attendees prepare for whatever Amazon might throw at them, including: “Do you feel the city and region are welcoming of people of different genders, minorities, sexual preferences or religions? What, if anything, would you change to make Philadelphia an even better city for business Is it easy to attract talent to Philadelphia from other parts of the country?”

A Poker-Faced Amazon

As for Amazon, the team of eight visitors representing the financial, legal, human resources and real estate components of Amazon’s HQ2 effort, were intensely big on secrecy. The list of attendees, for example, includes only the first names of the Amazon representatives — and there’s no way to even confirm whether their first names are actually what was listed on the document.

The source told Philadelphia magazine that the representatives, figuratively, “weren’t saying anything.” They were “impartial” and “very secretive.” The team’s goal was strictly information-gathering.

The Amazon team even had a code name for Philadelphia, the source notes, which may be the case for all other Amazon HQ2 finalist cities. According to one of the documents that seems to corroborate this idea, Amazon’s interactions with Philadelphia and the team that visited the city are coded under moniker “Project Bailey.”

According to the attendee, the visitors didn’t offer any real impressions or next steps. They also did not talk about their experience with the search or visit overall. “Everything happened so fast,” the attendee said.

Philadelphia reached out to a number of the dinner attendees for comment. ROAR for Good CEO Yasmine Mustafa declined to comment on her involvement, saying “We were told to not talk about it. They were very strict about us not sharing.” David L. Cohen declined to comment for this story, and the others did not respond.

Is Philadelphia Still in the Running?

On Tuesday, PIDC spokesperson Jessica Calter declined to comment on whether Amazon has been in contact with Philadelphia in recent months. “We are not commenting on the process so nothing I can say there,” she said in an email.

It’s unclear whether the intimate evening, abetted by Barbuzzo’s popular farm-fresh menu offerings, was enough to hook Amazon and keep Philadelphia in the running. After all, not receiving a second visit could just mean that the team collected all the necessary information the first time around. But the dinner and the quest to keep it secret — in line with Amazon’s freakishly clandestine example — show just how far the city is willing to go to court the tech giant.

Source: https://www.phillymag.com/business/2018/10/25/amazon-hq2-philadelphia-dinner/

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comiconverse · 8 years ago

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Review: Action Comics #976

Action Comics #976 arrived this week, completing the Superman: Reborn story arc with a bang. The fourth and final chapter of the earth-shaking epic was written by Dan Jurgens and drawn by Doug Mahnke. ComiConverse’s Superman reviewer, T. Kyle King, is here to assess the hugely important conclusion.

(WARNING: MAJOR DC UNIVERSE-REARRANGING SPOILERS FOLLOW!)

Action Comics #976 Review:

The Superman Family has been restored… or has it? Are the Superman and Lois Lane who stand before Superboy actually Jonathan Kent’s parents? What will happen when two timelines collide, and what hidden figure manipulated reality to cause their divergence in the first place?

(SERIOUSLY, IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, PROCEED AT YOUR PERIL!)

Action Comics #976 Synopsis:

Atop the ruins of Mr. Mxyzptlk’s destroyed interdimensional simulacrum of the Daily Planet building, a thrilled Jon excitedly welcomes the parents with whom he has been reunited. These, though, are the New 52 Superman and Lois, who recognize neither the boy nor the world he represents. The mischievous imp offers only vague and confusing clues to the befuddled adults, but Superboy encounters a pair of blue energy orbs and begins to sense the outlines of the truth.

Mxyzptlk, fearing the impending arrival of the more powerful force that created the pocket universe in which he has confined the Superman Family, departs, abandoning them there. Jon uses an emotional plea to persuade the New 52 Superman and Lois to let the floating blue phantoms merge with them. This unification of the pre-Flashpoint and pre-Rebirth Supermen and Loises not only brings back their memories of their life together, but also brings the entirety of the existences they represent into singular alignment. Watching from afar, Mr. Oz is astonished at this reality-reordering feat, yet he wonders whether the final word will belong to the restored Superman on Earth or to the unidentified instigator behind these events on Mars.

Action Comics #976 Analysis:

Mahnke was a good choice to pencil the combining of the post-Crisis and New 52 Supermen into a wholly reconstituted Man of Steel. Thanks perhaps to the trio of inkers — Jaime Mendoza, Christian Alamy, and Trevor Scott — who gave definition to Mahnke’s handiwork, more than merely a more sensible neckline separates the looks of the various iterations of the Action Ace who populate Superman: Reborn — Part 4. Colorist Wil Quintana effectively fulfilled the critical task of distinguishing, then combining, the chromatically defined Last Sons of Krypton, while letterer Rob Leigh artfully conveyed the words accompanying the big events and subtle touches of Action Comics #976.

