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awmonomiac · 3 years

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The superimposition of the exchange between the two maids and the image of NK and Seungho in full embrace is interesting because it underlines the new proximity between them.

Nakyum is not only with Seungho, he is embraced by him, kissing him passionately in this position that NK demanded because he wanted to be as close to him as possible. They look like real people who love each other.

The dialogue between the two maids represents gossip. So the contrast between their gossip and the image is very revealing of public opinion. They don't know yet that NK and SH have both declared themselves and love each other. But what they do know is that they are together all the time. Their relationship is so intense that it is obvious to outsiders.

When Heena's letters are mentioned, Seungho's insecurities surface. The idea that NK might consider leaving him makes Seungho very possessive.

And the fact that the maid called Nakyum by his first name as if they knew each other well makes Seungho even more possessive.

Seungho likes to claim MY kyum, emphasizing the fact that it is HIM's and no one else's.

Seungho doesn't mind reminding Nakyum that it was he who gave himself up, especially since Seungho had gotten used to the idea of having no one he could declare as mine.

I also think Seungho doesn't like people knowing things about nk that he doesn't know. He doesn't like that the servants shared such a fun conversation without him knowing about it. It's as if a part of nk is slipping away from Seungho. That is why he is annoyed in this way.

Also I think he does it to distract NK 😏

That's why NK for a moment can't keep his mouth shut, it's because Seungho is so rude that NK was too focused on something else to hear the conversation.

After seungho asked NK why he wanted to go out so badly we don't see the Nakyum's face. This is a way to visually express Seungho's doubt and insecurities.

We only see Nakyum's face when he explains that he really wants to spend time with Seungho. He still doesn't realise that NK really wants to stay by his side. He still imagines that NK is plotting.

But when Nakyum turns around, the truth is so simple and sweet just like NK's expression that it disarms him. Nk doesn't just want to have sex with him, he wants to spend time with his lover outside of sex.

As a result, Nk gradually begins to understand how Seungho works and manages to reassure him.

It's so cute to see Nakyum chatting in such a relaxed way with the lord. NK communicates his wants and needs, as if he was talking to a friend and not a lord. His familiarity is really adorable.

When Nk finally smiles at seungho, he gives himself up completely to him. He breaks the promise he made to himself and gives himself body and soul to Seungho. He takes the risk of loving her.

When NK smiles, it is as if he is telling Seungho that just the sun, the fresh air and the simple presence of Seungho makes him happy, like the saying "vivre d'amour et d'eau fraiche" in french ( translated by "all you need is love" in english).

At this statement Seungho looks so appeased. He has finally got what he wanted. He looks detached and I think it's because he has overcome his first selfish concern. He's not relieved that he can make someone happy. Making someone happy was a huge concern for Seungho in season 2. At that time Seungho needed to be reassured that he could be loved.

Now, if Seungho looks so appeased, it's because he's just happy to see Nk happy.

But unfortunately we all feel that the happiness will be very short-lived. BD queen likes to make us suffer ahah

She teases us by pointing out the fact that our favourite couple didn't get to see the calligrapher... and that it was supposed to to keep the bad luck away. And carefree Seungho, blinded by love, does not listen to Nakyum's intuition.

#painter of the night #potn #baek nakyum #seungho x nakyum #yoon seungho #boys love #manhwa #painter of the night seungho #analysis #byeonduck #yaoi

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iflamesforminho · 5 years

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[ ENG] Article Title: My son, Shinee Minho, become mature in the Marine Corps letter

Choi Yoon-kyum, who holds the baton of Jeju United in K League 1, is also famous for having Minho of boy band SHINee as his son.

Coach Choi, who also appeared on the air with his son, recently took the helm of Jeju and returned to the soccer field.

His son Minho entered the Marine Corps Education and Training Corps on April 15 in Chungmu-ro, Ocheon town, Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, and is serving in the Marine Corps.

Through his father, I heard what world star Minho is doing in the military.

Sports Korea which conducted an exclusive interview at the United Club House in Jeju on April 29, Coach Choi talked about his son Minho at the end of the interview.

Choi Yoon-kyum, the coach of the team said, "My family members all liked it when heard about my appointment to Jeju team, but my second son Minho liked it the most.

It must have been hard for him since he had six weeks of training. When he heard the news, I hoped it would be a little relief from his fatigue but he was so happy in phone.

When I told him that I was going to Jeju, he shouted 'Daebak, Dae-bak' several times and was more pleased than I was," he said.

"I heard that he went on a special trip to Jeju Island with his university friends.” Choi Coach said.

He likes Jeju Island. It is his first time this year said that he wants to stay in Jeju Island.

Suddenly, when I came to Jeju, my son likes it more than anyone else. My son even said, 'You're going to stay in Jeju for a long time, so you should buy a house,'" he laughed.

"It's been a month and a half, but we've already received more than 10 letters," said Coach Choi, who is excited talking about his son.

I heard that they write a lot of letters in military and in the letter shows that he is a grown up now. "I am move when I see he has become matured in his letter in every sentence."

When the reporter asked, "Did you cry?" he said, "No, because he joins the army only," he smiled.

Speaking of his son's phone conversation, In a joke, his told his son, "I'll make it through in Jeju for you to come and see the game after military discharge." "As my son can't earn money right now, I have to work hard to earn money," said Choi Yoon-Kyum, the coach who made a big smile while talking about his son.

Coach Choi said he was actually worried. With the changing times and the disappearance of entertainment soldiers, parents have no choice but to worry about their son.

"These days, even a little bit of a good place brings out articles, and when you're in a difficult place, parents can’t stop worrying." We have no choice. We have to live with it. There is something we have to endure and bear because we are public figures. "He knows it very well," Coach Choi said. "Fortunately, his letters and contacts say nothing is bothering him around. I'm glad to hear that he is doing well. I heard that he received an award because he had good physical condition when he finished his training. I'm very proud of him," he said.

About the reason Minho joins marine, " It is his character," he said. "He wants to live a solid life in the military. I was just informed by my son that he was going to the Marine Corps. I didn't know at all. Of course I was expecting it. It is his character, I thought he wouldn't take a smooth road. So I didn't stop him when he said he was going to the Marine Corps," he said.

He also said, "I wish he could do well in the military without exception as an entertainer and a public figure. It will be a great help to live in the future and if he overcome the Marine Corps' hard experience, it will have a good impact on his personal lives as well as his lives in the entertainment industry," said Choi Yoon-kyum, Coach of Jeju, who quietly cheered for his son Minho.

Idol group SHINee debuted through SM Entertainment in 2008 and became a worldwide singer with hits such as "ROMEO," "Lucifer" and "Sherlock" as their debut songs.

Source : link

#minho #shinee #marine #papa choi #translation

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kitsunegamer · 7 years

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The Journals part 1

As we head down into the chamber below, we come into a room slightly smaller than the throne room above us. Where the throne room was opulent, designed to impress and intimidate, this room is lavish in a completely different sense of the word. Decorated heavily with the remnants of personal effects, this must have been Cadmus’ personal sanctuary, his escape from the people around him. A large wing-back chair sits in one corner, the cotton and cloth long since rotted away leaving only the skeleton behind. On the other side of the room stands an equally large desk made of ebony wood, mold creeping across the top and the corners beginning to show rot and decay. Scraps of silk and cotton litter the floor, the final remains of pillows and blankets, skittering as our movements disturb the air.

