#probably my favourite ancient woman

[wolframpant]

"If only there were two of you."

Antonia the Younger in season 2 of Domina

[hard--headed--woman]

Hello and happy Pride Month everyone ! 🏳️‍🌈

As promised, I am going to talk about an important lesbian in history everyday. And this first post is about one of my favourite :

Renée Vivien !

I have seen some people talk about her here but she clearly isn’t as famous as she should be, and she deserves way more recognition!

Renée Vivien, whose birth name is Pauline Mary Tam, was a British writer poetess, who wrote her poetry (and most of her works) in french ; born in 1877, she died in 1909, at only 32 years old.

Renée was openly a lesbian, and she never tried to hide it despite the society she lived in being extremely homophobic and considering homosexuality as an illness. In her poetry, she mentions her love for women a lot, and wrote a lot of love poems for several of her lovers. This even earned her the nickname “Sappho 1900”. ("Sappho 1900, Sappho cent pour cent").

Of Sappho, she was by the way a huge fan : in 1903, she published the work "Sappho", in which the poet's Greek texts are followed by a French translation, as well as verses by Renée Vivien, which thus "completes" the remaining fragments of Sappho's writings. This collection greatly helped to anchor Sappho's work and her identity as a lesbian woman in our culture.

Her work consists of :

Twelve collections of poems, totalling more than 500 poems

Several translations of Greek poetesses (including Sappho)

Seven books of prose

Around ten novels (written under various pseudonyms)

A posthumously published collection of short Gothic tales (written in English this time)

A book about Anne Boleyn's life

It is also possible to read her diary and the letters she exchanged with her lovers, friends and other personalities of her time, including Natalie Clifford Barney, Colette, Kérimé Turkhan Pacha and others.

Pauline studied both in Paris and in London, then decided, once she came of age, to come and settle in Paris. She published her first collection,"Études et Préludes" in 1901, under the pseudonym R.Vivien. This pseudonym later became René Vivien (the male version of Renée) then Renée Vivien, the name under which she will be remembered. We can easily guess that she first chose these neutral then masculine pseudonyms to be able to write and be published despite the misogyny and homophobia of her time, especially given the themes exploited in her writings.

Sadness, death, ancient Greece, love, despair, solitude and love are the most recurrent themes in Renée's poems. There is actually a poetry prize in her name, the Prix Renée Vivien, which rewards poets whose themes and style are close to those of Renée Vivien.

Among Renée's best-known lovers is Natalie Clifford Barney, a famous writer and poet, with whom she had a relationship for several years before leaving her, tired of her infidelities. It is said that Natalie never accepted this breakup and tried until the end to get her back by all means, sending her love letters even years after.

Renée then had a relationship of more than six years with the rich Baroness Hélène de Zuylen, married and mother of two children, with whom she traveled extensively around the world and collaborated on the writing of several works (under the collective pseudonym Paule Riversdale). In a letter to her friend Jean Charles-Brun, Renée admitted that she considered herself married to Hélène.

While still living with the Baroness, she received a letter from a mysterious admirer, Kérimé Turkhan Pacha. What followed was an intense four-year epistolary relationship, interspersed with brief clandestine meetings. In 1908, however, Kérimé, the wife of a Turkish diplomat, put an end to their relationship when she had to follow her husband to St. Petersburg. This break-up probably contributed to Renée's tragic end.

The writer was in deep psychological distress, which only worsened from 1908 onwards. Alcoholic and suicidal, she began refusing to eat properly, and attempted suicide with laudanum. After this failed suicide attempt, she contracted pleurisy, which left her very weak, and then chronic gastritis due to her alcohol abuse. She gradually fell into anorexia, and, with her limbs paralyzed by multiple neuritis, she died on November 18, 1909, aged just 32. Her death was attributed to "pulmonary congestion", probably due to pneumonia complicated by alcohol and anorexia.

After her death, intellectuals, artists and newspapers, out of lesbophobia, tried to make her forgotten by the literary world, describing her as a woman of evil and damnation, perverse and cruel, going so far as to invent for her a life of crime, debauchery, orgies with married women, violence and cocaine consumption.

Today, Renée Vivien's name is no longer known to the general public, and is never mentioned alongside those of great ans famous poets such as Arthur Rimbaud or Charles Baudelaire, despite her gorgeous poetry, her immense talent and fascinating work.

She's personally my favourite, and not only because she was a lesbian. Her poetry is the most beautiful, interesting and deep poetry I have ever seen. She deserves to be as famous as Victor Hugo or Paul Eluard (and even more famous, in my opinion lol).

Here is one of her poems, with its english translation :

A link to some of her poems (in french but you can use a translator) ;

And two links with some of her poems translated into english : 1 and 2.

You should totally buy and read her books and poems, I have them and they're amazing!!! I'll post more translations of her poems in the future for those interested.

Anyway, thanks for reading and see you tomorrow for the second post!

[writing-for-life]

The Portrayal of Womanhood in A Game of You

I’ll be honest with you: Writing about The Sandman with a focus on (queer) women surely feels different in light of the recent allegations.

This meta has been languishing in my drafts for a long time, and since I’m currently clearing the pile, I will still publish it. Mostly because these views are mine and not someone else’s. And also because they’re critical to a degree. However, if you feel that these are topics that you currently find hard to engage with, this is the exit sign (I totally get it).

With that out of the road, let’s talk about the women of A Game of You (and why it was always one of my least favourite arcs, despite the fact that my literary and thematic preferences should have made it one of my favourite ones)…

Gender roles are a central theme in A Game of You. Before the arc even moves into these themes on a deeper level, we already get this:

Barbie tells Wanda that she wasn’t allowed to read comics when she was a young girl. And that immediately struck a chord with me upon my first reading as a teenager: I was allowed to read comics, but I still remember getting the side-eye, especially from boys. Somehow, you didn’t belong to their club (even if you arguably knew more about Batman than they did 🤣). The reason Barbie gives us is that reading comics supposedly rendered her “unladylike” (yes, comics were considered “boyish”, at least when I was a teenager, and this is exactly the time we’re talking about here). But it’s not just about how a girl is supposed to act—it’s also about actively excluding her from something that’s only for men/boys. And while the topic of, “What’s a girl supposed (and allowed!) to be like?” isn’t something either particularly dwell on in that moment, Wanda faces the struggle of having to define and fight for her womanhood daily: As a trans woman, she feels resistance on a constant basis. When she talks about Weirdzos from the Hyperman comics, this is actually a nod to DC’s Bizarro, who could be described as Superman’s shadow (there’s a whole story why they were called Weirdzos instead of Bizarros in The Sandman, but that’d lead too far here. You’ll probably find it on Google).

Close enough to the “real thing”, but always “slightly off”

And Wanda carries the shadow of her biology. All the time. There’s no escape for her, no respite, no true support.

We also see this in a scene with Hazel, one of Wanda's neighbours who lives in a lesbian relationship with her girlfriend Foxglove. Hazel noticed that Wanda has "a thingie." Despite the fact that a lot of “weird” things are happening in those panels, part of that is definitely that Wanda has not fully (in Hazel’s eyes) transitioned:

What is she, exactly (not who)?

And that question gets answered very painfully when Wanda, Hazel, Foxglove, and Thessaly come together to free Barbie from being trapped in the Dreaming. Thessaly is sure she can defeat the Cuckoo that holds Barbie captive. However, she needs menstrual blood to perform a ritual that will allow them to traverse the Moon Road into the Dreaming. During this process, Thessaly insensitively refers to Wanda as a man and prevents her from joining the journey with Foxglove and Hazel (and no, this isn’t about “Thessaly the TERF”—I already made my position on that clear and think that whole discussion needs a lot more nuance than fandom is often willing to engage in).

Maiden, Mother and Crone

Thessaly's statement, "This isn’t your route. It can’t be," further highlights the discrimination Wanda faces on a daily basis. She “isn’t” seen as a woman now, and she “can’t” ever be, even if she had reassignment surgery—Wanda would still be seen as a man by the ancient powers that be.

Wanda's struggle, more than any other character's, highlights the ongoing conflict between self-identity and societal perception of women. And that’s unfortunately still a struggle most women face. But Wanda’s character is particularly poignant because she is repeatedly forced to reaffirm her sense of self, only to be torn down again and again. Even Barbie, who always supports her and would probably never knowingly hurt her, says this when Wanda reveals her childhood name:

“Alvin? That's your real name?"

Please imagine what it must feel like if even the ones closest to you refer to your dead name as your “real” name, even if it’s without malicious intent (of course Barbie makes good on that later, but…).

Wanda can never truly find comfort in anyone. She is constantly confronted with the disparity between her self-perception and how the world views her. Ultimately, Wanda's exclusion from entering the Dreaming (and there’s more symbolism in that than you can shake a stick at—not just because she’s denied her womanhood, but also because she is denied entering a place of hope and possibility, and not least because she is denied being capable and having agency: Thessaly repeatedly acknowledges Wanda is important, and that she needs her help. But that’s on her terms, not Wanda’s) leads to her tragic death: The storm caused by drawing down the moon destroys the apartment where Wanda remains to watch over Barbie’s body.

And that’s why Wanda’s arc in the comics will always stay problematic to me (I don’t know how optimistic I can be for the TV series, because we’ve already seen her headstone in BTS shots, even if her overall arc seems to have changed): Dream grants Barbie a boon, which she uses to save the women in the Dreaming, but Wanda is not among them. There is no saving her—not in this world, not in any other.