Literally from the beginning, one of the driving themes of DC Comics’ Rebirth has been restoring the publisher’s legacy as the oldest and most established producer of superhero comics. That heritage, of course, includes the company’s status as the original progenitor of the genre, starting with Superman, Clark Kent, and Lois Lane in Action Comics #1. The Big Blue Boy Scout and his supporting cast, consequently, have been the biggest beneficiaries of DC’s new initiative, as the missteps of the New 52 slowly have been reduced and replaced with a Metropolis Marvel who is recognizably Superman.

The upward trend for the Last Son of Krypton has been evident across the board, and nowhere more prominently than in Peter J. Tomasi’s Superman and in Jurgens’s Action Comics. Because of that, fans of the Man of Tomorrow — and, particularly, of the true Superman Family so painstakingly established among Clark, Lois, and Jonathan — understandably were hopeful yet hesitant when Superman: Reborn was announced. The initial solicitations, after all, promised not just to reveal “the shocking truth”, but also to culminate “in a tragic moment for Lois and Superman.” Action Comics #976 specifically was advertised with assurances that the hero’s life would be “drastically changed” by the developments of the crossover. To an audience that often felt disappointed and disrespected during the New 52 era, that foreshadowing carried with it a feeling of foreboding. Had all this restorative architecture been erected just to reclaim the reader’s emotional investment as a prelude to an even more devastating denouement? Were we being set up for the fridging of Lois Lane… again?

Fortunately, the Superman Family’s rise during Rebirth was no mere precursor to a fall from an even greater height. Jon, the purest product of both his parents’ best selves and their enduring love for one another, was the first to recognize what had happened. While the Man of Steel still doubted, dismissing Superboy’s apparent ravings as more of Mxyzptlk’s manipulations, it was Lois — ever skeptical yet never cynical; always dogged in her pursuit of the truth without ever lacking compassion — who urged Superman to trust the youngster she did not know for certain was her son. Once the transformation was completed, the reconstituted Superman stated simply and powerfully: “I’m back. We’re back. And everything is going to be fine.”

In the midst of the transition, though, we see the timelines combining while the unseen Mr. Oz describes the realignment. The mysterious observer characterizes the synthesized continuities as “[c]onsistent with the memories and experiences of all”, “so it all fits.” Admittedly, the issue is light on the specifics, but we get the gist: Jor-El and Lara, complete with Silver Age headbands, are shown sending baby Kal-El into space; the Kents find him in his crashed rocket; Clark Kent goes to Smallville High with Lana Lang, goes to work at the Daily Planet, reveals his secret identity to Lois Lane, dies in battle with Doomsday, is resurrected, and marries Lois; and Clark and Lois have their son, Jonathan, then bring their infant child in to the office to meet their co-workers, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White.

It is open to debate how much of the New 52 survived the switchover, as the most distinctive moments in the merged timeline either are essential elements common to all continuities, overtly allude to such distinctive pre-Flashpoint storylines as The Death of Superman and The Wedding Album, or incorporate the most critical carryover from Convergence directly into the mainstream DC Universe. (With any luck, the flowing together of the timestreams will enable the creators to split a few differences, like keeping Grant Morrison’s Halloween Phantom Zone story but putting Krypto back in the cape.) Although the red trunks have not been restored and the canonical status of the Electric Blue Era remains up in the air, Action Comics #976 very clearly gives the lie to Truth: Clark Kent confessed his secret to Lois Lane, but she did not publicly reveal it.

Beyond that, the nuances of what the combined timeline truly looks like decidedly are unclear. Although Jurgens has offered assurances that the next couple of issues will clear up some of the specifics, the most appropriate takeaway from Superman: Reborn — Part 4 is that, for now, the audience should just enjoy the forest and not get bogged down too deeply in inspecting each individual tree. Glen Weldon said it best: Superman never gives up, and he puts the needs of others first. The minutiae may vary, but Superman stories that possess these traits ring true, while those that lack them do not. Simply put, Action Comics #976 has them, places them front and center, and celebrates their explicit and universal re-elevation — finally! — to primacy.

After the spectral projections of the post-Crisis characters merge with their post-Flashpoint analogues like the Watcher fusing with Tom Baker at the end of Logopolis, the Superman Family re-enters the conjoined continuity at the Daily Planet building, where Lois takes her husband’s hand and finishes his sentence for him, noting that they both feel “whole again.” As the trio heads for home, zooming outward from the page toward the reader, Superman says to his son: “You saved the day. Lead the way, Superboy!” Mr. Oz’s cryptic coda, uttered over images that take the viewer from Earth past the moon to Mars, unquestionably suggest — but stop short of stating — that the unrevealed “him” behind it all is Dr. Manhattan. Because there remain secrets left to expose and storylines yet to conclude, Superman: Reborn was a beginning and not an ending. Lois, appropriately, sums it up when she confesses she “fees like I just woke up from a dream.” In fact, though, it is the nightmare that is over, and it is the dream that has come true once more.

We invite you to join us in the comments to ComiConverse about Action Comics #976!

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