Looking up, we see the walls are lined with book-filled shelves. Some of the books are badly damaged by decay, but yet others look like they could have been sitting in the print shop window yesterday. It looks suspiciously like magic at work. Aster is quick to suggest so, and uses detect magic to confirm the presence of an enchantment protecting the books. He begins grabbing some of the volumes off of the shelves and carries them over to the desk, and we all follow. Aster takes the first book and opens the cover. Only he doesn’t. He tugs a bit, but the cover will not part from the body of the book, nor is Aster able to open the volume to any of the inner pages. Clearly, the book has been sealed shut. Aster curses silently to himself, but sets the book aside and tries the second volume. Again, no luck.

As Aster continues to struggle with the books, I turn to examine the room more closely. It would be a terrible thing to overlook something important or useful just because we were too focused on the obvious. Of course, sometimes the obvious is all there is, and I don’t find anything useful beyond the books remaining in the room. I return to the desk and pick up one of the books Aster has discarded. Could they be spell books? Looking at the spine, I trace my finger over the gilt letters embossed there. The name “Cadmus” in elegant calligraphy stands out sharply, enchanted never to fade in the annals of time. Perhaps these are journals then? Back home, Yuuna would keep personalized journals like these. I smile, remembering the times when Kyume and I would sneak them out of Yuuna’s hiding place to see if she had written anything interesting. How prideful to think you can hide something from a kitsune! And kitsune kits at that!

I come back from my memories and set the book back on the desk, just as Aster finds a volume that isn’t sealed shut. Opening the first pages, he reveals elegant flowing cursive, written in a language I don’t recognize. Judging by Aster’s frown, he doesn’t recognize it either. He takes a step away from the table and summons Gylnis again. Materializing, she remarks, “You’re having a busy day, aren’t you,” with just a hint of dryness to her tone.

Aster smiles cheekily and responds, “Trying to keep busy anyway. Look, I need your help translating something.” With this, he picks up the open journal and hands it to her. Her eyes immediately go wide in surprise. “I know this handwriting!”

“Cadmus?” Aster guesses, but not really. At this point, the books belonging to Cadmus is practically a forgone conclusion given the evidence. Gylnis nods, though, confirming our suspicions.

“We thought so,” Aster says. “All of these are his books.” Gylnis seems excited at having this physical link to her brother at hand. Taking corporeal form enough to take the book, Gylnis looks at the language. “Yes, I can read this,” she affirms. Aster gesture that she should go ahead. She clears her throat and begins to read. “We have forged the world, each using parts of ourselves to create a land we may call our own. My body has served as a the foundation, as I am the most resilient and strong among my kind. As the planet cools and the mist leaves the lands, we have been greeted with a paradise we could not imagine. Perhaps this is our reward for the eternity of suffering we have faced. Regardless, the final fruits of our labor is glorious indeed. Even my splendor pales in comparison to it.”

As Glynis concludes the first entry, Aster compresses his lips into a thin line. Probably to keep himself from laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. “You’re brother was rather...” Aster trails off, searching for the right word.

Gylnis snorts, “Arrogant? Cocky? Full of himself? Prideful? Vain?”

Darwin looks slightly taken aback at this reaction. “Obviously you didn’t get along with your brother.” It could have been a question, almost. Aster, too, looks a bit surprised at Gylnis’s willingness to speak against her sibling so readily. Clearly they grew up as only children.

Eventually, Aster says, “I was just going to say that he liked himself a lot.” Which is a bit of a letdown for his normal, silver-tongued self. One Point to Gylnis and her adjectives.

Gylnis dismisses Aster’s comment and turns to Darwin, “Despite my words, I did get along with Cadmus just fine. Cadmus is what we refer to as the Great Dragon Esper. He was the foundation of the land, and he represented the aspect of battle and tactics. As he said in the journal, he did serve as the blueprint, so to say, for the foundations of these lands because his body was the sturdiest of all of ours. He was the most arrogant and prideful and was filled with an unending desire to compete and do battle, but he was our brother. He tended to favor humans who were strong of body and sharp of wit, not so much intelligent but quick thinking. From him arose what you know as the warrior class. He ruled his lands with an iron fist, though he was not uncaring. He was proficient, deadly, and prideful, but he was never cruel nor a murderer.”

“Sounds like your stereotypical warlord,” Aster points out. Darwin rolls his eyes and whispers, sotto voice, “I bet he couldn’t beat Arvid at arm-wrestling.”

Now it’s Aster’s turn to snort and roll his eyes. “I don’t know about that,” he replies.

Gylnis looks amused at the turn the conversation is taking, but seems to feel an obligation (perhaps even curiosity?) to continue with the journal. “If you’d like,” she breaks in, “I can read the next entry.” This brings everyone’s attention back to the journal and the information it might give us.

“Please,” Aster asks politely, “go ahead, Gylnis.”

“Arvid fills the land with life, but, as he traveled, it would seem life found him. Small, weak, bipedal fleshlings have sprung up from the ground of this land. Exactly from where, we don’t know. Perhaps they are the result of us coming together - a child, so to speak. One that takes from not just two parents, but nine. The others and I have decided to examine these creatures, to peer into their souls. If they are riddled with sickness, if they are evil beyond redemption or defective, we shall cast them back from whence they came. I’m sure my brothers and sisters will not think to do so, but I must convince them of this.”

“I wonder what race they’re talking about?” Darwin asks.

Aster is, of course, ready with an answer, “More than likely us. Humans, I mean. Considering what Gylnis has mentioned before about humans being the first to show up.”

Gylnis picks up the conversation, saying, “Humans were unexpected. Arvid filled the lands with life: with foxes, squirrels, beasts, birds, and reptiles.”

“Right, but first living were the human beings or creatures like them?”

“Yes,” Gylnis continues. “And we did not create them.”

Aster seems to ponder this for a moment before speaking. “So we either came from the world itself or from somewhere else. But that basically seems to be what Cadmus is saying here.” A few moments pass in silence as we consider what significance this might hold. Is the Arlo Heint connected to the espers’ powers of creation? And does this mean that the power of the espers is the best or worst weapon to use against it? The journal has yet to answer any question and has only led to us asking more questions.

Gylnis turns back to the journal after another moment and flips the page to the next entry. “These creatures are... diverse. Some are strong, splendid specimens and others lack physical prowess but are mighty in terms of heart and mind. They are frail, but they do not crumple under the weight of a twig. They quiver in the cold of the night. Unsurprisingly, it was near unanimous that they be allowed to persist. But it has come to question as to how to do so. Should they simply be allowed to stagger their way through the world? Or be guided? I am torn. They are not so weak that I would call for them to be cast into the void, but why should I waste my time on these fleshy creatures? If they do not wish to have them stumble through the dark, then ally them with Infernis’s flame. Do not burden my shoulders with a task I care not for!”

“Wow,�� Darwin comments, “Your brother sure kept a lot of personal thoughts in his journals.”

“He liked to hear himself talk,” Gylnis explains wryly.

“He liked to see himself write, too, apparently,” Aster quips. I shake my head in exasperation, adding dryly, “She did say narcissistic and prideful earlier.”

“There appears to be one final entry,” Gylnis says. Aster and I immediately silence ourselves and gesture that she should read the entry. “Curse my siblings! Their influence has turned me soft! Each of them has decided to take a small group of these beings under their guidance, though their bias reigns true in who they select into their fold. Not that I have any complaints against showing bias, I have been known to do it myself in the past. However, what amuses me is that many of my siblings claim to be of much higher moral standing than such, but their actions betray otherwise. It is merely the scent of hypocrisy that has put me in such a mood. Still, I have found, perhaps, those I may be willing to bring under my eye. They are strong and prideful, knowing their limits yet seeking to push past them. They show little signs of sickness and, while their intelligence may not rival the ones that Gylnis or Illyander seem to favor, a high level of intellect is not a requirement to learn that which I have to offer. Honestly, I should leave them to fight or live on their own accord, but perhaps my age is starting to catch up to me. It is not just about the challenge; I find myself in want of company.”

