#episode revenant spoilers

[kayzean]

My tired ass was not listening...

Help i genuinely forgot i had the cat petting emote equipped. That was completely unintentional. Never has an emote been more perfect tho.

Bonus:

Me whenever I see Crow:

[haldenlith]

I Told You So

I can't help myself. I can see how things would go down right in my head. I had to write it.

Unsure if I'll put it on AO3 or not, but for now, have this little fic with Hal/Crow. It deals with Act I of Revenant, so obviously, spoilers.

-

Crow’s bootfalls were gentle but driven, purposeful as he crossed the living room, moving to stand in the doorway of the sliding door to the balcony. He let his eyes rest on his lover, his partner now, a small smile gracing his lips. He knew that still being in full armor, and still wearing his boots, would raise Hal’s suspicions. He had a plan for that. Hal’s skin had turned a slightly darker shade of blue, reacting to all the time spent in the sun. He was careful about tending to his garden. Diligent. Crow would expect nothing less. He was happy the man had found things to happily occupy himself with during his retirement.

Hal sat back, his legs folded neatly under him, turning to regard the Hunter in the doorway. “… You must not be planning to stick around long.” He sighed and began wiping the dirt from his hands. “And judging from where you’re so expertly positioned, you want to make sure I can’t leave before you’re finished.” Hal was too perceptive to miss that. Other times, Crow would be too eager to come over and touch him. A kiss, a hug, or even the simple caress.

It wasn’t like him to stop at the doorway.

Crow chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re right. This is important, and I want you to hear me out.” He gnawed on his lip. “… We’ve got a distress signal from Europa. Eramis’s crew. I… I wanted you to come with me.” Hal narrowed his eyes.

“… Why?”

“I’ve got a feeling. I want someone I trust, and know. I want this to be a humanitarian mission, and I need someone that I know will listen and not just go in guns blazing.” Orange eyes looked off to the side, bewildered for a few scant moments.

“… Your idea of not going in guns blazing, and my idea of that, are clearly two very different ideas, because I recall having done that very thing very frequently. You’re also still not telling me something.”

“I’m telling you everything. I just… it’s a gut feeling, alright?”

“… And you’re not going to let me back into the house until I say yes, aren’t you?”

“I never said that.” Hal stood up and walked over, standing in front of Crow, looking down at him. The Hunter stood his ground, his own amber gaze meeting Hal’s. “… But if you really don’t want to, I’ll respect that choice.”

They stared each other down in silence, backed by the bustle of The City, and the gentle sound of birdsong. Hal finally leaned down and placed a kiss on Crow’s cheek. “… Only for you. Now move. I’d like to clean up before I throw armor on.” Crow heaved a sigh of relief with a smile and stepped aside.

“Thank you, Halcyon. I mean it. I won’t bother you again after this.”

“Oh you better bother me hard and vigorously after this if you really mean that,” Hal quipped as he walked by, causing Crow to snort and chuckle, biting his lip.

--

In finding the distress call, they found Eramis, but in finding Eramis, they found Fikrul. Hal was quick to loose a few screaming and toxic shots in the Scorn’s direction, but pulled back at a sharp “HAL!” in his ear. Crow stopped him from turning his full attention to Fikrul. If it had been anyone else on comms, Hal probably would’ve ignored them, but Crow held a particular sway that he felt obliged to acquiesce.

They would talk later.

“You’re very intent on holding me back from him.” They stood in Crow’s new office, Hal with his arms crossed over his chest. He hadn’t even bothered to take his helmet off. “If I had gone after him, we’d probably have caught him.”

“And we would’ve lost Eramis, which was the second point of that mission!” Crow pinched the bridge of his nose. “Hal, I love you, but I am your superior now. I need you to listen to me.”

“I did, against my better judgement. And I suppose that works, now that we have Eramis in custody. But… why did you insist on me holding fire on Fikrul?”

“I have my reasons. He’s my responsibility to clean up, and I don’t think you putting a bullet in him again is going to help with that.” Hal sighed.

“So, what’s the plan? Talk to him?”

“I’d like to try.” The Warlock threw his hands up in the air. “I’m serious! Let me try. When we find him again. He still calls me ‘father’. Maybe I can get through to him.”

