#similar to how scars look when they've already healed

[aster-may]

The Parents 💚💜

Also did a subtle redesign on them cause I wasn't satisfied with the designs I did on my first drawing

[the-s1lly-corner]

Hi!! this is my first time requesting anything but i was wondering if you could do creepypasta boys were you kiss / compliment there scars!

Kissing their scars (various crp)

Bro I scratched my skin right next to this burn last week and it HURTS so bad

Characters: Jeff the Killer, Ticci Toby, Eyeless Jack

Notes: Reader is GN, fluff, these boys need help

CWs: talks of violence in.. well all of them, mentioned of self harm in Jeff's part

Jeff

You decide to kiss the gashes in his cheeks, the ones that he carved.. he never really viewed them as anything very negative; sure it reminds him of the night he killed his entire gamily.. a fact he has a very wishy washy feeling of guilt over depending on the day

At first he thinks you're trying to kiss his cheeks but you make it very clear what you're trying to do when you begin to compliment them- they've healed so well since theyve been put there

Between the three he tries to play it off the most, of course it looks nice- they make him beautiful, and he always will be beautiful! What are you talking about reader?

Hes not at all willing to be vulnerable around you, it doesnt matter how long you two know each other or how close you get he never.. really let's himself just be in his feelings around others

But just know that hes going to be sitting in bed tonight looking up at the ceiling replaying what you've said and going back over the events that lead him here- rare moment of self reflection essentially

But to your face.. hes just the same as hes always been, even teasing you for having such a huuuge crush on him- bonus if the two of you are already dating

Eyeless Jack

You rarely ever get to see him without the mask, but when you do.. it's best not to do something like this the first time you see his eye sockets- hes very cagey about his face in the first place and hes not quiet ready to handle more attention drawn to it. The first few times it's off it's best to meet it with indifference

But when more time passes, you're more than welcome to test the waters. You already knew Jack had a fair collection of scars, but there was a different feel to the burned and gashed holes where his eyes would have been

He wont let you kiss him, mostly because hes unsure of what exactly the goo was made of, as well as naturally not liking the idea of someone putting their mouth where his eyes just to be- but you're allowed to trace your fingers along the scar tissue

Hes never going to tell you what happened unless theres a reason to, hes very firm when setting this boundary. It's just something that makes him feel.. gross..

He already doesn't talk much but he becomes silent as you trace your fingers and talk to him

He might go back to wearing his mask all the time again for a while but it's not exactly your fault, it was just a huge step- it's okay to back up a bit to process things

Ticci Toby

Due to his CIPA he has a bit of a disconnect between him and his injuries, scars included. He didnt really feel them when they were being made, sure he may have felt some pressure depending on what caused it but other than that, nothing really.. for a lot of them he doesnt have much thoughts- neither good nor bad

The only ones that really make him feel something are the ones he sustained from the crash- they're scattered across his body...

If you kissed or complimented any other scar he would tease you for being a little "weird", even making it a game to guess where he got the current scar from- with outlandish answers of course

But the second you reach one of /those/ scars the fun is immediately cut, you can tell theres something off

Similar to Jack, its something that has to be eased into due to the weight associated with the injuries. It's not the fact that it hurt when he got them but they serve as a reminder of what he lost

The only one who really tries to change the subject, perhaps by asking if you have any scars or markings on your body or simply changing the subject all together

Probably the only one who wouldn't want to be complimented due to the nature of some of his scars

[hell-drabbles]

Ahh I have a bit of personal headcanons of Asmo, if you dont mind me sharing them.🪽

-

Honestly, I don't think he's the type to force anyone into anything they don't like. But that doesn't mean he can't be a tease in other ways:

"Quite a temper you have," he rests his chin on his knuckles. "Have you ever tried relaxing?"

He poked at their cheek. His sharp nail felt like a needle about to puncture their flesh, but he never did. "You should loosen up, be more like Raon."

He's the same level of calm as Mammon. He's aggressive when he needs to be. To me, he's bordering on motherly and fatherly:

"Ah," his head perks up when he notices the fresh scars on their flesh. "Look where your wrecklessness has brought you."

He approaches them in a manner almost similar to a saunter. The King of Lust stands before them, raising their injured arm, only a region of their injured body. The open wound heals as he places the pads of his fingertips against it, leaving only a remnant of the sanguine trail. "Careful next time. We don't want Raon to lose his little friend."