“He was getting lonely. Why?”

“Perhaps we could find out in one of the other journals?” Gylnis suggests.

“Aster isn’t able to open them,” I tell her.

“Which ones?”

“These five,” Aster gestures to the desk where the remaining journals sit. Gylnis gives a small “hmm” as she thinks. “I will not be able to open them either. It appears Cadmus sealed them himself, and only he, or one of his blood, will be able to open them. There are more journals on the shelves though. Perhaps we could try some of them?”

Bearington moves closer to Gylnis and asks, “When you say ‘of his blood,’ what do you mean by that? If one of his descendants was touching it, would they be able to open it?”

Gylnis nods, “His direct children would be able to, yes. The one upstairs is now dust, unfortunately.”

As they speak, Aster, Erwin, and I move back over to the bookshelves and pull down all of the remaining enchanted journals. We stack them on the floor and immediately start going through them, testing each cover to see if the volume is sealed. Eventually, Aster finds one more journal he can open, and the last book I pick up, falls open in my hand. Two out of nearly twenty. We will have to pray these two will hold useful information.

I hand the journal I hold to Aster, who flips both books open to the first page to try and find which order we should read them in. How he intends to do this when he can’t read the language is beyond me. Aster’s eyes widen in shock as he looks at the books. I glance over his shoulder to see what has surprised him. They’re both written in Draconic!

Judging from the first page of each, Aster selects the journal I handed him to read first. No longer needing Gylnis to translate, he hands me the other journal and begins to read aloud to the group, translating the Draconic to Common as he goes. What a show-off scholar!

“The lands are flourishing, and with our help these beings, these humans as we have come to call them, are living lives of prosperity and purpose. It seems as if I merely blink and they grow before me. The ones I have raised are not only fine warriors, but have also found talents as smiths and craftsmen. They dig into the earth and find its minerals. They use these precious materials for weapons, shelter, or personal pleasantries. With them, I have begun to build a fortress. A citadel in which we may all live, and I can reign over my subjects who follow my teachings and bring pride to the name of Cadmus.

“A meeting has been called and concerns raised. It would seem as Illyander’s heart is as fickle as ever. Apparently love has blossomed between the wind-wielder and a human. Illyander would have us bless the union between the two. Sadly, this cannot be. By a vote of five to four, it has been decided that the espers will not pollute the humans’ blood with our own. The cause of their existence is still a mystery to us. It is feared that mixing our blood could result in dangerous or unhealthy offspring. Surprisingly, Gylnis was the final vote against allowing the relationships between us and the fleshlings. I would not have expected such a decision from her.”

Gylnis turns away at these words, seemingly overcome by emotion.

“It’s odd that he would write such a thing when he later broke the law he was so supportive of,” I say.

Aster shrugs, “I don’t know that he supported it for all of that. He didn’t actually say.”

“He did,” Gylnis interjects. “He did not feel them worthy of mixing with us.”

I nod, “That sounds about right for the tone that I’m getting. Why did you oppose it? If you don’t mind my asking?”

Aster looks intrigued. “I’d kind of like to hear this too, Gylnis. Not that I’m against your choice, but why?”

“We never found out where the humans came from. If the humans were, in fact, children of all of us, then is it not simple genetics to think that perhaps it would not be best to put our blood back into their own? Not to mention, how would we know what would happen? We could end up giving birth to creatures who are superior to us... who could run amok... who had different moral standings. There were so many things that could go wrong. We were already a power that had been wielded in ways that we should not have been. I wanted to escape that, and I did not want us to be the cause of such power being let loose again.”

“What happened to Illyander and her love then?” I ask gently.

“Eventually, the human she had fallen in love with died. They had as much of a relationship as they could allow with our decision. But they were never married, and they were never allowed physical contact. In fact, Illyander had her physical form taken away from her because she has always been the most foolish.”

“Precautions against possibility,” Aster murmurs.

How terrible! For these god-like beings to treat one of their own in such a manner, what kind of creatures are we trying to bring back into the world? There is no choice, though. The Arlo Heint cannot be stopped. We must risk this small glimmer of hope and pray that the ends will justify the means. Or hope that they’ve all mellowed with age.

#pathfinder #rpg #roleplay

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theprocrastinatingredkitty · 3 years

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I see the repeat of the kidnapping/shed arc is about to happen soon

c59 vs. c97

So imagine this.

We see a repeat of the shed arc, but everything will be flipped.

Imagine Na-Kyum is now the one standing over Seungho while Seungho is in a cell, waiting to be let out for a crime he didn't commit

Na-Kyum internalizes other people's words a lot, so this would weigh a lot on his mind once he sees Seungho, and then a reverse of this scene would happen:

"If you truly didn't kill Sir In-Hun, then why did you take away my sister's letters? Explain to me, then, why was a corpse found with a sword that belonged to you?"

But that is where everything will stop. Na-Kyum symbolizes the warmth that Seungho had lost in his younger years, so I don't think he will act the same way Seungho did

Na-Kyum would most likely act like how he did in the shed: remain calm despite Seungho raging on about himself being a destructive wreck who shouldn't deserve to be loved by anyone

I noticed this in other instances as well: the shed, the attack in his room with Deok-Jae, the confrontation with Yoon Chang-Hyeon--Na-Kyum remains quiet and doesn't blurt out things on impulse like how Seungho does

So I think Na-Kyum would ultimately side with Seungho, considering this scene is a huge trigger for him to understand and empathize with Seungho and to fully love him without holding back. He would decide to believe him, to understand him, as he had said before in 87-88

No one was ever there for Seungho and that's how he turned out. Na-Kyum had already made up his mind to remain by Seungho's side. He was stubborn enough to defy Kim when he was told not to get involved with Seungho and just lie low, and how did that turn out?

Seungho became loving, he became all smiles, and all because of one person.

So if Na-Kyum wouldn't believe Seungho, how could anyone save him? Seungho's no-good father hates him, probably wouldn't stand up for him if he found out about it, he'd probably say something along the lines of, "HE FINALLY DID IT. THAT SHAMELESS SON. LEAVE HIM TO ROT IN JAIL FOR ALL I CARE."

Na-Kyum will remain by Seungho's side and would most likely testify for Seungho's innocence. "He was with me the whole time! How could he even find the time to kill him?"

Will the words of a lowborn be believed over Heena's words, though? Take note that courtesans were whistleblowers and were trusted by the government as kisaengs were owned by the government, so a courtesan's words hold water

And it would be at this point that it will be Na-Kyum vs Heena, both stepsiblings now on the verge of becoming enemies just like how Seungho is with Seungwon

Notice too, that everything that Seungho experiences, Na-Kyum has also experienced, but on a softer blow.

1. The straw mat beating that never happened

2. The abandonment of a father figure

3. A would-be orgy and drug use that never occurred

4. The imprisonment in the shed, albeit on a short-term

And the missing ingredient now is the sibling rivalry between the painter and the kisaeng, as both the Yoon siblings, too, had started their rivalry due to a crime as told from Seungho's flashback in c55

Heena will not believe Na-Kyum, and Na-Kyum will start to resent her just like how Seungho is with Seungwon. The Yoon siblings are still on talking terms, albeit much strained and would only talk about family matters

#potn #painter of the night #yahwacheop #seungho x nakyum #potn analysis #manhwa analysis #painter of the night analysis

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theprocrastinatingredkitty · 3 years

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For those who still think Seungho would be put on trial and heavily punished for having one of his servants found in a public well

Seungho won't go to jail for that.

