#post c3e33

[big-moon-little-moon]

After Orym met Dorian he, for the first time since Will's death, felt that maybe, just maybe, someday he will be able to love this way again. But he wasn't ready and he was not done, he had to find those responsible for his family's death and make sure it wasn't for nothing, that the Tempest was safe.

And there was Dorian, wonderful, kind, sweet Dorian who just wanted to be free from his past and live his own way after he was always the second in everything, the second choice, the second son, the back up plan. Orym was not going to make Dorian feel like that ever again and right now he wasn't ready but Dorian understood that. Dorian has waited for things his whole life, he was good at waiting and knew the good things are worth waiting for.

Dorian who made Orym feel a little bit safer again, who was the first person Orym let himself get close to. Who hugged and held him at night like he wasn't held in 6 years. It was a different feeling, it was never going to be the same feeling but... it was good. It was warm. He was able to sleep again and wake up strong enough to train and work out to get better, to keep these new people safe.

Dorian who Orym has started making flowers for, just like he always has for the important people. Blue ones. Orym knew flowers and when he first made these ones, subconsciously, while absent-mindedly looking at Dorian and Fearne still asleep, he looked at them with surprise (and a bit of warmth... and a bit of pain). Blue flowers which, he knew this, are supposed to represent desire, love and striving for the unreachable. And hope. And beauty. Does Dorian know that? He said they were beautiful and he put them in his hair. Beauty and hope.

Dorian who had to leave but it was alright, they both weren't done with their past, they had stuff to take care of. And it was hard but it was fine, they had time, Orym was still in pain and Dorian didn't want to go but it was just temporary. They both knew that. It wasn't a goodbye, it was a see you later. They had time, for the first time in a long time Orym thought. They were going to see each other again. And so Orym always remembered to message Dorian and even though Dorian jokingly said to not call him everyday, he was responding within minutes every time.

Dorian who Orym missed every day and waited for him to message that he is coming back.

Dorian who was away but it's good because it meant he was safe. "Glad you're not here. Wish you were anyway".

Dorian who told him and Fearne not to die.

Dorian who Orym thought about as he was going down, just after he had thought about his husband and his father, as he failed, as he was on the ground and reached for the stone, as he didn't have time didn't have time didn't have

Dorian who felt the message come through the sending stone but there were no words, the stone buzzed, he was sure it did but it was like... static.

"...hello?"

[chiakery]

Imogen had a bad habit of not noticing that something tremendous was happening until way later.

She didn’t realise when her father’s reluctance to be near her had started. There must have been a number of situations that marked the shift in their relationship, a gradual process that caused them to fall apart but, as far as she was concerned, one day both of them were sitting side to side on the porch, scraping the horse shit from their boots after a day of work in the stables, and the very next day she was alone, stigmatised and avoided by people she had once considered friends.

It was the same with her relationship with Laudna. Imogen didn’t realise something had changed until one winter evening, months after they'd met. There wasn’t even anything particularly remarkable about that night - the snow had settled on the ground a week or two before, they'd found shelter in a barn on the outskirts of the village, their host letting them stay there after Imogen helped him with brewing herbs for his horse. It wasn’t the most pleasant or dire place they’ve stayed. The days were a string of uneventful sunrises and sunsets with bits of work and a lot of talking in between them. All that Imogen knew was that at the end of one such day Laudna had made them tea and when she crawled underneath their pile of blankets and handed Imogen one of the cups, she saw in Launda’s eyes that she would have opened her ribcage and stash Imogen inside if she knew it would keep her warm. And suddenly she realised that she was in love with Laudna too, even if she couldn’t put her finger on the moment when the fondness in her heart had morphed into something so terrifyingly beautiful.

Now it happened again, this momentary blindness or ignorance that has already stolen so many important moments from Imogen’s life and it felt like a curse and a blessing at the same time.

Is she your favourite?

This too, Imogen didn’t fully grasp until much later.

She did of course see the horror of a blade moving through the body, piercing through paper-thin skin, sliding silently between two perfect ribs; the bloom of crimson, scarlet, ruby painting the front of the dress. But the implication of this was lost to her. She didn’t see any difference between this and any of the other dozen of fights they’ve been in, and each of them had ended with both Laudna and her breathing and holding each other close.

(She knew it was different this time. The thing is, Imogen grew to be able to lie to everyone - including herself.)

[mehoymalloy]

Otohan's Perspective of the Battle at Bassuras (c3e33: "Blood and Dust")

A brief glimpse of Otohan's POV during that fateful day outside the Seat of Disdain, taken from my fic Let Me Lay Waste to Thee.

This post just got me thinking about that entire scene, so I figured why not share? (If I brag on it maybe then I won't be so tempted to rewrite the whole thing for no damn reason lol)