Although he might seem like he favors Raon more, I think he treats Companion and him equally. He just likes seeing Companion ticked off. He loves getting reactions out of them.

He's able to hold up a conversation with them well, though. He seems like the type to ramble on about himself considering he's a narcissist:

Although they may roll their eyes at him, he doesn't mind as long as they're listening. He'll ask about their day, too. Just to be fair.

"I'm sure your day must've been great." Asmodeus' red eyes stare at the already bitter face, their eyes somewhere else. "Especially since Raon was in it."

"Oh, the complete opposite," they look at the devil in front of them. It seems like they're engaged now.

Asmodeus snickers. It seems that he could make time for their rant.

-

I honestly think they should've made Asmodeus' hair less messy and his horn less geometrical, I guess? I hope you like my thoughts on him, though.🪽

Yeah the hair in the fancy selfie card does bother me, since Asmodeus's hair in his regular sprite doesn't look layered. It smooth, it sleek.

I very much enjoyed those headcanons, man are they fun to read. It always stirs up my brain for my own ideas!

He does seem like someone that would enjoy some good ol tea. Who doesn't enjoy gossip? I would imagine he would keep these little conversations a secret, not because out of any respect, but because it bothers my Ra-on to the nth degree. Well, perhaps a little bit of respect towards the Companion but who says he can't have a bit of a fun and tease my Ra-on about this information.

"You're not very good at hiding your desires. You can say all you want how much you don't want to hear what they've said, but I see the way you bite your lip every time I make them laugh. You want to hear what I said, and your companion said in return, don't you? Why don't you try and strike a bargain? Maybe I'll tell you, maybe I won't."

Hmm, I don't have many headcanons on him, just small plans or potential ways I could use Asmodeus.

Something something, Asmodeus representing the current future waiting for Ra-on if he continues on the path he's going, cursed to simply be an object of lust, never able to forge close bonds out of his own inability to give up on his selfishness, something something, the differences between the bonds Asmodeus and my Ra-on have with my Companion ultimately serve to further highlight Ra-on's self-destructive and avoidant nature that's deeply seeded into him, that his overly horny nature is not the true core of his problems.

Because, for all of Asmodeus's problems and how generally hated by the public he is, he can still get along with the Companion. He surpasses my Ra-on in terms of how horny he is, and can still have a civil conversation with them. Doesn't help that, Asmodeus being Asmodeus, obviously wants to fuck the Companion. And yet, there the Companion is, sitting, more than tolerating, enjoying in fact, being around him.

So it makes my Ra-on question: What wrong with me, then, that they avoid me? That they hate me if they can be around Asmodeus?

You know, fun character stuff.

You wanna know what's funny to me? I actually can't see my Ra-on enjoying being around Asmodeus, and he, at the current moment, can't articulate why. He's a beautiful devil, and by all means, he would probably be the best and most debauch fuck to have. And yet, my Ra-on wants out. Looking at him is painful. And Asmodeus scares him.

I love messing with my Ra-on.

[housederiva]

I must confess I didn't realise I could also get asks for my own ask game and I got a little overwhelmed after checking my inbox (in a good way), I hope you guys don't mind that I'm answering them all together! Here's the original list for anyone who wants to play along xx

I'm answering these for Rook (just Rook) de Rivia who I'm writing for in Facets of Determination and she's my primary Rook. A warning that its a little long under this here read more

🌻 How old is your Rook? How do they feel about celebrating their birthday? What gift has meant the most to them? Rook is most likely between 28 and 33 years old. Possibly younger, maybe older. It was hard to gauge her age when Viago first found her because of how malnourished she was. She also doesn't have a birthday so instead it's celebrated on the anniversary of when her former master was killed which the 10th of Harvestmere (the Thedas version of October) She would hate it if it were celebrating her birth itself and not her freedom Viago had given Rook a crocheted blanket that's one of those really intricate patterns that take months of continuous work to finish and just so happened to time the giving of it to the first year anniversary of that night. One very similar to it showed up in the Lighthouse soon after the group's arrival