Wanda's conservative parents bury her with her deadname Alvin Mann (and her second name adds insult to injury, because it is the German spelling of “man”, as in “male”. And again, I’m somewhat glad they have changed this for the series, as seen on said headstone, because I never got why choosing that name was necessary in the first place. Or let’s say: I get it, but I don’t think it was needed and was layered on too thick. Sometimes subtle does it, sorry).

Why is Wanda so consistently shamed, while Hazel and Foxglove's lesbian relationship is regarded not a big deal (I’m obviously not insinuating it should be, see my disclaimer at the bottom of this post)? Although I have to admit there are things about that one that always rubbed me up the wrong way, too: The dumbing down of Hazel (honestly, most of us were not that clueless about reproduction in the 80s and 90s, lesbians or otherwise), the play on butch/femme stereotypes to then clumsily try to turn them on their heads (which did not work for me), the still somewhat male gaze applied to Foxglove (she didn’t have to sleep naked with her tits on display, did she?), the implication that all women somehow end up as mothers (if they don’t end up dead), even if just “accidentally”… There’s a whole lot to be said about the topic of motherhood, and how it gets instrumentalised in several Sandman arcs, but maybe that’s for another time...

To explore that question, I want to have a closer look at Barbie, who is a (in my view, often clumsy) stand-in for the gender-identity of many (CIS) women.

A quick throwback to The Doll’s House

The first signs of Barbie's identity crisis don't appear in A Game of You, but rather in The Doll's House. She is introduced as one half of “Ken-Barbie”: They finish each other's sentences, Barbie lacks a distinct personality and is completely overshadowed by being a “traditional wife” (maybe not the type of trad wife we think about today, and yet…). The fact that she and Ken share names with plastic dolls underscores the artificial nature of their identities and their relationship.

Barbie's dream-life always felt more authentic and meaningful to her than her waking reality—that’s why she is only a shell of herself when she can’t dream (after the vortex interlude with Rose Walker). She is passive, conforms to her father's expectations of being "ladylike" and adheres to “good” CIS- and heteronormative behaviour. And then, after her divorce, she feels uprooted, shows little motivation and relies on Wanda for support. Freeing herself from her shackles could have been a story of reclaiming her power without the layer of implied loneliness (I’ll get to that). Instead, she needs to suffer for a bit…

Barbie being trapped in her dream world also traps her in a state of passivity: Dreams are not real. You can make them real, but that’s not what she does—they are a maladjusted escape for her. And yet (or maybe rather “because”), instead of directly confronting and fighting the Cuckoo, Barbie smashes the Porpentine (much to the Cuckoo's delight).

Upon waking…

Upon waking, Barbie's personality hasn't changed much from the woman we first met. When she goes to Wanda’s funeral, she struggles to defend Wanda from her transphobic aunt despite trying.

However, she engages in a small but significant act of rebellion by crossing out "Alvin" on Wanda's headstone with her favourite lipstick and writes her real name instead.

Barbie then recalls a dream she had while traveling to Wanda's funeral. In this dream, she sees Wanda not as she was in life, but as an idealised version of herself—soft, more curved, and wearing a pink dress. Death stands beside Wanda, symbolising that she is recognised for who she truly is.

And I get it: The idea was to say, “She was always a woman, even to the cosmic powers that be. Eat that, Thessaly and everyone else.” But there’s also the part of me that wants to say, “You know what? She was good the way she was. Perfect in her imperfection. We didn’t need to affirm her womanhood by showing her as a stereotypical woman.” The use of “perfect” and “drop-dead gorgeous” always really rubbed me up the wrong way in relation to the way she was portrayed in that panel. Because it portrays a stereotypical woman: That’s what you look like if you need to/want to pass. And this applies, sadly enough, to all women in one way or another, no matter what gender we were assigned at birth. But if that scene holds meaning to people, I also get it. My more critical take on it is maybe down to my own history (again: disclaimer at the bottom of this post).

Simultaneously, the destruction of the Land in the Dreaming grants Barbie a newfound independence. She is now alone, without her best friend or the friends of her dreams, but these losses have given her freedom. And for a moment, loneliness becomes the ultimate resolution to Barbie's identity conflict. And I found that idea horrible, I’ll be brutally honest with you:

On the final page of A Game of You, Barbie is shown alone, waiting for a bus to an unknown destination. She reflects on her dream of Wanda, where she had the chance to say goodbye to her past life. For a moment, she stands rigidly still, and that moment feels… really long? Separated from her past and facing an uncertain future, she is free from anyone's expectations or desires. And maybe, in that simplicity, she finds freedom.

And maybe, A Game of You challenges the idea that we have full control over our identities. Our self-perception and how others perceive us are always influenced by external factors. And somewhat, I could never quite shake the feeling the story equates the removal of the ties that bind us (in this case: relationships) and/or death with freedom: Wanda only fully realises her identity in death, and Barbie feels most liberated when she is free from past entanglements and future obligations. Whether that notion is truly rejected in the end is probably down to the reader: Barbie turns and runs towards her bus, heading into a future that, while uncertain, maybe also holds a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately, none of the women of The Sandman get off particularly well in that department, and that is a common theme…

Disclaimer: I write this as a CIS bisexual woman in her 40s who has been in relationships with both women and men for 30+ years. Two of them led to marriage/civil partnership: One with a CIS woman, also bi (we were together for 10 years, 3 of them in a CP), one with my now husband (CIS straight man, married for 10 years, together longer, and we have a kid together). I don’t need to tell you this, but I am because I think it is important to disclose my own bias and experiences as a queer woman in the 90s, which include coming out, experiencing bi-erasure and misogyny from both inside and outside the LGBTQ+ community. As such, they will definitely colour the way I read and interpret A Game of You.

[jime777]

For day one, I chose to draw “a missing scene” from the games! Micaiah and Soren supports that would very probably have existed if there were supports in Radiant Dawn <3

Both Micaiah and Soren are my favourite characters from the duology, the fact they have so much in common and it's left unexplored is a little sad. They had so much potential!

During the RD epilogue, we learn that the two of them were supposed to be the rulers of their respective countries, Soren being the crown prince to Daein (and a prince of Goldoa as well) and Micaiah, the future empress of Begnion.

Not only that, but they also descend from two of the legendary heroes that fought Yune during the Great Flood and defeated her; Dheginsea and Altina. And they are the ones that more than 1000 years later join her instead to stop Ashera.

But for different reasons, they end up growing up far from court. Though they both are raised by a woman early in their lives, the treatment they receive differs greatly and doesn't impact them in the same way. The motive for this being they are “one of the Branded”, laguz and beorc blood alike flow through their veins, granting them special powers and marking their body with a “brand”. Plus, Micaiah and Soren´s laguz side come from herons and (black) dragons, the laguz who live the longest amount of time.

Micaiah´s “mother” raised her more or less as anyone would raise a kid, but she led a reclusive life to keep her safe. She explained what her heritage means too, telling Micaiah that she should hide it to be safe.

Soren´s caretaker was disgusted by him and displayed a very abusive behaviour towards him, going so far as to sell him to an old mage who mistook him for a spirit´s charmer. This led to Soren not realising what he truly was until he was 19 years old!

Growing up, both of them had one person, specifically a beorc, that they trust with their secret and their life. I personally think that Micaiah and Sothe´s base conversation is a little of a parallel to Ike and Soren´s A support in Path of Radiance.

Micaiah: Yes, I’m sure of that. Muarim seems very trustworthy. But, what about everyone else? What would they think if they knew all of my abilities came from the mixed blood running through my veins? Blood they consider cursed!

Sothe: Micaiah, stop…

Micaiah: Right now, when they look at me, they have love and affection in their eyes, but would they look at me the same way if they knew? I don’t want to find out, Sothe. I don’t think I could bear the truth.

Sothe and Micaiah base conversation in chapter 8

Soren: It’s a cross between a beorc and a laguz. Such a taboo union violates every teaching of the goddess. And of society. We are untouchables. Abominations. Condemned to a life of hatred and shunning from both races.

Ike: Wait, wait. Hold it a second. Let me make sure that I follow you… You’re part laguz?

Soren: Yeah. This mark on my forehead is the proof. I learned about it while researching ancient books at the Mainal Cathedral. I always thought it was a birthmark. Others thought that it was the mark of a Spirit Charmer.

Ike: What’s a Spirit Charmer?

Soren: Magic comes from interaction with spirits. If you let one into your body, it will give you tremendous power…for a price. That’s why the old sage was so interested in me. He thought I had struck such a deal. But instead, I was just a filthy Branded.

Ike: All right. I understand. So?

Soren: …What do you mean, “so?”

Ike: So, you have laguz blood in your veins. So, you have a mark to prove it. So… What’s the problem?

Soren: What’s the problem…? Don’t you find me repugnant!? I work beside you, eat beside you. I’m nothing! I don’t belong anywhere! Doesn’t that sicken you?

Ike and Soren´s A support in Path of Radiance

Micaiah and Soren have very similar thoughts about what it means to be Branded and how others perceive them, though Soren´s tend to be much darker especially in PoR due to his childhood.

The distinction is that, while Soren has already met two other branded characters (Stefan, and Petrine if you make them fight during chapter 23 of PoR), Micaiah still hasn't met anyone she can relate to.

This is the reason she is so moved after encountering Soren for the first time, and why she is more upset to be forced to fight him than the others.

Soren: …Ah, that explains quite a bit about the stories that surround you.

Micaiah: Who are you? You’re… You’re just like me!

Soren: Yes, they call our kind the Branded. As the years pass, I understand better and better how others see us.

Micaiah: You are so… cold. It’s like you’re cloaked in frost. Is there even blood in your veins?