Slaves back then were not considered human, they were labelled as objects or property of their masters. It's no different from throwing a piece of paper if you're done writing or if you made a mistake on it

So technically, these officers had no right to arrest Seungho for finding out one of his servants had been killed. In Seungho's defense, "That dude ran away on his own. That shit's not my concern." Seungho's in the right here.

Nobles had the right to dispose of their servants if they were disobedient, and no authorities would pay attention to that, because the servant had been a property of the master

Things would change had that been In-Hun's corpse, however, as Shithun is a scholar albeit not well-known, and it would also be even more complicated if it had been found out that In-Hun had passed the first round of exams

Seeing as Heena had been the one who pointed the finger at Seungho and had most likely told the authorities about him, it could also mean that Min was the one with Heena when the authorities found out about the corpse

This is why the officer is keeping mum for the meantime, as this case now involves another nobleman. Let's say this officer knows of Seungho's reputation and temper--then what of it?

The officer is staying silent so the scandal wouldn't blow out of proportion. Because if Seungho found out that Min had been the "whistleblower", then it would devolve into chaos between two clans, the Mins and the Yoons

A mistake of the child is the reflection of the family, and Joseon was all about collective punishment.

If Seungho retaliates against Min, Min's family would know of this, and would fight back. But would Yoon Chang-Hyeon do the same for Seungho? Of course not. For all we know, Seungho's dead in his father's eyes. Seungwon is the apple of his eye now

So, the house of Yoon and the house of Min would be at each other's necks if Seungho gets wind of this, and the whole village would be dragged down as well

Nameless, the very guy who should be blamed for throwing that damn corpse in the well, has still to appear. He has been lurking in the shadows for far too long, and I think once this case is blown out in the open, he'll realize he made another mistake--he shouldn't have put the blame on Yoon Seungho, as now the man would be rampaging trying to find the real culprit along with searching for Na-Kyum

Which brings me to that one picture BD had drawn in one of her livestreams: of Seungho riding a horse.

This makes me think that this time, instead of having the servants find Na-Kyum, he'll search all over the village to find Na-Kyum himself, but how would he react if he goes to In-Hun's house and sees the blood fountain inside?

Pretty sure he had already read about this through Heena's letters, so I don't think he would completely react like how he did during the kidnapping arc and assume that was Na-Kyum's blood

Another thing that Seungho could do is to march straight back to the kisaeng house and search for Heena and demand him where Na-Kyum is, but that would risk his reputation going to shreds in front of the other noonas, so I doubt he would go there, unless he really doesn't care about his reputation anymore

If we go back to the kidnapping arc, during Na-Kyum's disappearance, Nameless had already popped into the scene, and in c98, hints of his identity of being the man who threw Deok-Jae in the well is now in the open

Which means that in the final scene of c98, we can expect Nameless to be around the corner as well,

But the thing is, he had already told Min he would not participate, and then Min retaliated that he'd have Nameless killed, right? 👀

So. What if. AND I'M SAYING WHAT IF. WHAT IF NAMELESS HAD BEEN THE ONE WHO KILLED THIS MYSTERY "PERSON" IN SHITHUN'S HOME?

Because I still think that's not a person's blood. That's gotta be animal blood, ffs. Remember that Nameless is literally A BUTCHER.

So. Nameless didn't agree to go and kill some random dude, right. So he resorts to getting animal blood instead and made this scene look like a murder, just like how he did with making Na-Kyum look like he was trying to escape to the mountains After then, he'd be off the hook, right? Right?

NAH, BITCH. THIS SNAKE WILL POP IN AND POINT ALL THE FINGERS AT NAMELESS. MIN WOULD PROBABLY STATE THAT HE WAS SCAVENGING FOR SCRAPS AND SAW AN ABANDONED HOUSE AND WAS PROBABLY UNAWARE THAT IT WAS INHABITED BY A GLASSES-WEARING HOMOPHOBE AND THAT'S WHY NAMELESS "PROBABLY" ROBBED INHUN AND MURDERED HIM AND RAN AWAY

He would spin such a tale to Seungho and would exact revenge on Nameless. (Since he's a butcher, no one would care if he's dead)

Problem solved, Min would think. That way, he would fulfill his promise with Jihwa that

"You will stay alive and Nameless will die in your place."

Since Min had already seen that Jihwa now has clung to Nameless, he's now going to destroy another potential relationship, ALL FOR HIS OWN AMUSEMENT.

Na-Kyum has run away and his trust issues are going through the roof

Seungho is now hellbent on finding out who really threw that corpse and would put all the blame on Nameless simply because he's a butcher

Jihwa now has no one to lean onto because Seungho's no longer with him and Nameless is now going to fight for his life against Seungho

While they are all running around like headless chickens, he could sneak in and steal Na-Kyum from the streets and have his way with him

But I think, just like the kidnapping, there would be a witness/witnesses for the second abduction

Na-Kyum had already thrown up during the day, and he would go into another panic attack should someone try to snatch him from the streets again, and this time, the people will see a nobleman "trying to calm a lowborn down" just like what Seungho did in public in c76

We could see a repeat of c29 as well

I noticed in these 2 instances, the public saw Na-Kyum having an anxiety attack, and in these both instances were times when Na-Kyum was not with Seungho

Surely at this point, the people will remember him. Plus, with the chatty tailor's words in c64

Na-Kyum's appearance will now stand out if they see him

If Min gets a hold of Na-Kyum, they will surely wonder what he's doing with another nobleman and why he's having a panic attack

THE PEOPLE WILL TALK AND WHISPER

AND SHOULD SEUNGHO COME BY LOOKING FOR NA-KYUM, THEN THE TOWNSFOLK WOULD TELL HIM THAT HE'S BEEN TAKEN AWAY BY A NOBLEMAN IN GREEN

AND ALL HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE.

#potn #painter of the night #seungho x nakyum #yahwacheop #potn analysis #manhwa analysis #painter of the night analysis

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theprocrastinatingredkitty · 3 years

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Aight, some big twisty reveal

Seungho shown here looking SHOOKT to the core when the chatty maids said that there are letters for Na-Kyum

Now, I see this as a reason for Seungho NOT to teach Na-Kyum how to read,

because IMAGINE IF HE TAUGHT NK HOW TO READ AND WRITE

The possibilities are ENDLESS

Na-Kyum would know Heena's writing, would understand the words, WOULD FIND OUT ABOUT INHUN'S POSSIBLE DEATH (STILL THINK THAT'S A HUGEASS HOAX IMO)

So what did Seungho do? Fwop the living fwop out of NK's brain because Na-Kyum is too deep in relishing Seungho's pp. Considering Na-Kyum has sensitive hearing, he should've heard the maids' comment about the letters. I mean

THE MAIDS WERE PRETTY DANG LOUD WITH THEIR SPILLED TEA TIME

But judging by Na-Kyum's hesitation, he definitely heard the exchange but chose to ignore it completely. Why?

Na-Kyum knows Heena will drive him away from Seungho. That's why he completely ignored the maids' statement. Plus, he cannot read, and doesn't want Heena to know it, either. So there's no need for Seungho to fear, but as he's unaware that Na-Kyum has shunned Heena's warnings, Na-Kyum would have to relay to Seungho at some point some reassuring words that he'll never leave him no matter what--In-Hun's murder be damned

Judging by Seungho's initial shock, I bet he doesn't know about the "murder" of the scholar yet. Remember that c91 happened only a day after Elder Yoon visited Seungho, and Heena stumbled upon the "crime scene" on the day of Chang-Hyeon's visit to Seungho. Heena most likely wrote about the discovery of the crime to Na-Kyum early morning

And Seungho hadn't had the time to sort through the letter as he's been with Na-Kyum the whole time. Where could they have been stored, I wonder?