🪻 What is the most painful injury your Rook has received? How has it affected them once it healed/scarred? You know when you're wearing a new pair of shoes that need to be broken in, and they dig into your heel and peel the skin away? Imagine that but in a near unbroken ring around both wrists from where shackles were fought against as a very small child. This happened for so long and with such intensity that the jutted out points on either wrist were worn down to the bone and tendons were sliced into There's also where her throat was slit that same night Viago and her met. Her former master attempted to use her as a human shield to stop Viago from killing him - it didn't work. Once he realized that, the man cut her throat in a bid for escape - that also didn't work. It's the most visible scar she has and the one people's eyes flick to before conversations are started. It doesn't ache when it rains the way her wrists do, but her voice still catches if she speaks too loudly, Rook still remembers what it was like to swallow her own blood as she drowned in it

🌹 What’s the first genuine fight Rook got in with their love interest about? How was it resolved? One of the only personal fights she ever gets in with Lucanis happens before they are officially in a relationship. It's going to be in Facets of Determination, but after the dragon attack on Treviso something happens where Rook gets injured by a Crow trying to betray de Riva in the chaos and Lucanis goes after the betrayer. When he pops back up at the Diamond, he finds a recovering Rook refusing to rest or leave for Minrathous until he comes back It's the kind of berating you give to someone you love dearly when they've scared you, when you think something terrible's happened to them. Her mind immediately went to the worst possible outcome, that she was being used as a lure so he would get separated from the rest of the Crows and then recaptured by the Venatori, and Rook wouldn't know where to go to even start looking for him This is a terrible time for an argument because of what just happened to Minrathous but it fizzles out the next morning when Rook goes into the kitchen for the cup of coffee Lucanis and her usually share before the rest of the group wakes up. He already has her cup filled when she opens the door. Spike calls out her name a little more enthusiastic than normal, a little more hopeful - nearly afraid it isn't here The second fight is sparked by him mentioning that she shouldn't trust Solas as much as she does and ah well that one ends very differently

🌸 Does your Rook have any siblings or close friends they see as such? Where are they during the events of Veilguard? Not every most Houses of the Antivan Crows see themselves as a family unless they're a branch like the Dellamorte's. De Riva is a house of practicality before it is blood. Rook was gifted to her former master as a very small child, she has no memory of siblings. There's Viago of course, who would deny Rook was anything other than his protege if one was to ask. Though there is no other Talon who worries about an individual Crow in an older brother way like he does. In my story, Chance Candide is Chance Candied de Riva (I realized I had a character who was literally just him but of her house so I just shoved them into one moustached man) They're the only two that were fledgling at the same time and of the same age who made it into being full fledged Crows that are still alive (there was a third but she died before veilguard). I have them written as sort of a happy foil of Lucanis and Illario Chance kept a necklace chain of Rook's that broke when they were out and about a week before she was sent away with Varric, he wears it like a bracelet and hasn't taken it off

🌾 If there was a demon trying to trap/take over Rook, what kind would be the most successful? What would break their hold? Resentment. She loves Viago. He's closest thing to family that she will ever have, but a part of her will always resent that she was made into a Crow instead of a servant at the de Riva estate or left to bleed out and die in Minrathous. The demon would say something along the lines of 'All you did was hand your leash from one shem to another. If you stay with me it would finally be in your own hands' and she would begin to crack. Two of the only things that could break their hold would be Spite calling out for her or Solas butting in if he were able to reach out from the prison Or it would be desire, masquerading as Lucanis in their little bakery hidden in a small town within the hills of Antiva no one's heard of

🌱 Was Rook involved romantically with anyone before Veilguard? What was their partner like? How did the relationship end? Rook is ace like Lucanis is and I think the only other romantic relationship she's had was with the third fledgling that made it to being a Crow I mentioned before. Viago had Rook kill her. Her name was Sylvia and she was as smart as she was deadly. Long dark cherry hair she wore in an intricate French braid that Rook would spend the mornings platting for her. There was a slight gap in her teeth and her smile was lopsided, the left side would tilt a fraction of the second before the right. She had far too much pride, too much unfounded hope. Syl thought that she could kill Viago, she thought she could dissolve de Riva altogether and her and Rook could get away, that the two of them would move to some a small village in the hills of Antiva no one's ever heard of and live. A small naive thought suited for fledglings that never make it to their first contract. Rook is the second best poisoner of her house, she specializes in assisted suicides but that doesn't mean it's the only kind of contract she takes. She has killed four other Crows at the behest of her betters, Sylvia was the first Rook never told Viago why she tried to betray them, he's never asked