Soren: There is. Blood very similar to yours, in fact. Blood that teaches us what it means to be rejected and alone.

Micaiah: Your heart is frozen, but I feel a warm core trying to melt through that ice. I see… You have someone you cherish very much. Someone you rely on.

Soren: Do not presume to understand me, you ridiculous girl. You have no idea who I am and what I can do. None at all. Daein has no business in this war. I will defeat you swiftly and send you and your army back to Daein.

Micaiah: I finally meet my own kind, and he is an enemy…… I will not retreat. I won’t let you go any further!

Micaiah and Soren battle dialogue during Part 3 - Chapter 7 of Radiant Dawn

Micaiah is also the first person Soren tells he is Branded out of his own volition after Ike. Having passed 3 years since then, he feels more confident about it. And knowing she is the same as he, he's not scared anymore. In this scene, Micaiah openly uses her power to read his heart too, the power that comes from her mixed blood and that he has as well.

Not many people know this since this conversation is actually impossible (in my experience) to get in game, but they have another dialogue if you make them fight during Part 3 - Chapter 13!

Soren: Our last battle, in the valley. Was that your strategy?

Micaiah: …

Soren: That was impressive. You killed thousands of beorc soldiers with your little ambush. Well done.

Micaiah: I…

Soren: The Maiden of Dawn… What are you? One of the Branded, that’s for sure. But there is something else about you… Power. Yes, I can feel it in you. You possess great power.

Micaiah: Yes, and you would know. There’s something very different about you, too. Your energy feels so…ancient. You and I seem to have so much in common.

Soren: That doesn’t matter in the slightest. The only thing that does matter is that you are a dangerous adversary. You are also in Ike’s path, so it falls to me to remove you. It’s almost a shame. Farewell, Maiden of Dawn.

Micaiah: So, you fight for someone, as well. So very much alike… But I will defeat you. I will protect the ones I love!

Micaiah and Soren battle dialogue during Part 3 - Chapter 13 of Radiant Dawn

This one is even more surprising, Soren is PRAISING someone! Micaiah brings up how much alike they are and actually hints to Soren´s heritage with that “ancient energy” meaning dragon blood. They both are able to feel the other is not only Branded, but that there is something deeper.

This interaction also shows a slightly softer Soren with him regretting having to kill her, be it for how capable she is or the secret they share.

They have one more interaction during the RD Voice Drama that took place in the 2019 FE Expo, but it is more of a funny moment intended to be comedy than actually exploring them. It always takes me out though!

Micaiah: Around this arm, it will grow thicker and stronger.

Ike: Ah, no, please don't touch-

Soren: Wait right there. You don't need to touch his arm to do your fortune-telling.

Micaiah: Eh? You have some deep scratches right here...

Ike: Ah, come to think about it, just now...

Micaiah: Please do not move. I will heal it.

Ike: Eh?

Micaiah: Get healed-

Soren: Step away from Ike.

Micaiah and Ike: Ah?!

Soren: No healing allowed from amateurs. Hmm, that's right. Tell MY fortune.

Micaiah: Oh, um, okay. Then, your hand, please. Huh? You... You are... The same as me!?

Soren: Huh? What are you say-

Sothe: Micaiah!

Soren and Micaiah during the Voice Drama stage (“Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn Voice Drama Converging Radiance and Dawn: An Interlude Tale” Eng subbed in YouTube by “Fudgenuggets”)

This is placed somewhere between PoR and RD, just when she is about to read Soren´s future she realises he is Branded as well and is shocked by it, which results in Sothe escaping with her and not developing it further.

During the Tellius CD Drama that takes place in Part 3 - Chapter 7, they appear in the same scene but sadly they do not interact.

Now, going back to what I started with, the way they approach learning about their past and their family is vastly different too.

Micaiah on one hand, as can be seen in the epilogue, seeks a relationship with her little sister, Sanaki, and wishes to have a talk with Sephiran as well during endgame.

Soren on the other hand is hinted to understand that the “random lady” who asked for his name is his mother (Almedha <3, I could talk about her for hours too), but even then he completely ignores it and treats her as he would treat any other person. And then, leaves Tellius with no intention to come back. With how smart he is, he probably connected the dots to when he felt so uncomfortable in Goldoa back in PoR.

“As far as Soren was concerned, his past as the prince of Daein among other things was not really of any interest - because he had forged and travelled his own path.”

Soren´s profile in Tellius II recollection book (Translated by “Kantopia”)

Fits his character a lot, and makes me feel SO proud of how far he has come!

Although Micaiah had the same idea as him, she ends up deciding to stay on Tellius and becomes the new queen of Daein instead.

Ike: You mean the blood of the laguz?

Micaiah: So you knew. Did you find out from the boy who’s always beside you?

Ike: Soren. Yeah. I guess you both know how to recognize people with a similar nature.

Micaiah: Yes. He and I are both Branded.

Ike: …Don’t use that word. You and Soren are both people. Just like me and everyone else.

Micaiah: People. You’re just like Yune. You call both laguz and beorc people.

Ike: Why should I care about the colour of your hair, eyes, and skin? Or your ears, wings, or tail? No matter how long you live or what powers you possess, we’re the same. At the end of the day, we’re all people.

Micaiah: … Sothe talks that way, too. His time with you changed him. Thank you, Ike. I’ve made up my mind.

Ike: About what? I didn’t realise we were doing anything but talking.

Micaiah: I thought I might travel to a far-off place after all of this was over. But I won’t. I’ll go back to Daein. No matter what happens, I’ll have Sothe by my side. I have nothing to fear as long as he’s with me.

Micaiah and Ike base conversation in Endgame - 3

And in this base conversation, she mentions Soren too!

It is definitely a shame that Radiant Dawn was rushed in the end and they did not have enough time to implement all that was planned. The Branded are barely talked about in PoR, and though expanded much more on during RD, I always think there was much more going on with them.

Writing this was something I had always wanted to do and very much enjoyed. Hope it makes people more curious about the similarities between these two!

[ratticus-the-emperor]

so i’ve been thinking a lot lately (shocker, i know, i wish it’d give me a salary), and the more i think about greek myths the more i think about the secret history. it was an excruciatingly long read, even though it was very good, but it ever quite left my mind. especially after i saw a theory one goodreads reviewer put out. i would write a long and convoluted essay, but rather than adhd, i am utterly incapacitated by thinking and hunger. (i haven’t had dinner yet, but moving on)

fret not, although i’m sure there was no one fretting to begin with, i texted a friends series of incredibly messy paragraphs regarding my thoughts. (but they’re extremely simplified here because i was thinking too much)

should i have organized this? yes, but that’s besides the point because we then had a discussion about camilla and how their point of view would be the most accurate to the truth — at least in regards to the death of the farmer. though i’m of the firm belief that the farmer was killed by a mountain lion, which is a panther and the panther is one of dionysus’ sacred animals. i would expand more on what the significance of that is, since a panther attacking them while they were having a bacchanal is incredibly significant, but i only just had this thought now. maybe it was a sign that they were incredibly in over their heads as dumb children doing things they didn’t quite understand, apparently their ancient greek wasn’t as good as they thought either.

anyway, camilla. specifically camilla and her relationship with the rest of the greek class, the two most significant being henry and charles. this rambling would be more focused on what she had with henry, but it’s worth noting that the abuse between her and charles was likely mutual, because after all, something had to make charles act like that. they were all each other had and camilla was using him just as much as he was using her. they were co-dependent. and camilla using people in a running theme as i believe camilla was also only using henry.

there’s reason to believe that camilla hated her life. she hated what’s become of her and charles, she hates her situation and the fact that at the end of it all, she had to go back to take care of her grandmother. she’s privileged but the death of her and charles’ parents probably did a number on her, and not to mention there’s a lot of stuff behind the scenes we don’t know about (everybody say thanks, richard). moving on with that thought in mind, it’s fair to suggest that she was using henry to escape it all. he was rich, intelligent, and had all the means to take care of her — not intelligent enough though, he’s whimsical enough to manipulate. and it all worked until it didn’t. when she thought richard was rich, she was leading him on too and this would explain why she wouldn’t take him in the epilogue. her plan of escape failed. she underestimated how unstable henry was and he’s dead, funnily enough charles was the one who ran away from home and her to be with a married woman and ended up happy (at least that’s what he says), and camilla is left all alone to take care of their grandmother. which is ironic, because everyone “loved” her. and that’s in quotes for a reason. i also don’t believe henry genuinely loved her but that thought has yet to be fully realized, just know that it’s there and i’m going to ramble about it in the future.

that being said, i’m still not over my jumbled thoughts regarding our favourite sun god. i’m very fond of him but can’t quite articulate why, which is why i impulsively ordered another copy of edith hamilton’s mythologies. he can’t just be a footnote, he deserves his own post of nonsensical ramblings.

[anima-nostrae]

An ardent defence of Galadriel: pt II

(at last honestly)

Episode 2&3: Inn Uncharted Waters

We have established Galadriel as a character in Chapter 1; where we stated that she is a hellishly motivated, unprecedentedly headstrong female protagonist, that also happens to have a great deal of baggage that makes her a bit too motivated.

Up to this point she has shown that particular personality and qualities in environments she’s familiar with (various journeys to hunt Sauron and then the conversations about him back at home, which to her are probably just short intervals in-between hunting the guy) are all something she’s painfully intimate with. Being stranded on deep dark sea without the “I actually happen to be an ancient Elf-woman that is also a great Commander of the Northern Armies” shtick in a country that happens to be frightfully untrusting of the elves is, on the other hand, absolutely not.