“… Fine. I’m… going to go talk to Eido. You know how to find me,” Hal replied in resignation, turning to leave.

Crow squeezed his eyes shut and called out, “Hal, wait.” Hal paused, looking over his shoulder. “… I didn’t mean for this to become a whole thing.”

“I know. That’s not what I’m mad about. So don’t feel guilty. I think we’ve both had enough of that.” He wagged a finger at Crow, continuing as he begun to step away once more, “And anyway, you know what to do if you’re really sorry.” The Hunter Vanguard couldn’t help but laugh, planting his hands on his hips.

“Horny bastard,” he half-muttered.

“You love it,” Hal called out as he left. Crow wasn’t sure if therapy wasn’t working a little too well on Hal. But, the man wasn’t wrong…

He did love it, and love him.

--

Back on the Tangled Shore, and with Crow. It’d been a while for Hal. The place looked… different. But, this was the supposed location Eramis had outlined.

Of course, Fikrul had beaten them there, only to invite them in. A low rumble of suspicion sounded within Hal. Crow lifted a hand, whispering. “Please.” It was Hal’s turn to have a gut feeling, but he motioned for Crow to lead on. They weren’t attacked on approach, though Hal remained high strung and ready, following in the Hunter’s wake. Again, Crow was regarded as “father”, and Crow attempted to respond in kind, though it was… stilted. Crow could sometimes sound like Uldren, but it seems it was only when he wasn’t trying.

Hal had a bad feeling about this, worse as Crow attempted to dissuade Fikrul. He shifted his weight, watching the exchange.

“You wear his face. You steal his voice. Forget his purpose. Hear me, Father! I will rip this impostor from your bones!” There it was. The moment of everything going downhill exactly as Hal expected.

They had to fight their way out.

After it all, with the bomb exploded elsewhere, the threat eliminated, Eliksni captives saved, Hal looked at Crow. The Hunter was quick to lift a hand. “Just. Don’t.” A soft grunt sounded from Hal.

He saved his words for later, again finding himself in Crow’s office. “Look, I know it’s a dick thing to say, but genuinely, I told you so.”

“Is this necessary? Is this really necessary? Do you need to rub salt in the wound? Because that’s what this feels like. So yeah, you’re right, it’s shitty of you to do that.” Actual animated arguments were rare, but they still happened.

“I’m just saying, I called it, but you insisted we do things your way, despite the overwhelming evidence to otherwise!”

“I’m sorry that my go-to response isn’t ‘shoot first, ask questions later’. Besides, look how well that worked for you in The Dreaming City.” A silence fell over the two of them for a moment.

“… I love you but…” Hal trailed off in soft defeat.

“But what?” Crow replied sharply.

“… But I wish you’d think more with your brain and less with your heart sometimes.” The silence returned as both of the men shifted their weight awkwardly from one foot to the next, looking about the room as if trying to find some easy answer.

“… You love it.” Hal blinked, turning his attention back to Crow. A weak, yet sly smile appeared on the other man’s face before he explained himself. “… You said that to me the other day when I complained. So… have some of your own medicine to go with those tonics you’ve been drinking.”

It was so ridiculous that Hal was at a loss for words for a few moments, before all he could do was laugh softly. The laughter bolstered Crow, his smile widening. “I’m sorry. I guess I should’ve listened to you. But I… I just thought I could reach him. One more time.”

“Your best trait is also your weakness. It’s a hell of a double-edged blade.”

“And here I thought my best trait was my charming smile,” Crow quipped, grinning. “Anyway, we’ve got work to do. This is only going to get harder, and I… I’d rather we keep our battles out there, and not in here. Or at home.”

“I did listen to you, didn’t I?”

“You did, but it’s the ‘after’ that’s a problem.”

“Perhaps it’s for the best I retired when I did. You wouldn’t have been able to survive having me judge you.” Hal’s words made him laugh as he buried his face in his hands.

“Oh god, you would.” They both knew it was all pure and silly conjecture. Hal’s recent tendency to speak his thoughts was a direct by-product of having time to go to therapy, and most importantly, be retired. It was still something nice to laugh about. “Well, I guess I need someone to keep me in check.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll be sure to do that, sir.” Crow shook his head, biting back the fact he found that he… quite liked hearing “sir” out of Hal.