🌼 If someone was to ask Spite what Rook smells like, what would he say? It feels like a copout to say lavender and honey cream but that's the answer. He wouldn't elaborate but Spite and Lucanis both know it's more of a medicinal lavender than a sweet one. It is the smell of the tea she brewed for her contracts. The honey cream masks any hint of the poison's bitterness within it that lulls them a gentle sleep which they don't wake from. The soaps she uses also smell like lavender and she mixes honey into her coffee (much to Lucanis' dismay)

🌷If Rook needed to get away from their responsibilities for a moment, where would they go? Where is their safe space outside the Lighthouse? De Rivas medicinal garden with their estate in Salle. The first time she was ever left unattended was there. The first moment in registered with her that she was now in control of her own movement was as well. However there is no eluvian which goes to Salle so the garden of an elderly woman who supplies specific Crows with specific ingredients for specific potions in Treviso suffices. She's kind, keeps to herself, and allows Rook free reign of the grounds. And despite her fear of drowning, Rook spends an awful lot of time down by the rockier points of Treviso's coastline

🥀 What figure from Rook’s personal past would be added to the regret prison? Sylvia

🪷 Does your Rook have an irrational phobia? (ie spiders or large man-made objects submerged underwater) See this one's fun because man-made objects submerged underwater is my personal phobia and I projected it onto Rook. She doesn't like seeing/being above collapsed bridges, she doesn't like sunken boats and she really doesn't like the Ossuary If I were going to give a rational one it would be the fear of drowning or claustrophobia

🍀 Has Rook had any near-death experiences? What went through their mind during what they thought was going to be their final moments? When Rook's throat was slit by her former master. She'll never forget the way it felt to have blood flow down the inside of her throat from halfway way down like that. She'll never forget the dull thudding of her head against the tile floor she was dropped or the way Viago exasperatedly mumbled out, 'oh not on my boots' when the blood began to pool or, more importantly, the way he applied pressure to her jugular and said with the first kindness she had ever received, 'that was rather careless of you' It was relief when the knife met her skin. That shifted into confusion when her master was dealt with and Viago pulled her into his lap. She wasn't a person, she wasn't worth saving and certainly not by a Crow

💐 What is the relationship Rook has with their faction mentor? What was the moment they sent Rook away like? I think I've answered it throughout the questions above but 'complicated' is the best way to describe what the two of them have. Viago's her big brother, her father figure, her Talon, her boss. He freed her, he turned her into a weapon. He leads her to the grassy field with leash in hand It was quiet - shameful, when she was sent away

🌺 Is there an object from Rook’s childhood they look back on fondly? (ie a favorite stuffed animal, book, or food) Rook never had a childhood. She was a slave and then she was a Crow, nothing else. But there was a moment after she was brought back to the inn Viago was staying out the night he got her and, Viago being roughly 20 years old and never having to deal with this sort of thing, had the kitchen staff make her a hot chocolate. That's her favourite drink and sometimes she'll just sit for a while holding a mug of it

🌿 Does your Rook have any tattoos? What was the moment when they got them like? If they’re a Crow where is their de Riva brand located? What vallaslin do they have/how did they earn it if they’re Dalish? She has her de Riva brand and while in there isn't an asset for it in game, I've personally decided that it's the wing that you can have on one of the arms. I think she would look at it with a mix of pride and disdain before meeting Lucanis and Spite and afterwards the meaning shifts into something different (to me this also means Viago has the same tattoo but of course that's a hc so ignore me) In game, it's implied that Rook got really drunk the night she became a Crow but since she's Viago's favourite I think he had her to build up an immunity to poisons including alcohol so it was more likely Chance and Sylvia got drunk and carted her around Salle untill Viago dragged the three of them home The moment Rook got the tattoo was actually pretty quiet. I'm fairly certain a Crow gets their brand once they've completed their first contract and are no longer a fledgling. Like I mentioned above, Rook deals with assisted suicides. When she said 'the Crows send their regards' for the first time and for most of the times afterwards, its said softly and with comfort. Not to unnerve or be dramatic. Her kill was sombre and the active getting the brand reflected that

🍂 What was it like the first time Rook killed someone? How did they react afterwards? She behaved as expected afterwards. With obediance and unwavering loaylty. It was about a year into Rook being a fledgling. She was testing the potency of her poisons and another de Riva fledlging, who was always kind to her, was testing their resilience. Rook's poison was stronger. Her first contract, however, can be read here