Side note: If you’re better-versed in the whole storytelling thing, you might recognise this move. In the bit more advanced versions of the “hero’s journey” formula, the very first step of it entails plucking our character out of their ordinary world, and plunging them into the middle of uncharted waters (no pun intended). When it comes to flawed characters, such us our lovely lady Galadriel, this works on the psychological level as well. Seeing how various vices of our protagonists are maintained in their lives, how their environment makes them grip onto their misbeliefs even tighter, makes us understand how these faults have been maintained for so long. Putting the same characters in new surroundings, that might not necessarily uplift them with all their blemishes, forces them to look inward - sooner or later.

The problem with all episodes forward is that they include our favourite boy Sauro- HALBRAND, obviously, and the sheer plurality of their scenes makes her sole analysis troublesome. My general rule for this is: I am not gonna analyse Sauron UNLESS it is absolutely unavoidable to understand Galadriel. I also wonder how many times I am going to break this rule. Oh well.

(The full analysis here:

[the-lincyclopedia]

Reading tag game! Tagged by @newtsoftheworldunite (thanks for the tag, love). Tagging @jonsaremembers, @polestarneighbor, @cricketnationrise, and anyone else who wants to play!

Last book I read: A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall. I loved it SO much. It's about a trans woman who is presumed dead in the Napoleonic Wars and takes the opportunity to start living as herself, and now she's meeting her childhood best friend for the first time since they got separated in battle two years ago. He doesn't know she's transitioned, and he's wracked by guilt about her supposed death. The queer rep and disability rep really resonated with me, and Alexis Hall's romances have a tendency to be exactly what I want.

Book I recommend: The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. Truly the series of all time. The layers! I have so much trouble explaining to people what it's about, but here goes: it's classified as YA fantasy, but it's pushing the bounds of both YA and fantasy. The main character starts out as a teenager but is very much an adult for most of the series. It's secondary world, but the fantasy elements come in the form of interventions from the gods, not spell-casting. Anyway, some of the books have quest vibes while others are more about court politics and intrigue, but what I love most is how much the characters come to love each other, and also how many well-set-up twists there are.

Book I couldn't put down: I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston! I got super burnt out on reading by overworking myself in school, and it took like four years to get back to the point where I could read for more than about 20 pages at once, and the book that finally broke through for me was I Kissed Shara Wheeler. It's a delightfully queer YA romance with an extremely well-developed ensemble cast, and it earns its ending in a way I really hadn't expected. Plus, this is probably the smartest, most hardworking cast of high schoolers I've seen in a YA book, and that made me feel very seen.

Book I've read twice: I'm gonna say King of Shadows by Susan Cooper, which I've actually read more like seven or eight times. It's about a child actor in 1999 who's acting at the reconstructed Globe Theatre in London and gets yanked back in time 400 years to act with Shakespeare at the original Globe in 1599. It was my introduction to Shakespeare when I read it for the first time at age 12, and I read A Midsummer Night's Dream by myself because of it. The book has a lot to say about parental-type relationships between adults and kids, as well as about grief and healing. I love it a lot.

A book on my TBR: When Women Ruled the World by Kara Cooney. It's about the female pharoahs of ancient Egypt, and I got it when an ancient Egypt exhibit came to my local art museum several years ago, and I still haven't read it. The topic is particularly interesting to me because I played one of those female pharoahs, Hatshepsut, in a play my best friend wrote in sixth grade. I'm hoping to read it in the next few weeks.

A book I have put down: Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall. As I mentioned, Alexis Hall's romances often really hook me! But this one started with Rosaline lying about basically her entire life to one of the love interests, and it was heading toward a love triangle, so I DNFed about 30 pages in. I was really glad I got it from the library and didn't buy it.

A book on my wish list: I'm honestly trying to get rid of some books because I'm about to move! I wasn't a big book buyer until a couple years ago, anyway, and I'm not sure I like that I've become more likely to buy books recently. I want to get back into a library habit.

A favourite book from childhood: I loved the Dear America series in late elementary/early middle school and read basically nothing else for my entire fifth grade year. I honestly still think about those books almost every day, and there are lines I can still quote from memory. My favorite is probably Where Have All the Flowers Gone? The Diary of Molly MacKenzie Flaherty, Boston, Massachusetts, 1968. It's about a teenage girl whose brother is serving in Vietnam, and it has a companion book in the My Name Is America series (the series with boys' fictional diaries) from her brother's perspective.

A book I would give a friend: The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. Pratchett is popular for a reason, and I loved starting my Discworld adventures with the Tiffany Aching series. Tiffany is only nine years old in the first book, and she is so much like I remember being at that age, angry and underestimated and clever and determined. I love watching her grow up, but I love where she starts, too.

A book of poetry or lyrics I own: I own very little poetry, and I don't really read it, but I do own a collection of Shakespeare's sonnets that my partner gave me, which is good because I'm trying to write more sonnets about my partner than Shakespeare wrote, total.

A non-fiction book I own: Lingo by Gaston Dorren. It's a collection of essays about 60 European languages, one essay per language. I used to fancy myself a linguist, and I had a great time learning about a whole bunch of languages in bite-sized chunks from this book.

Currently reading: The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray. I'm a sucker for classic lit spinoffs, and so far I'm enjoying the way the author is basically rolling around in Austen's work in sheer giddiness.

Planning on reading next: Probably When Women Ruled the World, mentioned above, but after that, maybe The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes by Leonard Goldberg. As I said: classic lit spinoffs.

[joys-of-everyday]

Love Confession

I love Shen Jiu. He is literally my favourite character. Maybe not ever, but up there.

To SJ, I dedicate this rabbit hole of takes. (And omg this ballooned into a monster)

Take 1: He’s a scum villain.  

Take 2: He’s an abused, misunderstood soul who didn’t actual do most of the things he supposedly did. The Qius are the actual villains and taking vengeance was his right.  

Take 3: Yes, his past was pretty bad and sure he didn’t do all of the things he supposedly did, but that doesn’t excuse his bad behaviour (he canonically, explicitly, very brutally abused a child) and ultimately, he’s still a villain. The massacre in the Qiu manor was excessively violent, and probably harmed a lot of innocent people.   

Take 4: His actions and behaviour have to be taken in the context of the time. He lived in a world where violence and death were common, corporal punishment was acceptable, and subjected to violence from childhood. Judging him by modern standards is wrong. Also he was manipulated by Wu Yanzi.

Take 5: He still abused a child, not just physically but emotionally, alienated him from his peers, purposefully stunted his progress, with strong implication that he just wanted to crush LBH because he was jealous AND that he had done this to other kids. That’s pretty bad. Even YQY knew this was Not Okay. He just didn’t do anything about it. Despite being manipulated by Wu Yanzi, we see that a lot of the bad things he did, he did entirely by his own volition.

Take 6: But look at his face! How can you hate anyone with a face like that? (#PrettyPrivledgesAreReal)

Take 7: Firstly, there are two questions to be asked here. How do we judge Shen Jiu ‘in world’? How do we judge Shen Jiu as an 21st century reader?

To illustrate the difference, if LQG stabbed a serial killer in the world of SVSSS he would probably get a pat on the back for his hard work. If he did that in London today, he would be arrested for murder. We have different standards nowadays. But both questions are important, because I think most people would agree that just because society thinks it’s okay, that doesn’t make it okay in some broader sense. (Without going too deep into the theory of morality.) (Note this is a very serious question people argue about irl, so a discussion on SVSSS definitely isn’t going to cover it. E.g. how do you judge influential historical figures that had connections to the slave trade?)

1) In world.

There’s not much we know about the ethics of the SVSSS world, but let’s say it’s roughly 'ancient China' (sorry, condensing a few thousand years into one here). The unfortunate predicament was that the magnitude of your crime depended on your class. (And I understand that we do a lot of ‘oh look how backwards ancient China was’ in this fandom but Europe was atrocious too. Equality is a fairly modern take.) I think (and I’m not an expert so definitely call me out if I’m wrong but ew I just skimmed Slavery in Medieval China (Chapter 11) - The Cambridge World History of Slavery and damn life was tough) QJL beating a 12 yr old SJ would be sort of morally sus, but not like… earth-shatteringly terrible. SJ stabbing him in the stomach? Heinous crime. Now SJ abusing LBH is slightly worse because LBH is a disciple not a slave, but again not an earth-shattering crime – a stain on his reputation, but nothing on the level of the Qiu massacre. YQY could probably get away with not stepping in.

But also note, the application of the law and the views of the common people were two very different things. A layperson would probably have found the behaviour as disgusting as we do, if portrayals of villains in contemporary romances are anything to go by. (really random, but in the Romance of the Sui and Tang (written in 1695) I vaguely remember one of the heroes comes across a young man beating a woman on the street, accidently kills him, realises he’s a young lord, and has to run off because he’s about to be arrested. It’s meant to be satirical, I think)

On a more holistic level, SJ has a series of ‘character faults’ – promiscuity (arguably), disrespect of superiors etc. – which would have been judged more harshly than we might judge them now. (Being a dick to your boss is not really seen as a moral failing nowadays, although it may or may not class you as an asshole.)

2) As a modern reader

Again, lets split the question in two. There are roughly two stages to SJ’s life: before entering Cang Qiong, and after.

For before, we have the massacre of the Qiu manor, as well as various crimes under Wu Yanzi’s tutelage. (and note, ‘it was for vengeance’ will not get you out of prison these days, whether you agree with that or not (and yes, you can disagree. The law isn’t what is right, the law should be what we aim to make what is right)). There’s a reason there is a separate justice system for adolescents and adults – for one, we appreciate nowadays that adolescents are so heavily influenced by their environment that judging them by the same standards as adults is wrong. Giving Shen Jiu’s upbringing, I am going to tentatively put aside all of the things he has done in this stage of his life.  