Or maybe the letters are supposed to be burnt.... but someone might be keeping them in secret?

Plus, a day passed by the end of c91 because Na-Kyum said this prior to their visit to the calligrapher

BUT NA-KYUM SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE LETTERS EVEN THOUGH HE CLEARLY HEARD THE MAIDS. I DOUBT HE EVEN ASKED THEM ABOUT IT. HEENA IS FAR FROM NA-KYUM'S MIND AS IT'S ALL FILLED WITH THOUGHTS OF SEUNGHO

#potn #painter of the night #yahwacheop #seungho x nakyum #potn analysis #yahwacheop analysis #painter of the night analysis #manhwa analysis

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theprocrastinatingredkitty · 3 years

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In other news, I don't like how the moon is shown here

The moon is shown to be overshadowed by the warmth emanating from the lanterns. The moon as Seungho's symbol, is now being overfilled with love for Na-Kyum, to the point that its light (as such, his mind) is being muddled by the bright lights of love

But the reader must know that the kisaeng house is a symbol of an illusion of being given love.

Seungho's unfocused eyes of disbelief that Na-Kyum is now presenting himself to him so willingly, his love having been confessed, his actions so ardent in pleasing and loving him--to Seungho who had grown up without love, all of this seems too unreal, AN ILLUSION, a fever dream--the very symbol of the lights of the kisaeng house

Seungho's dream is about to come true just like how Na-Kyum's dreams also come true, but they always come at a heavy cost

"How can I," he might think, "gain the love of him?"

And he realizes his dream is about to turn into a nightmare the moment he realizes the biggest mistake he had done for the night: locking Heena up

In Seungho's mind, he is going to take all of Na-Kyum's love as long as he can before it slips from his fingers, before all of this euphoria comes crashing down on him like ice

Now, I see similarities to c95 and with c37

The presence of unread letters intended for a sibling, the ardent lovemaking about to be interrupted by a sibling,

and the presence of a lie

I can sense that now the situations are going to be in reverse

Na-Kyum will now be resentful of Heena for trying to separate him from Seungho, and in the heat of the moment, Na-Kyum, who had been in the middle of showering Seungho with love, will blurt out the truth

THAT IN-HUN HAD ABANDONED HIM, HAD TOLD HIM HE WAS A PROSTITUTE, AND SO HE HAD NO REASON ANYMORE TO CARE FOR IN-HUN

Even though we knew for a fact that Na-Kyum still holds some care for In-Hun like he stated to Seungho, exactly like how Seungho, deep inside, still wanted to win his father's favor, but hatred rules over his heart in this regard

Will Na-Kyum hate Heena? Of course not. He loves his sisters. But it will surely test him how deep his love for Seungho will grow

We can assume that Na-Kyum had already agreed with Seungho's promise to

NO MATTER WHAT.

And we know that Na-Kyum always keeps his promises to those he loves

#potn #potn analysis #painter of the night #yahwacheop #seungho x nakyum #manhwa analysis #painter of the night analysis #yahwacheop analysis

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theprocrastinatingredkitty · 3 years

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About Chapter 36 and 37

This has been bugging me for the longest time and it’s been nagging at my brain cells for the entire year

Back in chapter 36, we had seen Kim deliver a letter to Seungho that was supposed to be from Seungwon

“...I BRING BACK A RESPONSE.” I’ll get back to you in a bit, Kimmy 😒

So, anyway, Seungho burnt that letter to a crisp afterwards, but it was never shown that Seungho had opened it. Though looking at it now, there was a huge white space along with the crackling of the fire where the letter was burnt, which means that Seungho HAD read the letter and burnt it afterwards while Kim was standing in front of him

Looking at it closely, the letter was not yet entirely burnt when Seungho left it in the fire

Only the edges were burnt. AND WHAT’S TO SAY THAT AFTER SEUNGHO HAD TURNED AWAY, KIM IMMEDIATELY SNATCHED THE LETTER OUT OF THE FIRE TO READ IT????

Because afterwards, when night fell and Na-Kyum was to accompany Seungho in his room, Seungho was seen writing a letter

Though it was never shown what the letter was about, only does it dawn on me now as I write this that IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SEUNGHO’S ACTUAL RESPONSE TO THE LETTER.

And yet, when Seungwon arrived on the same night, Seungho never told him anything of him trying to respond to his brother

Seungho was prickly to his brother the entire time, and I doubt that he trusts Seungwon enough to just tell him that he actually planned on responding prior to Na-Kyum’s arrival in the bedchamber. So my question is:

WHERE DID THE LETTER GO??? WHERE DID THE LETTER GO, SEUNGHO??? I’VE HAD THIS QUESTION IN OVER A YEAR

Prior to Seungwon’s arrival in the room, Seungho had scrambled to remove his robe to drape it on Na-Kyum while the letter remained in plain sight, but when the brothers faced each other, it was nowhere to be seen along with Na-Kyum’s saucers filled with paints

Seungho could have hidden the ones with liquids easily in the drawers, as shown in the background, or he could even just shove them all behind the folding screen

But if he did that, there would be a chance that the letter would be accidentally soaked in the paint, ink, or water from any of the saucers

So, the only logical thing to do was to hide the unfinished letter somewhere in plain sight

And where better to hide it than just literally under the “rug”, or in this case, the mat? In his fury, he was wishing to “punch” his supposed response, a vain way of reprimanding himself. But then W A I T . If Seungho had hidden the letter from his brother to whom he was “supposed” to respond to, then his letter WAS TRULY MEANT FOR HIS FATHER, and that the sender was never Seungwon 👀

SEUNGHO. WAS SUPPOSED. TO SEND JUST A LETTER. TO HIS FATHER.

BUT THAT LETTER DIDN’T ARRIVE TO THE FATHER.

(chapter 44, notice the paper under the painting) Do note that Seungho didn’t seem to finish his letter as Na-Kyum had already arrived in his room, that’s why it has a few white spaces at the bottom, that could be an argument that the letter COULD HAVE BEEN DELIVERED ALONG WITH THE PAINTING, BUT

The paper underneath seemed a bit too clean. If you look at the picture where Seungho was writing, there was a line that reached almost the bottom, yet there is no tail end of any character in the paper underneath the painting, which now suggests that the paper underneath had been a cover, so Seungwon wouldn’t know about the strange smudging and wrinkling from having been poured on in the middle of the folded paper

KIMMY BOY OVER HERE INTENTIONALLY SENT THE RUINED PAINTING INSTEAD OF THE ACTUAL FRICKING LETTER. HE FELT PRESSURED BY SEUNGWON TO SEND A RESPONSE, AND SINCE SEUNGHO NEVER SENT A LETTER, KIM MADE AN IMPROMPTU AND DAMAGING DECISION

But then how did Kim knew that Seungho was going to write a response?

KIM SAW SEUNGHO WRITING A LETTER, HENCE, HE MADE A NOT-SO-WHITE LIE TO SEUNGWON, TELLING HIM THAT

“Master Seungho wanted me to deliver to you his response to the Elder Master.”

Since Kim had seen Seungho writing a letter, he created a half-truth. Seungho was going to send a response but stopped after he talked to Seungwon, so naturally, sending his brother a response just when he’s about to leave truly makes no sense. But then Kim arrived huffing because, like he said earlier prior to the burning of the letter, there needed to be a response, and that was why Seungwon was smiling at the end. SEUNGWON HAD BELIEVED KIM, UNAWARE THAT HE WAS GETTING FOOLED.