“Well, if judging my orders is all, Guardian, then go report down to Eido. I think she wanted to talk to you.”

“Yes, sir, will do that, sir,” Hal replied teasingly, bowing his head with a mock salute before turning to leave. He paused as he reached the door. “See you at home?” Crow smiled and nodded.

In spite of everything, it did feel good to be working with Hal again, even if it meant having to hear him say, “I told you so.”

[nevertrustanoracle]

The HELM starts crashing and I’m immediately crying “*gasp* Captain Jacobson! Not the frog! 😱”

Not worried about anyone else, just the frog.

[abyssalcleave]

AHHH CROW HAS GROWN SO MUCH!!! i am in tears and shambles.

[ripe-beetle]

Revenant prediction

[raillue]

First vanguard op

[kelgorath]

my beautiful wife waiting for me at the altar

[snooze-mode]

yeah that's right bitch, i broke your fucking vase, whaddya gonna do about it

[ahamkara-apologist]

Here- I made a playlist of all the different Eramis monologues that I've gotten when visiting her so far. I'll probably add more if more get updated, but either way I'm having an absolute blast with this- I feel like I'm watching the Vanguard try to give a beat up old alley cat a dose of dewormer and a flea bath

[blorbologist]

Yawns, g'morning.

I'm thinking about Vaxleth and episode 51, as. Most of us are, really. Holy shit.

And I think Vax's divine nature played a role in how Ludinus was able to set and bait this trap. I don't think we'd have gotten this outcome if Vax was still a mortal Champion, like his sister. Furthermore, Keyleth’s position as Voice of the Tempest was also critical here.

Let me explain: let's say some other half of a ship could have fulfilled this orb critera. If we pretend that any Champion could do (I think they needed the divine aspect of Vax's unlife but play along here), why not bait the trap for Vex, or Pike, or Scanlan, or Yasha?

Beyond the 'Vax is practically an angel now and has orb properties' angle, I think part of it is the sheer... everything that is mortal. If Percy was captured Vex would have any number of solutions - send Trinket in, attack at range, Rogue it up, or do the sensible thing and bring in friends. The living are variable, you can't count on them to behave as you need.

Ludinus loathes gods and their servants: of course he'd expect them to be predictable - and he'd be right! Vax is not all Vax anymore (see Dalen's Closet and Tal’Dorei Reborn), he's a deathless shepherd and servant of the Raven Queen. Why would he think this through? He has no life to lose, only Keyleth’s to save. You don’t need to consider how to use a shield, you just do. People shape their plans around the steady expectations of gods, their almost immutable domains, and Vax is divine enough for that to apply to him. They'd know he would behave exactly as he did. It could be argued living!Vax would as well, and there are several songs and historical records about him, so worst came to worst Ludinus could hope that this is maintained. But that's an uncertainty, and not fitting for a centuries-long plan.

And now the second part: it had to be Keyleth. They couldn't have used Vex to draw him out, I don’t think, as much as it pains me. Either the story of Dalen's Closet was limited to the guests and any lil kids who heard the Ballad of Derrig or it proves the Champion cannot willingly approach his sister. It took a Wish for that.

Vex has had five kids, spent thirty years protecting Whitestone, and has her fingers in the financial goings on of all Tal’Dorei. By no means does she have a small impact on the world: her smallest taxation decisions could mean poverty or wealth for thousands! But many of her biggest impacts on the future, on destiny, have already come to pass. Her adventures in Vox Machina, the children she bore, the decades of decisions she's already made (I doubt she'd be on the council for even a few years without changing much of her sphere to her liking.)

Keyleth is the Voice of the Tempest. She will, hopefully, live almost two thousand years. Imagine all the lives she will impact in that time! Directly! The Matron must be so familiar with her strand of fate because it touches so many, many others!

Even if Vax, somehow, did not remember her. Even if he was a shell of himself. This is someone the Matron cannot let die before her time (hopefully a thousand plus years from now). This is one person she would have to bend the rules for and see saved, and there's just the man for the job. She would not allow intervention for Vex, or Percy, or those nieces and nephews Vax surely watches. Not Velora, not Scanlan, not Gilmore. Keyleth, with centuries of work to do in this world, with generations to guide, is too valuable.