Thank you for taking the time to read this if you did! And thank you to everyone below for one or more of the asks in xx

@livingthedragonlife @rookinthecrownest @umbralaether @a-jynx @skeleton-ships @sternentreue @handsomeamoeba @onebadlich @cute-ellyna @gwinaesfer @chamtong @distinctivelibrarians @silent-words and @thelittletrinethatcould @themontess @lafaiette who stuck a flower down in the main post's comments xx

[breserker]

i think what was among the most interesting things to me was how you put your life experiences into parts of this fic. it breathes a new kind of life into it and i thought it was admirable how you were able to turn (what were probably uncomfortable) experiences into something for a work of art that you care about. it's part of the beauty of being a writer and an artist i think!!

i also LOVED the small bits of character that you added that payed homage to bad experiences and ptsd that eileen and henry experienced. like henry's scars, his electrocution one never occured to me and i really loved that. it's just another part of his character that shows he held the lives of other people so highly even if they didn't share that same sentiment for him.

i also really loved the bits like when henry was listening over eileen's conversation with malorie, when henry looks in the mirror and sees all the horrible things he's had to do to survive, how his muscles have been honed for killing... i can just tell how much love and attention you hold for him and as a henry enjoyer i rly rly appreciate it. i also love that you allowed eileen to be bitter and angry after all the things she's gone thru. i truly believe she'd be that way after all that had happened.

i think i shot myself in the foot with the life experience thing because i'm now thinking about my last 4 major writing projects and going like this

but yeah i mean. the creative experience. damned if you do but more damned if you don't.

god funnily enough henry's electrocution scars have been a pretty solid headcanon for years now, although I'm not sure I ever got to write them down properly. I just found it so...idk, profound that in Henry's panic he just grabs the cuffs. i'm very very very particular about Henry, the earnest compassion mixed with just how catastrophically bad he can be with people in his withdrawn anxiety, and in particular how the game portrays his anxiety as like. NOT the trope shorthand that would've been easier and more palatable to display. i don't think it hit for a lot of people (and who's to say what all they intended or didn't end up in the game) but i really, really appreciate the non-normative way Henry comes off. it was more told than shown in blink snow corduroy thanks to eileen already having that in with him, but i was really taken with the idea that people can pick up on someone else's haunted nature and rationalize the eerie feeling they get with "that person is danger". i do believe the game when it says that Henry was happy with his life before the door got chained from the inside, but reclusiveness hits different when people see you as a threat, and if you don't have the tools or ability to disparage that notion, well...society does love throwing out babies with the bathwater. the fuck am i saying

and god my kingdom for genuinely angry female characters. like the anger that borders on too much, or would be too much, the panic that wraps with specifically in being cisfemale because of the socialization that anger is unacceptable in ugly forms to express. and the messiness of it all! not that he was present enough to feel it in full, but the misdirection of being angry at Travis for something he couldn't have possibly known even knowing that it wasn't the correct place to put that anger. idk! i reread my work when other people say they've read it to put myself at a similar level, and sometimes i feel lke the end of the last chapter (not the epilogue) "wraps things up too quick" but then again I don't think it wrapped much up at all, it just kind of hinted that this would go on for a while, it's just that now Eileen was alright with this going on for a while, because healing is so, so, so messy. and involves allowing yourself to feel angry that you need to heal at all, that wrong was done upon you, that you deserved to not have to have this. in some manner. otherwise, as henry mentioned, if someone isn't angry it's hard to believe anything happened at all, and that anything can be done to fix it.

[jerzwriter]

I don't know if you're still taking asks for "not so nice" but if I can shoot it out there - fear, guilt and betrayal for Trystan and Carolina, please!

I am, but even if I weren't, for you anything, my dear Mads! Let's roll!

fear: What is your OC's greatest fear? What do they do when confronted with it? Are they open with their fear, or do they hide it away?

Carolina and Trystan's fears are very similar, so I'll address them together. Of course, there is the standard fear of losing each other or those who are closest to them. That goes without saying. It's a little amplified for them, given the tragic losses they've already endured in their pasts. But, for each of them, it goes beyond that. It's the fear of someone they love facing death and being unable to protect them. It's literally the stuff of their nightmares.