Seungho never had his actual letter delivered judging by his reaction with the closed fist, as he was too angry at his father after having his conversation with Seungwon--but think about this: Seungho still initially wanted to write a letter to his cruel father despite everything, yet after that little talk with his brother, that all went down the drain, hence, Seungho sent no letter in the end.

So then, why on earth did Kim create such a scandalous act? It surely wasn’t simply because he was urging Seungho to write a response

Recall my statement earlier:

Kim had most likely taken the letter out of the fire before it was burnt. SOMETHING IN THAT LETTER HAD PROMPTED KIM TO ACT, TO MAKE SURE THAT ELDER YOON WOULD NEVER SEEK SEUNGHO’S HELP TO SUPPORT HIM (or Seungwon for the exams) AGAIN THROUGH TRADE AND CONNECTIONS IN THE CAPITAL, as doing so would mean that Seungho’s wealth would deplete through giving officials bribe in the form of gold or expensive items

And in making Seungho appear to be sending his father a mocking response in the form of the painting, Kim had achieved the goal:

“MY SON IS TOO FAR GONE, I MUST SEEK SUPPORT SOMEWHERE ELSE.”

And so Seungho’s wealth remains intact, he remains untouchable and isolated in the village, as how Kim wanted him to be so the servant can live in peace and out of scandal

It could also be another version of chapter 77, wherein Kim had tattled to Elder Yoon about Seungho kissing another man. He was thinking of the young master’s best interest, but he ended up causing an irreparable rift between father and son. The situation with the letter is also the same. Kim hoped that having Seungho isolated from the father means that he can keep the master safe from any brutal beatings and in a way, Kim could serve Seungho and atone for what he had done, not to mention, Elder Yoon can’t show his face outside as he has an openly homosexual son, so Kim thinks that the household in the village is safe from any harm, yet he had been blind to another rift entirely:

The fact that Seungho had wanted to write his father a letter in the first place, no matter what his response had been whether it was good or bad, means that he had not given up on wanting to be loved by his family--even just scraps of their love would have been fine, anything at all

And yet, Kim ruined it all by sending Elder Yoon the painting, which could only trigger the father to loathe his thoroughly love-starved son even more

Also, in c38, In-Hun mentioned this

But if my theory is correct that Seungho never sent a letter, especially since Na-Kyum saw where the letter went

Then that means that Na-Kyum knows In-Hun had been lying. NO LETTER WAS SENT OUT, AS FAR AS NA-KYUM KNEW, SO HOW COULD THERE BE A LETTER IN SEUNGWON’S HANDS?

Na-Kyum now holds the truth and knows who’s lying, that is why Na-Kyum, in return, also lied to In-Hun. Not only does he know the scholar had been lying, but the fact that Na-Kyum had seen Seungho in a fragile state in sleep reinforced his resolve to protect Seungho:

“I did not hear anything, sir.”

He lied by omitting a fact: I have seen something, but I will not tell you.

Now, imagine if Na-Kyum did tell the truth, to whom it would be?

To Seungho, of course. And if that happens, I wonder...

What will happen to our little scheming servant Kimmy? 😏

#potn #yahwacheop #painter of the night #potn analysis #yahwacheop analysis #painter of the night analysis #manhwa analysis

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theprocrastinatingredkitty · 4 years

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Now that we know c55 is the new c33, we must consider that it is only the first part

Back in c33, we had Na-Kyum being thrown in a ten-day fever after being drilled all day.

And now in c55, we have Seungho who’s probably going to be knocked out for ten days after his binge on opium and liquor fest

We have here, in contrast, how Na-Kyum stays with the lord, compared to how Seungho had left him when he had a fever.

If we take some events in c33 into consideration, the following might happen, but in different order:

This time, Na-Kyum will be taken away by Nameless for ten days. In contrast to Inhun’s behavior when he didn’t take a look at Na-Kyum’s condition, in the event where Seungho will recover, he’ll do everything he can to get Na-Kyum back. He’ll be on a rampage in his household once more.

Kim, who had only been punched by the master, might get harmed/killed by Nameless if he ever ventures outside to get the medicine, whereas in c33, he was safe because he stayed inside the house.

The household will be in an uproar during these ten days, doing everything they can to keep Seungho’s mood swings in check. He may try to deflect for a while, thinking that Na-Kyum is only a plaything, as he had said, and therefore he shouldn’t be worrying over it. He might even think that Na-Kyum’s a good riddance because Seungho’s feelings won’t have to be swayed anymore.

But someone’s words will be a trigger to ignite and have his feelings realized. Who?

Min. IT’S MOTHAFRICKING. MIN.

Notice that it’s always Min’s words that spurred Seungho on. It was Min’s words that prompted Seungho to return to Na-Kyum, and it will be Min’s words which will also push him to realize that Na-Kyum is not his plaything, but his special treasure

What will probably come after that? A new c34 might take place in the future, where Na-Kyum will have a new dream while being kidnapped, a new realization that will coincide with the dream he had here:

His unconscious will tell him that his body and heart and soul are yearning for Seungho, even in his darkest dreams. Both of them will come to a realization, now that Seungho has admitted that

It is similar to Na-Kyum’s questioning of himself, back in c35:

And what happened after that? Remember how Inhun popped up and patted Na-Kyum on the hair, with Seungho being angry all of a sudden?

Scratch that. Min is going to be the next Inhun. Seungho will most likely encounter Min and/or Nameless and Jihwa together, ganging up on disposing Na-Kyum or, in Min’s case, “tasting him”, before Seungho gets blinded by his fury.

But this time, Na-Kyum won’t stop Seungho from raging, just like how Na-Kyum didn’t stop him from punching Min.

And then, the shadow of Seungho’s past will once again return, in the form of the letter that was most likely sent by Seungho’s father.

#potn analysis #yahwacheop analysis #painter of the night analysis #seungho x nakyum #potn predictions #painter of the night predictions #yahwacheop predictions

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theprocrastinatingredkitty · 4 years

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The Names of the Main Cast in Painter of the Night

Nowadays, Korean names are chosen without much thought to what they mean, as Hanja (Chinese characters with Korean sounds) is not being taught anymore. But back then, meaningful names were important. Sino-Korean names became a norm in Joseon times because they thought a child’s name could be their paved destiny when they grow up. So the parents have to choose a child’s name carefully.

Now, depending on how a name is written in Hanja, a name’s meaning could have different roots, so it can be difficult to trace. So I tracked down their basest origins of each character in a name. You may feel free to correct me if I am wrong in any of the meanings

1. Yoon Seungho

= governor, bright successor

This made me think that the Yoon father initially had high hopes for his firstborn, given the meaning of his name. And it’s true that Seungho is bright, perceptive, and intelligent. Father Yoon probably thought Seungho would be the shining pearl of the family when he was born, but his hopes got crushed when he found out about his sodomizing and philandering son.

2. Baek Na-Kyum

= white, delightful youth

The most difficult name to trace, imo. At first, I found that ‘baek’ has two main meanings, ‘white’ and ‘sea foam’. Curiously enough, it made me wonder why. And I have two (probably most likely) farfetched theories. 1) the word ‘white’ could be interpreted as ‘blank’, based on his origins, or it could be interpreted as ‘blank canvas’, due to his ability to paint. 2) (the more farfetched one) the term ‘sea foam’ made me think of the Little Mermaid’s origin story, wherein the moment that the mermaid can’t kill off her true love, she became sea foam and vanished (let’s hope I’m wrong on this one).

3. Jung In-Hun

= could be a pun of “jung-in”, middle class (or righteous, “jung”); to waver (In-Hun)

A scholar remains an unrecognized scholar unless he passes the civil service exams. He is not a real noble, in a sense, unless he passes the exams. Hence, he is still a part of the middle class, someone who is below the noble class. ‘Jung’ has two meanings: ‘monk’ and ‘righteous’. I took the second meaning mainly because of his self-righteous attitude, thinking that he is always right. Now, his name, In-Hun, mainly means, ‘I waver’. This could mean that one day, his beliefs that homosexuality is reprehensible might someday waver, or in this case, it had already started to waver the day he met Seungho.