What I'm saying is... literally no other ship could have pulled this off. None. This was built for Vaxleth, from its very bones. You could have, say, an AU where Vex is the Champion of Ravens (wink), and this would not be certain enough for Ludinus to bank on it. Very likely, but not assured (the Matron could refuse to intervene, or they could intervene in a less 'take me instead you lil red-storm shit' way, etc.).

Evil plans bank on the inevitable. Gravity, greed, time. Their love is inevitable, a law of nature.

It could not have been anyone else

[scottishexo]

Vesper's Host weapons leaked.

[sato3tosio9g]

This week, the Echoes episode ended and the revenant　episode began. I've only played the introductory quest so far, but the thing that surprised me the most was this screenshot… Mithrax, pull yourself together!

Of course, there are many things to see, such as the scene where Crow and Fikrul reunite, the scene where the Eliksni mutate into scones, and the tranquility of the new location… lol. But at this stage, I don't know whether the shadow I saw behind Mithrax was Nezarec himself, or if it was his curse that was reflected that way.

What does this mean? I feel like we'll find out something as we progress through the episodes.

(I'm using a translation tool to write this, so the expressions may not be appropriate…)

和訳。

今週は残響のエピソードが終了して、亡霊のエピソードが始まりました。まだ導入クエストしかプレイ出来ていないのですが、一番驚いたのがスクリーンショットのこの一枚でした…ミスラックスしっかりして！

勿論、クロウとフィクルルの再会のシーンやエリクスニーがスコーンに変異したシーンや、新しいロケーションの穏やかさなど色々あるのですが…ｗしかしミスラックスの背後に見えた影は、ネザレク本人なのか、彼の呪いがそうやって映っているのか、今の段階では分からないですね。

これはどうなんだろう？エピソードを進めて行けば何か分かりそうな気もします。

(翻訳ツールを使って書いているので表現が適切でない場合があるかもしれません…)

[gil-notskajla]

// small seasonal interaction spoiler

eramis got a therapy session and thought its interrogation and psychological warfare im losing it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! /pos

[kashmirichaiwithmehr]

.

[abyssalcleave]

["All Hands! This is the Hunter Vanguard."]

[zalia]

I deeply dislike how certain segments of D2 players have screamed to have ALL THE CONTENT released in one big batch - a whole season at a time and complain about the weekly stuff being 'drip feeding' and now Bungie is gonna be releasing whole Acts all at once (better than a whole Episode at once I guess).

I *like* the weekly releases of content! Liking it even more in the episode format with a few weeks of story, and then a few weeks off. Plenty of time to catch up, without there being a huge swathe of like 6 weeks+ without anything new.

I like having a week to mull things over and theorise and feel *creative* about what I've just played. I like the time and space it gives each bit of story to breathe and really sink in. I find it more impactful when I genuinely *can't* rush through things (ngl, I feel like Lightfall at least would have benefitted from having it's missions spread out over a long period of time instead of being all available at once).

I feel like having spaced out drops of new story is just... more convenient? Easier to catch up on a week of story than a whole Act if you happen to be away for one week. Also playing through a whole Act in one go is a significantly larger time investment if you want to stay up to date and avoid spoilers.

I really hate that in Revenant, it's gonna be required to basically play a whole Act on day 1 of release or be bombarded with spoilers enough to have to completely avoid any fandom spaces. And then... what?

The people screaming the most and loudest about wanting it all at once will just go back to immediately bitching about not having anything to do and 'no content', and there'll just be less fandom energy.

Same as with Netflix dropping whole seasons in one go - it feels like there's just no time to enjoy and appreciate the story in a measured way - gotta binge it all or be completely out of the loop! And then it's over.

I love the Tuesday/Wednesday weekly screaming session over new story with my friends, excitedly waiting till they're done so we can dive into theorising and enjoying the anticipation! I loved the new episode weekly energy with podcasts too! New episodes become an event, and people spend the week thinking about the story and creating rather than just... gulping it all and then it's done. Move onto the next thing. Disposable content.

*sigh*

Ah well, it is what it is. Just annoying.