Trystan will forever feel he could have done more to protect Julianna; he makes peace with it, but it's always there. Likewise, Carolina feels she should have been able to protect, or at least save, her father. It's not realistic at all, but guilt and fear tend to be irrational. In her logical mind, she knows she wasn't there when it occurred, and she was a child, but the logical mind is not always in control.

We've seen them cope with such situations in canon, and they typically rise to the occasion, but sometimes there are flashbacks and crippling panic. Each has learned to cope with it, but it will always be under the surface. It's pretty well understood among those closest to them, so they don't hide it, but they don't like to talk about it or bring it to the forefront either.

guilt: What is your OC guilty about? How do they handle their guilt? Do they try to avoid guilt, or do they accept it?

It sort of ties back to the "fear" answer. Their greatest guilt comes from feeling that they couldn't save the people who meant the most to them.

Carolina channeled that guilt into action, following in her father's footsteps and becoming a detective. She felt that by putting "bad guys" away and protecting others, she was somehow making up for not being able to protect her father. It's not perfect, but it's a healthy approach, even if it is a huge burden to bear.

Prior to meeting Carolina, Trystan tended to cope with his guilt by numbing it. Escapism was key - parties, drinking, indulging in things that lessened the pain - but he learned very quickly that those were salves that only provided a brief reprieve. He was looking for a way to heal, and I believe becoming involved in the Hand of Mahra case gave him that outlet. Like Carolina, working actively to find the murderer and bring them to justice gave him a sense of purpose and a feeling of doing something for the better good. This led to many positive changes in our Prince.

I think both of them accept it but try to manage it. They know it won't be productive, and they know that neither of their lost loved ones would want them to carry that burden. So, they do their best, but scars that deep never fully heal. When the feelings come, they try to cope with them alone and lean on each other, if necessary, to get through.

betrayal: Has your OC ever been betrayed by someone they thought they could trust? Has your OC ever betrayed someone who trusted them?

Well, they sure have had betrayals in their lives. We don't even have to go beyond canon for that. I'll concentrate on Carolina being betrayed by those in the NYPD and Trystan by his own family... time and again.

While Carolina's betrayal may not seem as severe - because it's not family - it was still painful. Police are supposed to be a brotherhood/sisterhood, and given her family's legacy, it's not what she had expected. That would have led to shock and disappointment, which is not easy to rebound from.

Sadly, Trystan grew up expecting betrayal from his family; the Thornes are not known for familial love or loyalty, but even he was astonished by how deep the betrayal went. First, when they allowed him to take the fall for Juliana's death and exiled him, then calling him back and trying him, and let's not even get into Vasili. Even though our boy knew he was living among vipers, he had no idea how bad it could get. He is quite happy to be back in New York and distancing himself from most of his family.

As to their betraying others, I think Trystan grappled with guilt that he had betrayed his entire nation. I don't think he let that go until he was about to be King, standing in front of everyone when he realized he was not doing Drakovia any favors by remaining if that's not where his heart was. But given the fact that he was brought up from birth to serve the nation, it took a lot for him to feel like it wasn't a total betrayal.

Carolina has not betrayed anyone to any great degree. Perhaps letting a little secret out - especially when she was younger - but nothing major. However, some of her former lovers will go to their grave insisting she betrayed them - even though she did not. Carolina is demiro, and Trystan is her first truly committed romantic relationship. She had relationship-ish things in the past, but she never ever viewed them as serious, romantic, or committed. She never promised anyone fidelity, but people believe what they want and some assumed they were more than they were. Is Carolina completely innocent here? No. Her communication skills were not always the best. Since the topic made her uncomfortable, she tended to evade it, so she's not without fault; but the truth is, she never broke promises because she never made them to begin with.

Thanks so much for the asks, Mads!

[iviarellereads]

The Shadow Rising, Chapter 31 - Assurances

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Whitecloak sunburst icon) In which a poor wee lad is in a bit over his head, but which one, or both?

PERSPECTIVE: Perrin et al enter the old sickhouse, Perrin recognizes Verin Mathwin, the Brown sister who'd caught up to them on the quest for the Horn. The other he's only seen once but knows something of: Alanna Mosvani, a Green sister, who Egg once said showed too much interest in Rand.(1) Marin tries to explain her reasoning, but Verin tells her it's perfectly alright. Alanna demands of Perrin to know if "the other two" returned with him. Perrin demands to know why they're here.