Otohan slumped down onto a stool in her tent, body aching from battle. She allowed herself only a moment to relax her muscles before she methodically began dressing her wounded hand. The charred skin had mostly gone numb, but flashes of pain still shot up her arm intermittently. She took a slow, deep breath, held it, then quickly tied off the bandage, releasing a quiet hiss through clenched teeth as her pained grimace twisted into a slight smile. While exhaustion had settled deep into her bones, her mind couldn't stop replaying every detail of the fight. The girl had tried everything to resist the call—she had fled, fought, and in the end, she had even bargained. Initially, Otohan had managed to knock the girl flat on her back, only for her to immediately teleport as far from Otohan as possible. Logically, it should have frustrated Otohan, but on an instinctual level, it had made her blood sing. Luring the girl back in, killing her companions one by one, watching her tenuous control grow ever weaker as she drew closer—that had been far more satisfying than any chase. When the girl finally stood before her again, that untapped power had been straining to escape her, sparks of crimson electricity arcing off her skin in a brilliant display. Toward the end, she had simply been venting her fury and frustration on Otohan, and Otohan had happily taken every ounce of power the girl had poured into her. The pain only proved she was close to a breakthrough. That last one—the woman Otohan had held aloft on her blade, taunting in the most brutal way she could imagine—had called the girl 'Imogen.' While Otohan already knew exactly who she was, the confirmation only made her prouder. Watching Imogen finally give in, watching her fall apart, was one of the most beautiful and exhilarating sights Otohan had ever witnessed. Despite the pain the girl suffered now—despite the pain she had caused Otohan—she would be better for it.

[lessthanimpressedlesbian]

The ritual failed.

Imogen has already lost her love; she can't bear to part with her most cherished possessions as well.

On her belt hangs Pâté, opposite her coin purse. She strokes his back every time she thinks of Laudna, but soon changes course to his skull when the fur starts to fall out from her constant ministrations.

Sashimi stays in the portable hole with their home, too heavy and cumbersome for Imogen to carry regularly. Though she tried for a week.

In her thigh holster are Laudna's scissors. Imogen will never use them for combat, but she can't stand the thought of having them separated from her body. For as long as she knew Laudna, the woman never went out without them attached to her belt. Imogen will gladly give up the option of a dagger if it means keeping this small part of her love with her.

A long strand of red thread has been braided around her wrist, a newer reminder of how deeply and completely Laudna loved her. Though she'll never get to see her again, Imogen holds onto hope that the thread will be enough to remind her to wake up from every nightmare, both new and old.

On a chain around her neck, tucked under her yellow bandana, lies the ring Imogen gave her. The metal hurts her lightning-scarred hands, but even still Imogen finds herself playing with the ring when she can't find the will to choke back her tears. She never got to tell Laudna how much she loved her, how desperately she wanted to use this very ring to propose a new life together.

The ritual failed.

So Imogen fashions herself into an altar for her beloved, worshipping her in death in ways she never got the chance to in unlife.

[sparring-spirals]

Going into work tomorrow like "sorry if I seem a little distracted i accidentally dealt myself extreme amounts of psychic damage by watching a bunch of adults play pretend for 2 hours and it got extremely. dicey. haha." and then ill lie facedown, right where i'm standing.

[pixel8]

Hey, quick question. What the fuck is going on? :)

[vexing-imogen]

Liam shows up next episode with his new character; Whitestone Andy’s son, Whitestone Randy

[mara-phelion]

as orym's eyes caught sight of the blade and comprehended its impact, his first instinct was not to dodge or run or yell

it was to reach for the sending stone that connects him to dorian, hoping that this time he'll get to say good bye before losing someone he loves again

[hipsters-watch-tv]

Laudna whispers to Imogen as she regains life

[jamieylnn]

i feel like there is much to be said about percy de rolo and essek thelyss right now.

percy, who created what he did. essek, who stole and gave away what he did. different, of course, while also inspired by very unique motivations--and yet both were actions that fueled conversations, plotlines, and sharp turns in their own campaigns and then having lasting effects in the campaigns that followed, too.

[strwpup]

so.

but seriously, to me that felt like a scripted death. especially with imogen exploding at the end, that felt like something that was going to happen and kill everyone, no matter what happened. otohan had both echo knight and psi warrior subclass features, AND three echoes, which is not even possible for a regular level 20 echo knight. they weren't supposed to get out of that.

so im holding on to that thought. that or dunamis fumes!

[critcatbar]

The dichotomy of man

[stardustravens]

I’m going to do a C3E33 liveblog, because this seems fun and I know how it ends…

Anyway first up Sam’s ad is unhinged for this episode.

[aldamiriel-necrococo]

God I’m casually enjoying C3 and the characters so far, I’d been a bit bummed and wishing I was more invested in the characters, I’m not feral for anyone other than Ashton. But uh. I’m thanking fuck for that on this night. Jesus.

[skeletonsloverockcandy]

Me having to recover after this episode

[sparring-spirals]

Man I keep wanting to think critically (lol) and analyze this last episode but every time I try and think about what happened I hear myself screaming like I did when Orym and Fearne went down and it’s like “oops too upsetting, try again later!”

GOD big fucking mood. Every time I start thinking deeply about the extent of it my brain makes threatening whirring noises. I've mostly been able to sideways approach the Orym and Fearne loss through the lens of other characters. Which is how I love interpreting scenes anyway, so thats fine. But yeah. yeah. :(

Anyway, as far as ~critical~ thinking and analysis go- there's SO much. But I'm also in a bit of a holding pattern, keeping in mind that there's still a lot that's unknown or in flux. So in that vein, most "analysis" I've been doing has been in reference to what specifically happened during the battle. What happens after, how folks react, who dies, who lives, who breaks- are all big ole looming question marks.

But we know for a FACT that Wow That Shit Sure Happened (in some sense) And Sucked Real Bad For Our Resident Heroes. And the tragedy of losing Orym, and Fearne, or even one and not the other- still hits hard, even if it all ends up being hypothetical. :(

sorry, tl:dr:

[image description: A little yellow bird on a branch, with its beak open in what appears to be a yell. The entire background of the photo consists of uppercase A's, giving off the impression of the bird yelling "AAAAAH". end id]