Now the primary failing of SJ’s character that we see during his time as peak lord is obviously LBH’s treatment, which by any modern standards would be a hideous, headline-worthy, prison-sentencing crime. And a bad childhood really doesn’t excuse that. Plenty of people have bad childhoods and end up fine.

On the other hand, many people have bad childhoods… and end up with bad adulthoods. Childhood trauma is linked to adulthood crime. Poverty is also another factor. There exists one (1) study which suggests a correlation between sexual abuse in males and becoming a perpetrator (please read with a very large dollop of salt. Abused becoming abusers is not as common as believed. See: The Myth Of The Abused Becoming Abusers | Defend Innocence. The issue is sensitive and complicated.) (Also I’m not going to argue whether SJ was sexually abused or not – that’s a whole other post. (which probably won't happen)) There is a serious question to be asked as to what level of personal responsibility can be taken by someone whose life shows a pattern of crime. Again, a very relevant real-life question people have argued about extensively for a very long time (e.g. reform vs punishment of criminals).

SJ’s life has been systematically stacked against him. His childhood taught him that having power excuses terrible behaviour. In adulthood, we see YQY systematically failing to teach him any better (and no shade on YQY – he had it pretty tough as well). Nobody shows any kind of deep understanding of his situation and his anxieties, because he is unable to communicate them without ruining his reputation (remember, slaves had few rights). We see his misbeliefs throughout the extra chapters – he is a bad person (for having natural responses to shitty situations), it is shameful for him to seek support and validation (toxic masculinity being harmful to men!), it’s better to be misunderstood than to be judged as weak. SQH suggests that after LQG’s death, SJ fully had a mental breakdown.

Trauma and mental health problems ruin people. (And btw, the stereotype that people with mental health problems are dangerous is extremely harmful.) That being said, being depressed can make you a pretty nasty person to the people around you. And I don’t just mean asking more of people sometimes, I mean the full-blown ‘knowing exactly what will hurt someone and doing it, out of spite’ kind of nasty. It’s a scary place to be in, that is extremely difficult to overcome without dedicated help. (And there’s strong evidence to suggest that adverse childhood experiences strongly correlate to health problems, e.g. mental health problems in later life. See the ACE studies.)

I think the question of how we judge SJ is so complicated, not least because we don’t actually know that much about him, but more so because actually what we’re all debating back and forth is a Very Hard Question. How do you judge someone like Nicky Cruz, gang member turned Christian Evangelist? Or even harder questions – if certain minority groups are statistically more likely to commit crimes, how do you deal with that? Sure, people who cause harm to others should be punished accordingly, but labelling them a villain and chucking them into prison causes mass injustice.

SJ is not a shining symbol of breaking class barriers. As an individual, he’s still a shitty person who did some shitty things. YQY is much better - he's a slave who became a sect leader and doesn't do much (much) wrong. But I think SJ does demonstrate that a better society for everyone (including SJ) leads to a better society for everyone (including LBH).  

To ask other questions: Okay, LBH’s revenge was definitely excessive (I'm sorry but they got rid of torture as a punishment in the Han dynasty, okay. It's really not a good way to deal with things. Edit: they did not, but they stopped cutting off noses?) But what would have been an appropriate punishment? Could SJ, given the right circumstances, have found redemption? Was there a better path he could have walked?

Finally, a note on being a Bad Person vs being an asshole. Being rude is not nice. But it is not a crime either. Someone can be dislikeable and not really do anything wrong. I think confounding the issue is that SJ is both a Bad Person AND an asshole (in the most loving way possible). The former makes us want to call out aspects of the latter (oh look how he fought with LQG) (and yes, it’s explicit that it was usually SJ provoking him. Edit: it is not, see discussions below), but the latter is not a moral failing.

For example, had SJ not killed anyone, nor abused LBH, then he could probably get away with being an acerbic but maybe lovable figure. You can agree or disagree whether you want to be friends with him, but you probably wouldn’t complain about his existence. If he committed all of his crimes but was a wonderful person to chat with… he would be a JGY, and that’s a whole other can of worms.

Anyway, thank you for sticking with this monstrosity written far later in the night than is healthy. I would love to hear criticism/other takes!

[ankoku-teion]

I’m one of your mutuals, I voted on the poll, so it’s slightly unfair that I get a second vote. That being said, I like all 3 of them a lot, my personal favourite is Lily. While I love a reference to any bit of Greek mythology, especially Cassandra, her fate was quite tragic (Not that Lilith’s fate was sweet either, but still). I can really understand your attachment to your first D&D character though, even though I haven’t played (also, it’s quite telling that your first character was a woman [I assume]). But in my personal opinion, the other options should better. It’s still only your decision in the end.

Attention Anon

Sarah was my first character who was a woman. I played 3 other male characters before her.

Yarny. - a halfling bard, in late middle age who loved stories and collected folklore from everywhere he went. He was my first ever.

Red - a middle aged dwarven merchant who got side-tracked and wound up on a quest when he was supposed to be returning home.

And a young elf shadow sorcerer who's name I can't remember.

But Yarny and the elf were both DMPCs because I was running the campaign, so I didn't really get to play them.

Sarah was different. I was playing on a discord server with strangers because my friends weren't available for real DnD. So I was able to put time and energy into fleshing her out.

She was a warlock/fighter who grew up on the streets, had a complicated friendship with a guardsman, and was forcibly adopted by an abusive drunk who just wanted her for free labour.

Turns out the man who adopted her is a fence who traffics in stolen goods, antiques, and questionable magic items.

One day she accidentally knocks over this valuable ancient pot and smashes it, unleashing an ancient devil that was trapped inside. The devil was weakened by it's long confinement so it latched onto her. She unknowingly made a deal with it and it granted her warlock powers in exchange for living in her head.

So now she has a grouchy, hateful, resentful voice in the back of her mind constantly passing commentary on everything she does, criticising and gaslighting her, telling her everyone wants to use her and nobody else can ever love her. The thing is, it also gives her solid advice that keeps her alive and safe. And she's too young and naive to tell the difference.

The devil is called Malthus and he's very much a metaphor for my depression, among other things.

Sarah herself is saddled with a lot of repression, and while Malthus constantly shits on her, he's also the one pushing her to try new things. Mostly so he can live vicariously through her, and then guilt her for it. The two have a complex, toxic, co-dependent relationship.

Most of this was not deliberate at the time, but something I created by accident and only discovered by playing the character.

Playing her on that server was the first time I was ever gendered as a woman because the other people couldn't tell me apart from my character. I realised immediately that being called she/her didnt upset me the way I thought it probably should have, and I made the conscious decision not to correct them, and accepted the pronouns. That was way back, like 5 years ago. And I still play with some of the same people.

Sadly Sarah had to be retired, it's a happy ending tho. Her fiancé was kidnapped and she left on a quest to go save him. They eventually settled down and had 3 kids.

One of my current characters is her granddaughter, Saccharine. 😋

[a-rum-of-ones-own]

Hi!!!

I’m currently reading A Cosmology of Blacks, Malfoys, and Assorted Individuals and just wanted to express how much I love this fic!!! Your writing style is so profoundly passionate and evocative. The way you describe the emotions and inner workings of Draco, his observations and interactions with others, and blend sensory details with atmospheric elements is so poetically done—I seriously can’t deal.

What spurred me to write this was the opening of Chapter 19:

“With their ancient, bony hands, they’d passed her golden bowls filled with brew of black cohosh. Narcissa, panting in the heated darkness of the room she was confined in, had gulped them down, red-dark liquid dripping down her chin and staining the near-translucent smocking of her nightgown.

Winds had battered against the curtained windows. The approach of an early summer storm. The air had been sweltering, hot, over-heavy with lightning that had not yet discharged.”

LIKE UGH…MINDBOGGLINGLY BEAUTIFUL. SERIOUSLY. It’s so viscerally described that I feel like I’m transported right into the room.

I’m trying to consciously pace myself through the remaining chapters because I don’t want to catch up ;( but could you recommend some books that inspired you to write this fic, or even books that influenced your writing? I would be eternally grateful (high-key already am just for the existence of this fic).

I am so thankful to have stumbled upon this gem. You are sosososo talented; I am truly in awe and can’t wait to read more of your work! xxx

Heeey! Thank you so, SO much! I had so much fun writing that scene with the midwives - I cannot resist including scary old ladies and weird little arcane rituals of womanhood in everything I write, lol. I'm a total sucker for it. Give me a scary old woman who may or may not be a morally grey agent of The Dark And Mysterious Powers of the Great Beyond, and I'm sold.

YES, I do have book recs! Fic-writing is, for me, an opportunity for total stylistic self-indulgence, and there are absolutely influences! In general, Cosmology takes a LOT of influence from gothic writing. That entire theme of a house/manor/castle as a pseudo-living thing, the curses of our ancestors coming back to haunt us, ghosts of the past (both in literal and non-literal form), that's all just plain gothic, and I LOVE writing and reading that sort of stuff. Jane Austen's first novel, Northanger Abbey, is a fantastic gothic novel and/or gothic parody, and it's a shame it's not read more widely. It's definitely her first - it's not as absolutely refined as the big names like Pride and Prejudice etc - but it's the one I love the most. There's a proper mystery plot, a cursed house, a romance, a haunting - it's just great.