Marin tells Perrin to mind his manners. The Aes Sedai tell Marin kindly that she should get back to the village before anyone starts asking questions, and she leaves. Perrin asks again why they're here, it's awfully coincidental that everyone shows up at once. Verin says it's not coincidental at all: two incredibly powerful young women came to the Tower from just one village, so they thought they'd come see if there were any other suitable young women for training. There's some discussion between her and Alanna about "the Whites' plan" which seems to entail women having children by gentled male channelers to reinforce whatever tendencies might produce channelers.

Alanna says they were only in Watch Hill a week when they'd found four girls who could be trained, and a child who might have the inborn spark.(2) That's when the Whitecloaks appeared and they had to be spirited off into deeper hiding.

Perrin asks why they're not doing anything about the Whitecloaks, and Alanna tells him in a tight voice that he has no idea what he's talking about: she's already lost a Warder when the Children caught him in an open field. She felt every arrow that struck him until he died, then felt him die as well. If she were there, she could defend him and herself, but she cannot use the Power for revenge because of the Oaths.

Alanna notices Perrin's wounds, and the party explain that it was Trollocs, as they came through the Ways. Alanna says she'll never understand why the Amyrlin Seat let "you three" go their own way. With the seals weakening and the Last Battle coming, the last thing they need is three ta'veren running loose.(3) She says she would have considered bonding them... not against their will, she's not quite that lost to custom, not yet. She finishes her delve weave, checking for all Perrin's injuries, and says his cheek has gone too long since it happened, it'll leave a scar. He says he doesn't have to be pretty, but Alanna and Faile share a look before Alanna heals him. Faile calls the scar afterward "a beauty mark".

Ihvon comes back and whispers with Alanna for a moment, then leaves. A moment later, Tam and Abell walk in. Both are amazed at Loial, and Tam's face flickers with recognition of the Aiel. They both greet Perrin warmly and ask for news of their sons. Perrin tells them both were fine in Tear when he last saw them, hoping only Verin knows the full import of the statement.

Tam asks if Moiraine was right about the Trollocs being after them on Winternight. Verin gives Perrin a warning look, and Alanna looks a little too alert while rummaging in her saddlebags. Perrin says they'll have to ask Moiraine about that. Tam and Abell give the Aes Sedai some of the rabbits they've hunted, telling Perrin the AS gave them some healing, and they're stocking up against future need. Perrin follows them outside to talk. The older men joke about Perrin's beard (and chuckle when Perrin says Faile likes it) but never mention his eyes. When they talk about managing a woman, Perrin thinks how similar the advice is to what Mistress al’Vere gave Faile for managing him, and wonders if Tam and Marin ever compared notes.(4)

Abell does say that Alanna let slip that the three boys are all ta'veren. How did he come to travel with an Ogier and three Aiel? Perrin says that's nothing to do with ta'veren, they're just friends, in a complicated way. Tam starts to tell Perrin about his family, but Perrin says he knows, and then they all spot a raven. Tam and Abell both have arrows in it before Perrin finishes drawing one.

They say nobody paid much mind to the ravens until they started attacking the sheep. Now they doubt there'll even be merchants for their wool this year, and there are all sorts of dead animals in the woods, from rabbits up to bears, most not even skinned, just left to rot. It's definitely the work of a man, not a Trolloc, from the tracks left beside them. Perrin thinks Slayer must be here and not just in the wolf dream.

Perrin asks how difficult it'll be to rescue the Cauthon women, and Abell admits tiredly that it'll be powerful hard. And even if they get them out of the Whitecloaks' hands, there may not be anywhere to keep them safe: the whole of the 2Rs is caught between the two millstones of Whitecloaks and Trollocs, hoping not to get ground down by one or the other. Perrin says he thought better of 2Rs folk than that, and he means to give this place a reputation for being hostile to Trollocs. Tam is about to say something, but stops when the light catches Perrin's eyes.

Abell cautions Perrin not to let the hate eat him from the inside out. Perrin says nothing's eating him, he just means to do what needs doing.(5)

PERSPECTIVE: Dain, returning from a patrol. He left with 100 men, and returns with 11 bodies strapped over their horses, and 23 more injured. This is the third patrol that's been ambushed by Trollocs, and not just that: it's only the patrols he goes on personally. And the encounters seem to be planned. He sees some activity in the Traveling People's camp, and tells one of his men to tell the Seeker that if he means to move his people, they can go south. And no boots or fists: this Raen has ears, words will suffice.(6)

He looks over his camp, thinks about the prisoners, wonders if they're Darkfriends, as Ordeith claims. Even if they are, there's only one he wants: Perrin Aybara. He can't believe Byar's tales of Perrin running with wolves, but he can believe that Perrin led Geofram, Dain's ol pops, into a trap to be killed by the Seanchan Darkfriends and their Aes Sedai allies.