4. Yoon Seungwon

= governor, bright magistrate

Now, since we don’t have much insight on Seungwon yet since his appearance is still so little, much could be chucked to speculation and careful analysis of his actions with his brother. But given that his name means ‘magistrate’, this may mean that maybe in the future chapters, when Seungwon takes the exam (he might even meet In-Hun there), Seungwon might pass the exams to become an official. Either that, or he had already become one (given that Kim had said that the letter—Seungwon’s—came from the office of justice.

5. Lee Jihwa

= small wave, not to be touched

The surname ‘Lee’ (‘Ri’ or ‘Yi’), came from one of the most prominent royal families in Joseon. Depending on how it is written in Chinese, the meaning may become different, but the main meaning of the word is ‘ripple’ or ‘small wave’ in Korean. His name, ‘Jihwa’, is a curious thing, though. It literally means ‘touch-me-not’. It makes me think of how he had been with Seungho, that despite being touched all over, Jihwa still has his guard up, mainly because he’s using Seungho for his influence at trade.

#painter of the night #yahwacheop #potn #yahwacheop analysis #manhwa analysis

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theprocrastinatingredkitty · 4 years

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So the letter WAS from Jihwa. Also. My heart’s going to die for next week

Na-Kyum is currently alone and Kim saw the injuries on the wrist and now he wants to go to the clinic but Seungho’s away and no I’m panicking and now omg omg omg omg

#potn #yahwacheop #painter of the night #seungho x nakyum

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theprocrastinatingredkitty · 4 years

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SEUNGHO. IS THAT A CRANE ON YOUR ROBE?! A PHOENIX?! FUUUUUUUUUCK

Y’ALL KNOW THAT CRANES AND PHOENIXES ARE ONLY THOSE FOR ROYAL FAMILIES AND YANGBAN NOBLES RIGHT. RIGHT?????

I FUCKING KNEW IT. CALLED IT!

—

Edit: I see Seungho’s sweaty while in the middle of winter. What did you do to Na-Kyum this time? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) (Or maybe he just took a bath. 😂) But wait. He’s carrying someone in it. As it seems to be heavy. IT’S NAKYUM ISN’T IT. ISN’T IT???

Ahem. Now that I’ve calmed down. On to the (over)analysis.

The crane is a symbol of purity and resilience. A crane embroidered on a hanbok’s sleeves is only used by royals and the yangban class. That is, the highest nobility in Joseon dynasty—the civil servants, and the military officers. Why was it put in the short trailer, I wonder... hm.

Seeing as it was stated that many of the Yoons have given up their privileges, it doesn’t surprise me, if Seungho is of the yangban class.

But if he’s among the nobles who have given up rank, it means that he’d be demoted from yangban, to Jungin, the middle-class. Which may also explain why Seungho has worn hanbok of muted pastel colors throughout the whole series, with the exception of the deep blue, green, and the maroon hanboks that he seems to wear as an outercoat inside his house. In Korea, the brighter the hanbok, the higher your status is.

Seeing the robe here, the design seems to be... faint? Was the embroidery removed at some point? Or is that just how it is? I wonder if it was the same robe he wore at ch. 44? But it doesn’t seem to be so, as no such design was even drawn, unless it was made not to be drawn on purpose for cliffhanger reasons.

Also. The nobles are tax-exempted. The commoners paid the taxes. Of course. Seungho still seems to be well-off even if he doesn’t seem to be doing anything aside from slacking off from the looks of it. I wonder how he gets the money? He once stated to In-Hun in ch. 22 that the Yoons are now “no different from a wealthy but uncultured family of merchants”, though. In Chapter 35, however, servant Kim stated that the letter Seungho had ordered to be burned was from the Chief Justice. That’s probably Seungwon. But then Seungho stated that no one had taken up a government post his his grandfather died, right? Either Seungho just gives no fucks to Seungwon’s job that he doesn’t acknowledge him as such, or Seungho really just wants to cut off all ties from his family and forget they ever existed, idk. Clear up some things for me if it seems I’ve gone off in a tangent

#painter of the night #yahwacheop #potn #yoon seungho #manhwa analysis #overanalysis more like

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kitsunegamer · 7 years

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Chapter 20 part 2: Campfire Stories

I smile, grateful for their empathy. “Hopefully, if she’s still alive, I can help her get out of whatever situation has prevented her from contacting me.”

“I’m sure that if you stick with us, we’re bound to hear word of her during our travels. We might even find her,” Aster reassures me optimistically. “We’ll always take time to help you try to find her if we come across any information.” He looks so earnest; his heart truly seems to be in the right place.

“Thank you. I know that… all the clues from her last letter have come to dead ends. All I can do now is search for word of her as I travel.” Is there any better way to find such information? I certainly haven’t been able to find one. Travelling with Aster and the others, although certainly interesting and exciting sometimes, does seem to cover a lot of ground. I’m trying, Kyume, but you certainly haven’t made it easy for me!

“It is a noble quest,” Erwin nods again. “We will do what we can to help.”

A snuffling sound comes from off to the left. Looking over, Bearington is rubbing his paws over his face. Is he crying? Aster starts climbing to his feet. “Bearington?” he asks gently.

Bearington roughly gestures for Aster to sit back down. “Sorry, it’s just that hearing about this makes me think back to my own family. I know those things were hard for you, but,” Bearington trails off snuffling back more tears. The fur on his face is starting to stand up in wet, brown spikes. He takes another minute to pull himself back together. All of us wait in silent sympathy. “I’m sorry,” Bearington gasps around his tears. “I never really even knew my parents. If they’re still alive, I don’t know where they are. A small group of druids found me wandering around the forest alone after I’d somehow lost them. I lived with those crazy sons of bitches after that. Honestly, they really were crazy, but I loved them. Then, one day out of nowhere, a swarm of harpies attacked us.”

“That’s unusual,” Erwin murmurs.

“I don’t know what happened,” Bearington continues, his voice growing stronger and his tears stopping, at least for the moment. “I’m not sure if we wandered into their territory, but they came and attacked us. They killed all the druids of the tribe, including the people I thought of as my parents. I only made it out alive because I’ve always had an uncanny ability to hide unseen. They never even noticed me. I hid in some bushes, watching while it all happened. After they left, I went to the nearest town to find shelter and safety. I found some noble people there who took me in and taught me the ways of combat. I took it upon myself to learn everything I could so I would be able to defend myself in case anything like that ever happened again. Maybe even enact,” Bearington’s growly bass breaks again, and he turns away muttering another apology. “Just give me a minute, guys.”

Erwin rises silently to her feet and pads over to Bearington, resting one hand on his shaking shoulder. “One does not need to speak of origins which burden them with great pain,” she says gently.

“Don’t worry about me,” Bearington continues to snuffle. “I’m going to be fine.”

How horrible for Bearington! Who would have guessed such a thing could have happened to him? Just thinking about losing Kyume in such a way – the possibility nearly breaks my heart. To have lost your entire family in one fell swoop? I think of all my mothers and fathers and siblings, and I can’t imagine how painful it must have been. How painful it clearly still is.

“Perhaps we should change the subject?” I venture slowly. “Where do you come from, Erwin? Perhaps it might be a happier tale? I know practically as little about you as I did about Aster.” As I speak, Bearington moves away from the little circle we’ve formed and starts pacing along the tunnel. His ears are still cocked towards us, though, so I know he’s still listening even as disturbed as he is by his own memories. Hopefully Erwin’s story isn’t so tragic.