If you're not a Jane Austen girlie, a HUGE influence for me is Donna Tartt, especially The Secret History and The Goldfinch. If you're into that ornate, atmospheric, scene-setting writing, both will be right up your alley - The Secret History has a bit more of it (and is, imo, the better one to start out with), but they're both just amazing. One day, I want to be able to write like Donna Tartt does. She's the OG, she's the GOAT, she's perfect, she's probably my favourite contemporary author.

Also: Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. It's one of my absolute favourite books, but (warning!) it's not literary fiction or romance, it's very much the story of a haunting. If you're absolutely not into horror, stay clear. Similarly, The Perfume by Patrick Süßkind is BEAUTIFUL, but absolutely not a romance. I've only read it in the original and can't vouch for any translations into English, but judging by the reviews, the sheer VibesTM seem to come across even in translation. The original is one of the best books I've ever read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for something truly unique. I've also recently read V.C. Andrew's Flowers in the Attic for the first time, and found it really good in that gothic sense, but mind ALL the trigger warnings on that one. I don't deal well with graphic depictions of more realistic violence/abuse, especially if it involves kids (stylised/fantastical and implicit violence is fine, but anything that reads too 'real' and 'logically possible irl' doesn't agree with my stomach), and it's got some of that. I skipped a page or two, but still found it a prime example of Southern Gothic.

Thank you so so much again! I hope to get the next chapter of Cosmology out soon!

[camels-pen]

ghost of your past

Summary:

Walker was up to his last straw when Danny broke a precious mug gifted to him by his daughter on his last Father's day as a living man.

He didn't expect to lose more than his patience chasing the punk, but then, out of nowhere, he reunited with the mug's creator.

based on @mystyrust's prompt "Walker attacks amity park and maddie recognizes her father/ grandfather/ancestor" and @ectoplasmicsoda's prompt "Walker and the terrible, horrible, no good day."

Ao3 Link

Oh, that little punk. Walker was gonna toss him in the slammer and throw away the key, mark his words. The little half-human abomination was going to pay.

Walker had left his guards to scour the town. Told them to leave no rock unturned until they found the brat, but it seemed he hadn’t needed to bother.

“Walker! Look, uh, buddy, this isn’t a good time—”

“I. Dont. Care.” He moved closer, grabbing the ghost boy by the throat. “You’ve gone too far this time. Putting aside starting a second riot in my prison followed by the subsequent jailbreak of the entirety of the ghost criminal underworld,”—he leaned in close, his voice dropping to a low whisper—“that was a one of a kind mug my kid gave me for my last Father’s day. That was my last physical memory of her and you are gonna pay dearly for breaking it.”

“Danny? Sweetie, where’d you go? I know getting anti ghost possession shots can be a bit scary, but—” A loud inhale. Walker rolled his eyes, turning back to look into the stunned face of a woman who looked starkly like his wife. When he was still alive to have one. “...Pa?”

Walker raised a brow. He looked the woman up and down, the blue and black hazmat suit looking about as stupid as the brat’s, pausing briefly on her dark, red-brown hair. Probably one of those ghost hunters who loved to mess things up, then. “Do I know you, ma’am?”

From one second to the next, her open shock changed to a very familiar scrunched up nose. “What the hell, Pa? You don’t recognize me and you’re going around strangling children now?!”

Recognition struck him. “Madeline!” he shouted, a smile growing on his face. He dropped the ghost brat and rushed over to sweep her into his arms. “Oh, hun, I’ve missed you so—”

Maddie dodged him and moved around to coo at the brat, turning his head at different angles to look at the beginnings of bruises Walker left.

“You’re kidding,” he said. “Do you know who he is?” 

The brat abruptly froze as Maddie growled, “I don’t joke about things like this.”

Walker clenched his fists, stalking forward. “That little abomination was the one who—!”

“Do not call him an abomination!” She stood quickly, standing in front of the brat as he massaged his throat with a pitiful look. The moment Maddie’s back was turned, the boy stuck his tongue out at him. “He’s my baby boy and your grandson!” 

“He’s your what?!” Is this a joke? This had to be a joke. Please, dear Ancients let it be a joke.

Maddie put her hands on her hips. “Pa, please, I know you don’t usually like my partners, but don’t be a pest about this.”

“Don’t be a—” He stomped right up to Maddie. “Don’t throw my past words back at me, Cookie!”

“Well, can you blame me?” She threw her hands in the air. “I waited years to be able to do it and then you kick the bucket!”

He shook his head. “Whatever. I don’t care about your taste in idiot partners right now! I care about this little punk, breaking the mug you got me for my last Father’s day!” She stared at him, unimpressed. “He broke your mug!” he repeated, indignant. “It was my favourite one!”

Maddie scoffed. “That mug was a piece of shit and we both know it. You’ve never drank out of it in your life.” Didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate fine art. And he’d seen the hours she put into learning how to use the pottery wheel. Or rather, he’d heard her frustrated screams through the walls. “And I heard what you said to Danny; your last physical memory of me? Really? I don’t suppose you only have one physical memory of Alicia?” Walker’s code of avoiding lies as much as possible was really working against him here. Maddie scoffed. “Of course. Of course!”

“Kiddo, I didn’t—” 

“Don’t call me ‘Kiddo’.” She glared at him. “I am in my early 40’s. And I have not seen you in over three decades.” Was she really that old already? He was surprised she wasn’t bragging about having lived longer than him. “I will not allow you to diminish my opinion and call me a child.”

Walker hedged, “But you’re still my little lemon cookie—”

Maddie threw her arms up. “I’m married now! I have kids! Two of them! One of them is going off to college soon!”

“I don’t know what that brat’s told you, but there’s no way he’s related—” Walker blinked. “Did you say ‘two kids’?”

“Yes! Jazz—Jasmine. Our oldest child and a wonderful daughter.” Maddie smiled, pulling out her wallet. “She’s got her whole life planned out ahead of her. We’re still a little worried—you know what happens to Walker girls when they try to plan out their lives.” She chuckled a little as she handed over a long sectioned plastic with small photos, folding it up in a way to show off a picture of a girl with Maddie’s red hair and speaking at a podium, her face bright and smiling. 

Walker took the photo in hand, staring at the little girl he knew nothing about, given by his own little girl that he was supposed to know everything about. 

“Or,”—Maddie sighed—“I guess you wouldn’t know.”

“Know what?” he asked softly, tracing the picture over with his eyes. Jasmine had Delilah’s nose.

“Well, you know how I was doing a biology and chemistry double major and going to go to medical school? And Alicia was going to marry her high school sweetheart?” He nodded faintly. “I switched into an experimental ecto-biology program and Ally’s divorced now, living on her own in Arkansas.” She chuckled weakly.

Walker’s head snapped up. “What?!” He blinked a bit, turning back to stare at the unfamiliar picture. “What?” he repeated, softer.

“It’s—I mean, I finished my degree eventually and Ally finished trade school—” She huffed through her nose. “But we can catch up and talk all about it later, okay? Preferably with Ally. Maybe we can all meet up and have a picnic by mom’s grave.”

“Mom’s grave?” He parrotted, a terrible ache running through him. Dear Ancients, he hadn’t even considered that Delilah was anything other than alive. 

“I promise I’ll tell you later, but more importantly—

“What happened to you, Pa? Where did you go?” Maddie asked. “We thought you’d died. Mom and me and Ally, we all buried you—mourned you. What—What happened?”

Walker furrowed his temporary brows. “What do you mean? I did die.”

“But how are you here? Was it temporary? Did—” She gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. “Did we bury you alive?”

“No! Isn’t it obvious I’m—” He gestured down at himself, pausing as he noticed the illusory skin and clothing. Huh, seemed like he’d forgotten to take off his disguise to fool the ghost hunters roaming around shooting at his boys. Now it made sense why Maddie recognized him so quickly.

He should… probably take off the illusory charm. It wouldn’t do to get used to a fake human disguise, especially one as accurate as this.

Out of the corner of his eye, the punk was slowly crawling out the other end of the alley. “And where do you think you’re going?” Walker tried to storm past Maddie, but she held firm.

Maddie snatched the photos from Walker’s hand. “Pa, I’m glad you’re alive, but I don’t take threats to my children lightly.” 

He scowled and when he looked back, he noticed a distinct lack of annoying ghost boy. “Darn it, you let the punk escape.”

Maddie glanced behind her and sighed. “Oh, would you quit with the overdramatics?” She shook her head. “It’s always the same with you: ‘This town is full of criminals! You can’t just go out on your own in broad daylight!’ without any further thought and entertaining no other opinions or research other than your own.”

“Our town was full of criminals! I was nearly ‘bout to prove it too, before I was murdered!”

She raised an eyebrow. “You mean when you barged into Ms. Garrison’s house when she was a few minutes late to the county fair? When you knocked down every door, tore her house apart, and then fell through the part of her second story that was under construction to brain yourself on the floor?”

“How do you—” He coughed. “There was surely someone holding her hostage and I was going to be the hero—” he coughed again. “I needed to rescue her. Clearly the perpetrator spread false rumours so they could get away scot-free. And Ms. Garrison already had a faulty memory!

“Cookie, I never meant to leave y’all, you have to know that. I was trying to do good.” Maddie searched his eyes a moment and he kept himself still, a brief hope flickering in his chest. 

“Y’know, Pa,”—her face softened, the bags under her eyes looking heavier, more pronounced, and looking at him like Delilah had in those last years he was alive: resigned, tired, pitying—“I almost believed you.”

She turned around, making to leave. He reached out, suddenly desperate to make her stay. “Cookie—Maddie, please.”

“I need to find my son and take care of him.” She tore her wrist from his grip. “Have a good life, Hardy.”

Walker stood there, stunned. Unable to tear his gaze away as his daughter—alive and whole and independent in an entirely new way—strode out of the alley, leaving one ghost for another.

[jovianjournal]

March 2024

Today we're talking about comics i read in March. I mostly read manga, from series i've already talked about before or don't have anything to say about, so i'm going to skip some books.

The Quiet End of the Mundane Age -- Theo Stultz

Probably my favourite comic from last year's ShortBox Comic Fair (the 2024 edition is coming very soon!! can't wait to spend wayyyy too much money on comics). A short story about academics studying an ancient civilisation and looking to bring back magic into the world (if i remember correctly... i really want to reread this one actually). the vibes are: delicious. my only complain is that it was too short, and i wish it was a whole series.

*

Minsucule Folle Sauvage -- Pauline de Tarragon

Tiny Crazy Feral Woman. a journal comic about depression and ennui, with cute pastel art. made me want to draw little introspective zines and reread sylvia plath.

*

Genderless Danshi ni Aisareteimasu / Mon petit ami genderless -- TAMEKOU, Narihira Kojiro, French translation by Blanche Delaborde

A finished series about a manga editor and her fem boyfriend. This is a cute slice of life story with some funny gags, but it is way less queer than advertised (the genderless boyfriend is Very Gendered, Actually). I liked the tidbits about Japanese queer culture, the art is suuuper pretty, but there are a lot of talks about appearance and popularity and social media which im not a fan of. Overall it's a light hearted read about conventionally attractive people, a good time.

*

Kûtei Dragons / Drifting Dragons -- Kuwabara Taku

Another favourite of mine. The adventures of a team of dragon hunters in a fantasy world! This story manages to have a big cast where everyone feels like an actual person. Not vegan friendly.

[adventure-showdown]

What is your favourite Doctor Who story?

TOURNAMENT MASTERPOST

synopses and propaganda under the cut

Fires of Pompeii

Synopsis

The Tenth Doctor tries taking Donna Noble to ancient Rome for her first trip in the TARDIS, but seems to have miscalculated. Instead of seven hills, they find a single mountain billowing smoke — Vesuvius. They're in Pompeii, 23 August 79 AD: the day before "Volcano Day". However, something else is horribly wrong. The Soothsayers' predictions seem to always be correct... so why can't they see tomorrow's disastrous events, the eruption of Vesuvius, the death of their city? What is blocking their perception, and will the TARDIS team be able to walk away from a fixed point in time, saving no one from certain doom? Well, Donna has something to say about that!

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

City of Death

Synopsis

While taking in the sights of Paris in 1979, the Fourth Doctor and Romana sense that someone is tampering with time. Who is the mysterious Count Scarlioni? Why does he seem to have counterparts scattered through time? And just how many copies of the Mona Lisa did Leonardo da Vinci paint?

Propaganda

even if your not a classic who fan, you have seen moments from this, “wonderful butler, he’s so violent”, “youre a beautiful woman, probably”, “if you wanted an omelette I’d expect to find a pile of broken crockery, a cooker in flames, and an unconscious chef”. The location shooting, iconic, the music, iconic, the plot, so iconic I was once watching something (non doctor who) that referenced it as a fake historical event. Dare I say duggan is the greatest side character of all time. Romana’s outfit, the design of scaroth, the implication time lords can fly. it’s not my favourite overall, but its damn near close, it deserves AT LEAST the semi finals, AT LEAST. If you’ve not seen it or any classic who, go watch it, its so good, one of the best of the era. Also, how could I forget, the most watched episode on broadcast out of all of doctor who, including new who. (yes it was because itv was off the air due to strikes, but im glad its this episode that holds the record) (anonymous)

[morwenna-crows]

I just realised I’ve never written anything about the etymology of China Sorrows as a name. It’s maybe one of my favourites in the entire series.

I’ve seen theories before that her first name is synonymous with porcelain, for her paleness and fragile, delicate features. My preferred etymology for her taken name, though, comes from a slightly more obscure, archaic definition of the word.

From the early 16th century onward, china was sometimes used to mean a colour, rather than a place.

The word china, in an historic context, referred to several different shades of pale blue; these colours were given that name because they were originally associated with the light-blue glazing found on imported Chinese ceramics.

That ice-blue, china-blue, is the colour of her striking, unusual eyes. I love the idea that this definition is why she chose it as her name.

The other part of her name also carries a second, hidden meaning. Rather than just a synonym for sadness or grief, the use of Sorrows seems to be a deliberate Irish literary reference. Deirdre of the Sorrows is one of the most famous characters in ancient, pre-Christian Irish mythology.

In the Ulster Cycle of stories, Deirdre is fated from birth to become the most beautiful woman Ireland has ever seen. But that same prophecy curses her to a life of tragedy, predicting that she will eventually lead her lover to his death, and drag Ireland into war, bloodshed, and chaos.

This is where her epithet comes from; her name is forever linked with loss and destruction.

(The story was probably first written down around 600AD; the earliest extant written copies date to the 12th century, so it’s entirely possible for China to have been familiar with the story while taking her own name, as a teenager, in the late 16th century. )

The mythology is canon relevant in terms of both foreshadowing China’s magic - she has the same ‘gift’ of strange, almost otherworldly beauty as Deirdre - and her war-era backstory with Skulduggery, the former lover she draws into a trap that ends in his death.

[elysianstars]

Looking through Emblem bond conversations with the Fell Four, and picking out my favourites because why not?

Marth: You may show bravado, but you’re actually quite kind, aren’t you? Both in and out of battle.

Rafal: What?! That is laughably inaccurate. Though I will admit to making an effort of late.

Love that every time someone calls Rafal kind, his response is 'withdraw those false accusations immediately'.

Celica: Deep down, I know you possess a kind heart. Why do you not show it?

Rafal: What do you mean? My disposition is nothing short of sunny. Surely you agree.

He's figured out a new way to deal with it now.

Edelgard: When all of this is over, what do you plan to do?

Alear: Hmm… I think I’d like to take my time and travel the world. And also read and sleep a lot.

Highly relatable, but YOU HAVE SLEPT ENOUGH.

Celica: It’s no good to eat such acidic food all the time. You should try to round out your nutrition a bit.

Nel: I suppose if someone is going to mother me, it may as well be an ancient and ageless Emblem.

Emblems trying to make dragons stop eating such terrible foods, round one.

Veyle: Roy, look! I’ve never seen food this red before. I bet it’s super spicy and super delicious.

Roy: But, Veyle…the look, the smell, the burning! It does not look like it belongs in anyone’s mouth.

Round two!

Roy: An entire shaker, Nel? I can’t imagine any food needing that much salt.

Nel: It is a pity you will never be able to taste my gift to culinary advancement.

Round three!

Edelgard: I’ll admit, one thing about you does trouble me. The amount of sugar you put in your tea…

Rafal: The sweeter the better, Edelgard. I will brook no disagreement on this point.

Round four! There's a few others too, so I stopped at this point.

Alear: Your battle strategy is always so calm and logical. I should probably try to think that way…

Soren: We each have things we are and are not suited for. Calm rationale may not be yours.

Ouch.

Rafal: Am I cursed to have older sisters eternally fuss over me? Did I not tell you I am no child?

Micaiah: I’m sorry. I heard you were a little brother, and I was thinking you must have been very cute.

Micaiah, the woman who called Rafal cute and lived to tell the tale.

Veyle: Didn’t a Fell Dragon ravage your world? You must hate it when I’m around.

Lucina: Not at all. You look different. You act different. You are your own dragon, Veyle.

Fell Dragons feel awkward around Lucina, part one.

Lucina: Rafal, is it my imagination, or are you avoiding me? I thought we were a team after that battle.

Rafal: Your home was destroyed by a Fell Dragon. I, too, am a destroyer. You should avoid me.

Part two!

Nel: I hear you have a history with Fell Dragons. Do not feel obligated to socialize with me.

Lucina: I don’t feel obligated, Nel. I’d like to get to know you as a person, not just as a Fell Dragon.

Part three!

Lucina: Nel! As a token of our friendship, I’ve designed some clothing for you. Vander’s handiwork!

Nel: A large spicy pepper embroidered on the front. I suppose it does represent my preferences.

The follow-up. Since she mentioned Vander, I'm guessing it's a piece of knitting? Maybe a jumper?

Lyn: You look tired. If there’s something dragging you down, you can tell me. I’m a good listener.

Alear: I still hesitate sometimes in battle because I’m so inexperienced.

Alear: Then I second-guess myself afterward, thinking of all the things I should have done instead.

Lyn: Don’t worry about making mistakes. You have friends─and me─to guide you through them.

*grabs Alear by the shoulders* SWEETIE YOU ARE DOING AMAZING. Even when you're screwing up and getting yourself killed, you're still amazing. He says similar things in other conversations and I just. Can someone corporeal please give him a hug already?

Ike: Well, what do you think? Do I seem strong to you yet?

Rafal: I will admit your aid was helpful. Perhaps, of the two of us, we can say you are second strongest.

This is even funnier in context when you see them standing next to each other.

Rafal: You… You are quite the enigma. You fight so fiercely, yet appear so weak.

Eirika: Should I…take that as a compliment?

I don't think he knows whether it was a compliment either.

Alear: Oh, Professor! Sorry, I know I’m not one of your students. I just wanted to see how it felt.

Byleth: I don’t mind. It’s what most everyone called me, after all.

Alear is being cute and I can't handle it.

Byleth: Whatever you’re eating looks pretty tasty.

Rafal: An ally gave these to me. I was told that they were too sweet, but I find them perfect.

Byleth: Good to hear! Seeing you enjoy those reminds me of an old friend.