Aster looks at me incredulously. “Her? She’s totally Miss Stoic Samurai.”

“Have you ever bothered trying to ask her about herself?” I ask archly, shaking my head in exasperation. Personally, I disagree with Aster’s assessment. Although, yes, Erwin can be stoic, she is also willing to show emotions when she deems them appropriate. She was very compassionate just now with Bearington, and seemed sympathetic about my search for Kyume. Erwin is very restrained, as befits the station she holds in her culture, but she isn’t truly a stoic.

Aster snorts. “I’m pretty sure she hates me; I think she’d just stoic me out.”

I roll my eyes back at him. “I wouldn’t doubt the first half of that assumption.”

Darwin muffles his laughter behind a fist at this comment before saying, “Nor would you be the only person that she hates.”

Erwin tactfully ignore Darwin’s statement. Good, we don’t need to revisit the tension from earlier. I turn back to Erwin. “I’ll admit I’m curious. I’ve been traveling with all of you for nearly a month now. I’ve learned some more about them,” I gesture vaguely at the others. “Now I’d like to know more about you, if you’re willing to share.”

Erwin holds my gaze for a moment before dropping hers introspectively. Her hands find the scabbard of her sword and caress the lacquered wood absently. After another moment, she begins to speak, her voice soft and steady. “I come from a land that no longer exists. It was one of the first lands consumed by the Arlo Heint.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that,” I sigh softly. She continues with her story without glancing up. I’m not even sure if she heard me, she seems completely absorbed by the past.

“There was an attempt at the beginning to purge the lands by setting them aflame. Unfortunately, they not only lost control of the fire, but also aggravated and offended the spirits of the land who then came after the town. Much of my kin in that settlement were slain.

“My father was a samurai of our town, as was his father before him. His grandfather as well and so on for many generations. In Bermesian culture, it is traditional for the man to be the warrior and the woman to be the healer and caregiver.” Erwin glances up briefly. “Some might call it sexist, but that is the way our tribe evolved. When both my mother and father died, as well as my two brothers, there was nobody left to carry my father’s sword. I recovered this sword from my father’s dying hands and then I left to train myself in the ways of the blade.”

“How did you escape when the rest of your village was slain?” I can’t help but to ask when she pauses.

“I was not the only one to survive. A large majority of the village died, but some of us were saved. The Church came with their mages, scholars, and warriors. They fought and died for us. They made it possible for the rest of my people to flee. They brought us through a portal to Fellinor.”

Silence, broken only by the dying fire, fills the cavern as Erwin finishes. Her story is just as tragic as Bearington’s. Something in Erwin’s eyes, deep in their sapphire depths, shines with sadness, albeit one long come to terms with.

Finally, Aster just shakes his head. “For someone who self-trained with a blade, you are pretty damn good.”

“I had years of watching my father train on his own from morning to afternoon every day. Then, when I was ten and they had given up any hope of more children, my parents were blessed with my identical twin brothers. Twins are considered a great blessing in our society, thought to be a sign of great things to come. My father began training them as soon as they were big enough. I watched him train them for seven years before the Arlo Heint came. I am simply a good observer. I will never be anywhere near the warrior my father was, nor be able to compare to many of the samurai of our clan.”

Darwin nods with sympathy. “I can understand that feeling.”

“Unfortunately, because I have taken up the blade,” Erwin continues, “I am not well-met by those who do not reside within the Church. Many of the Bermesians within the Church come from my settlement and simply look the other way. More traditional Bermesians, those who have not been touched by plague and sickness and hardship, are not so understanding. That is their way, however, and I will not deny them that.”

“That’s a real shame. My clan would welcome you with open arms. We love warriors.”

Darwin’s comment succeeds in bringing a slight smile to Erwin’s lips. “Vanarans have always been very friendly people.”

“Oh, I meant the Clan Belmont themselves.” Erwin doesn’t reply to this as Bearington chooses this moment to come back and sit down with the group. The fur on his face is slowly starting to dry.

“Sorry about that, guys. I just needed to calm down a bit,” he explains.

“It seems we are all quite the sad bunch.”

“Even if we all have tragic backstories, at least we’re in good company,” I say trying to lighten the mood. Bearington gives me a wan smile at least.

“Hearing about you losing your sister made me think back to my family. I lost people dear to me twice, even if I can’t remember my real parents. It takes its toll.” Bearington shrugs in explanation of his earlier outburst.

“The world is a difficult place. It has only become harder since the disease has started running rampant.” Erwin’s words leave the Church’s involvement, good or bad, unspoken. But thinking of the Church does bring to mind something I’d been wondering about back in Fellinor. I suppose now is as good a time as any to ask. It’s not as if our conversation could get more depressing.

“On a slightly different note,” I start. “Back in Fellinor, when we were at the Church, the person we spoke to mentioned someone named Sapphire. Who is that?”

“Sapphire is a noble whose father conscripted him into the Church because he felt the boy had lived too much of a sheltered, luxurious life. Sapphire only accompanied us for a short time. He received an urgent message from his family calling him home shortly before we set out for Gylnis’s temple. I have not yet heard from any of my contacts what has transpired with him.” After explaining this, Erwin frowns thoughtfully. “Back to our original conversation, however, I can’t help but notice that Aster has not actually spoken of his family.” Of course, she’s completely right. I started out asking him about where he came from but then we ended up getting side-tracked when Aster spoke about the Church and the village they destroyed.

Aster shrugs and replies nonchalantly, “I’m fine. My family’s fine. I don’t have sad stories like all of you. My parents live in a kingdom west of here. My mother is an arch-mage and my father an arch-knight of the kingdom. That’s about all there is to it.”

Wait a second. Now I’m confused. “If your family lives in another kingdom, what was your connection to the village that the Church destroyed? Were you studying there or something?” I ask.

Aster nods. “Yeah, the village was essentially a second home. I was born with the rare ability to summon beings from other planes. After I graduated from the Academy, I decided to seek out specialized training to hone my skills. That particular town specialized in higher learning for magic academics. To be honest, I wasn’t that great of a student, though. I hate doing busy work, so I never really did a lot while I was there. I think I pissed off a lot of people because of that. Well, I know it. It was still a good place, though.”

“You pissing people off? It seems we’ve come full-circle to what you were saying earlier.” Erwin’s ironic tone isn’t lost on me, but it’s subtle enough that I’m not sure some of the others notice.

Aster shrugs helplessly, “There’s not a lot to say.”

“I suppose everybody resents someone who doesn’t have to work as hard to be good at something,” I point out. Aster just shrugs again and gives me a half-smile. He can’t deny the ring of truth in my statement. He’s smart enough not to try.

The room falls into silence once more as the conversation lulls, our breathing the only sound. Wait. The only sound? I look over to where the fire has been eating away at the bramble patch. Only embers remain now, glowing like fireflies to light our path.

“It seems as if the fire died out some time ago. Shall we continue our journey?” I suggest.

Darwin leaps eagerly to his feet. He’s more a man of action than words. Sitting around talking like this is probably not his preferred pastime. “Let’s go before we end up telling our whole life stories,” he urges.

I get up and dust myself off as the others do the same. Then I walk over to where Percy has fallen asleep, curled into a ball against one of the cavern walls. Waking him as gently as I can, I nudge one of his shoulders until he blinks up at me. Poor guy, he probably hasn’t had any decent sleep since he left the village.

“It’s time to go,” I say as I take his hand and help him up. He still seems sleep-dazed, but his eyes are clearing the sleep from them quickly. He nods, grabbing his sword.

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