Rafal: We are having a conversation here. Reminisce on your own time.

Rafal has now become known as a repository for unwanted sweets. Also...did you not realise Byleth telling you that was part of the conversation. That's what was happening there. Sharpen those social skills, Rafal.

Corrin: I spent most of my youth cooped up in a castle. Everything felt fresh when I got to leave.

Alear: I can relate to that. It sounds like our circumstances aren’t so different.

I mean...if I had to pick the main similarity between you two, it would not be that. I'd probably go for the whole 'amnesia + reunited with my mother and then watched her die + evil dragon dad final boss' chain of events. Maybe that's just me though.

Corrin: I hear you risked your life for the sake of your brother. I did something very similar once.

Nel: Rafal is precious to me. I wanted to protect him. Above all, I wanted him to feel accepted.

I love you Nel.

Edelgard: You charge alone into battle far too frequently. I would urge you to think more of your allies.

Rafal: If you dislike me so intensely, then leave. No one is forcing you to deal with me.

Edelgard: That is not what I said. I am merely imploring you to consider some basic strategy.

Rafal: If my being alone in battle is your concern, then clearly your best course is to accompany me.

Love that Rafal's reaction to being told he's endangering himself is 'okay guess you hate me then'.

Nel: If it is all right with you, Tiki, I would like a hug.

Tiki: Of course! I feel so safe with you. I think the gentle hands had to be yours…

Nel: So you do recall my sending you to slumber. Well, I am glad you are back with us for good.

Wait, Emblems CAN give hugs now?

Tiki: I don’t remember you too much, but I feel like I’m safe with you for some reason!

Rafal: That is the wrong instinct to have. Nevertheless, I will endeavor to be kind to you from now on.

His line delivery is the best part of this. He's so absolutely done. Like, he was the source of the original problem, so he gets no right to complain, but he's still done. AND he'll keep knocking away accusations of kindness, even though he's just owned up to it here.

Veronica: I hear you spent a thousand years looking after your sister. I’m jealous of your relationship.

Rafal: You envy my atonement? My just punishment for crushing my sister’s heart?

Veronica: No, I envy the time you’ve had together. I may never see my brother again.

Rafal: If he left you, it must have been with some goal in mind. Trust in that, or find him and stop him.

Too late, Bruno's dead.

Camilla: You have such lovely hair. If only I was corporeal, I would love to brush it for you.

Alear: Oh, um… That’s very kind of you, but just the thought is enough for me.

Camilla no.

Camilla: You need a confidant, Rafal. Come, rest your head on my shoulder. Tell me everything.

Rafal: Ridiculous. Your shoulder is not even corporeal. Why are you looking at me like that?

Camilla NO.

Camilla: I’ve noticed you keep your friends at arm’s length, no matter how warmly they accept you.

Rafal: I caused my sister’s death. I all but destroyed an entire world. I am irredeemable.

Camilla: That’s not what your friends believe. Don’t you think you owe them a little bit of trust?

Rafal: You…do have a point. Thank you, Camilla. I will try to see the matter from their perspective.

Camilla yes actually, tell him how it is.

General Observations - Veyle asks most of the Emblems if they'll be friends with her, and it's adorable. Nel mentions a few times that she's been speaking too harshly to Alear, despite not meaning to. Rafal and Soren's conversations are a disappointment, the two meanest people in the army and they hardly say anything funny to each other.

[fallenlondonreviewed]

The Green King

An invitation to a club so exclusive, no one has ever heard of it. And a string of disappearances that seems to be connected to it. When you’re joined by the enigmatic Lady Jane, your investigations pick up steam, and you uncover a dark tale of betrayed trust and an old king who hungers for his stolen crown. All leads point back to London, and the secretive, malicious club who sparked this mystery.

MY RATING: ★★★★☆ COMMUNITY RATING: none yet A dark murder-mystery that allows you to investigate the background of a powerful and corrupt circle of people, alongside an enigmatic companion and evocative writing. MAIN FOCUS: History, Investigation, Mr. Eaten and Red Queen adjacent SECONDARY FOCUS: Society, Criminals

Spoiler Free

Opening

Who should play it? How does it begin? Will my character feel out of place?

A dinner invitation to an exclusive club finds its way to your doorstep. However, the envelope has been tampered with. As you investigate both the tampering and the elusive club, it becomes clear that this dinner would have most likely seen you go permanently missing.

The opening makes sense for all sorts of characters. At first it is unclear why you have been chosen, and while it’s not at the forefront of the investigation, it plays well into this mystery. Later, when the reason is revealed, it’s a bit of a let-down. But by this point, you’re already too immersed to care about it.

This ES is very much a murder-mystery. Most of it is investigation, and at the end you get to confront the culprits. So a character who prides themselves for their investigative prowess will have a lot of fun. It also permits you to make “evil” choices at pivotal moments. However, this ES is a dark one that leaves a sad aftertaste even on the good endings. If you’re looking for something wholesome, you’ll probably not find it here.

Review

I did not expect this ES to be this gripping. Despite not looking like it from the onset, you are basically investigating a murder-mystery. That includes getting clues that will only make sense later on, characters turning out to be not who they pretend they are, a conspiracy, all the good stuff.

Beyond the investigation, “The Green King” deals mainly with themes of betrayal, sacrifice and hunger. And while its themes are eerily close to both Mr Eaten and the Godeaters, the story it tells is completely independent of those. Same goes for the Red Queen. Lady Jane, the woman on the poster, is often described with the telltale signs of the Red Queen’s influence, yet it is never confirmed.

Since it stands on its own in the canon of the Neath, “The Green King” felt to me like I took a dive into a dark celtic folktale. It talks about ancient kings, abolished systems, long-forgotten castles and uses more green than an Irish pub on St. Patrick’s Day.

The scope of this one is rather small. No ancient gods are being stopped here. You uncover a small circle of corrupt and somewhat powerful people, that’s all. Which is a good thing. Since ES never have a long lasting impact, it feels good to close the case on this one knowing all is solved.

It took me around 70 actions to play it. It feels decently long even by just reading it through. One thing that frustrated me, however, was the way the actions were spread out. On both play-throughs, I ran out of actions at the same point, where the tension was extremely high.

The writing in this is very evocative. It plays mainly with colour – both the sunlight spectrum and the neathbow – and it makes for some awesome images. I have learned so many synonyms for green and red… There is also a point where the player character teeters on the edge between life, death and madness and the writing becomes outstandingly horrifying and beautiful. I think these passages will be among my favourite pieces of FL writing for quite some time.

There is only one actual character this ES introduces: Lady Jane. There exist some other characters, but they are only static shadows in the background. Lady Jane is the focal point of this ES and she is a wonderful character. Right from the start it’s clear that she’s hiding something from us. Her red outfit doesn’t lie – she’s ready to sacrifice anyone for her gain. But the way she acts and talks is always genuine, and that’s where her charm lies. I found her to be very lovable. And the fact that she doesn’t hesitate to threaten death made her just that much more fun for my Licentiate.

This ES has a few inconsistencies, however. Most of them are probably oversights and will get patched out in later versions. But there is one big one that made a few endings for me unsatisfying. The endings are probably among the weaker parts of this ES, but only because the aforementioned surreal encounter between death and madness was so good. The ending feels earned and even though some of them end in a way that’s outside of the player’s control, I never felt cheated.

It’s too early actually to even gauge community opinion – I’m writing this three days after it came out. So far the few voices sing praise for Lady Jane, and are as puzzled as I am by the ending they got. Which, I think/hope, is a mistake on FBG’s side. One commenter pointed out how refreshing it is to get into the themes of hunger/loss/greed without having to rely on Mr. Eaten once again.

In conclusion: This ES is a beautifully written standalone murder mystery, that gets very dark from time to time. If that’s something you don’t mind, I’d recommend it at once. If only because good mysteries are so rare.

Additional Thoughts (Full Spoilers)

Big part in why I like this ES so much is the craftsmanship that went into the mystery. I got the feeling that every word I read was there for a reason. And sure enough, every clue that was laid out or fact I discovered came up later at least one more time.

That’s why it’s all the more frustrating that there are these small inconsistencies that didn’t add up. Like the librarian’s comment that’s never followed up on, or how it’s not clear which Pretender sponsored my/Jane’s invitation. I actually sat down, took notes and charted things out because I was so invested. But like I said, these things are probably oversights in a very early version of this ES. I sent my notes to FBG and am confident that they’ll patch it.

What’s harder to patch imo is the relationship between Jane and Percy. In two of the endings, they give off romantic vibes for each other, which was never even hinted at. Sure, Jane has a soft spot for Percy, that was clear, but more in the “follow your dream and don’t let anyone stop you” sort of way. And she does take pity on prisoners, which he clearly is. But nothing indicated a romantic connection, and even less the kind of “old love” the endings implied, where they didn’t need to say a word to each other. They just seemed to understand. And while that makes for a really epic ending, I would have loved some kind of breadcrumb as to where that came from. Are they avatars of the Red Queen and the Beleaguered King? Did they grow up as stepbrother and -sister? (No, they didn’t, I double checked.)

As mentioned, my Licentiate and Lady Jane were a match made in heaven. They are on the exact same wavelength of opportunism. Just like how Lady Jane didn’t mind me cutting her rope too much, I had to give her credit for turning the gun on me. Also, it’s a nice thing the other person offers to put themselves in harm’s way, Emanuel wouldn’t object to that.

Credits for "The Green King": Writing: James Chew Editing and QA: Luke van den Barselaar and Bruno Dias Art: Erion Makuo

Link to the FL Forum