He dismounts at his tent, and Byar says Ordeith is back, with two casualties, and names them. Dain tells Byar to bring Ordeith if he has to arrest the man. In the tent, he thinks how twice he's sent men with Ordeith, and both times, every man he sent came back dead from a "skirmish with Trollocs" with no wounded among the rest of his group.(7)

Dain thinks how everywhere else in the world, people are willing to root out their own Darkfriends, but here, everywhere except Taren Ferry, folk just stare at the Dragon's Fang with a sullen stubbornness, it might as well be whitewash for all the good it does.

Ordeith swaggers into Dain's tent, and Dain smacks him when he starts to talk about the "Trolloc skirmish". His accent changes, and he starts talking about how they have to scourge out the corruption that spawned those three Darkfriends: Rand al’Thor. Mat Cauthon. Perrin Aybara. They argue another minute, and Ordeith says if Dain can give him a free hand to do his work in secret, he can put Perrin Aybara in Dain's hands. Dain tells him to get out and wonders what the Lord Captain Commander is up to with Ordeith.

PERSPECTIVE: Padan Fain, Mordeth, Ordeith, so many names for one man, or is he just one man anymore. He thinks Bornhald might have to be disposed of soon, he's getting too troublesome. He can feel one of the three boys in Emond's Field. He thinks he'd know if it were Rand, the only one he really wants, but he's sure Rand will come eventually.

Everything was going to plan until "this new one" appeared with Gray Men. Still, he goes back to his tent, and the men who Bornhald and even Pedron Niall still think are theirs. He goes in to examine his prisoner, asking if they've thought over his proposal: accept and you walk free, refuse... he knows how to hurt "your sort".

The chain jerks, the stakes creak, and the Myrddraal says it accepts, now release it. Ordeith smiles and suggests they talk about agreements and accord first. The Myrddraal begins to sweat.(8)

=====

(1) Did you guess? Did you guess correctly? (2) It's enough to make you wonder if, perhaps, despite Alanna's protests that they look sooooo far abroad, every place might have more women who can channel, and the Aes Sedai leave the White Tower so rarely that they just don't get found because nobody goes to those wee villages even on the way to somewhere else. The places they DO travel get picked clean, leaving fewer (3) And again, the dismissal that anyone outside the Tower could be capable of anything meaningful. Something RJ is really good at, though a lot of readers ignore it, is establishing that while the Aes Sedai live a long time and have access to the most knowledge in the world as they've collected it over the past 3000 years, they have insulated themselves in the Tower, they have ignored the affairs of the outside world except for the politics of rulers, and they have been corrupted from the inside by forces that it just isn't polite to talk about. Remind you of, oh, I don't know, every major institution, political and religious, in the 21st century? (4) See, and this sort of aside is why I think there was an active attempt to draw attention to it, lampshade and spotlight it, as an attempted deconstruction. Whether it's successful is up for debate (and debate continues, at least as lively now as thirty years ago) but I dunno, I think credit should be given where due. (5) Right, because that's where it's going to end, totally. Still, it certainly seems Perrin's ramping up to do something real about this situation, which is good, because we're well on past the halfway mark of this book already. Chop chop, good sir. Put that axe to good use. (6) We remember Raen, don't we? Despite that it's been, oh, three books since we saw him and his caravan? How funny that they're in the 2Rs right as Perrin comes back as well. (7) I wonder how long it'll take poor Dain to realize that he's never been in control of this operation, and Ordeith is the Darkfriend he's looking for, who had his father sent to his death, not Perrin. Alas, probably never at this rate, amirite? (Because Ordeith wants to try to kill him.) (8) And Fain's still hunting the wonderboys and torturing Myrddraal. So, a day ending in Y, then. But, who was that one he mentioned, who brought Gray Men? How many different groups and operatives are staging up in the Two Rivers?

[takerfoxx]

The Owl House, Season 2, Episode 9, "Eclipse Lake," First Impressions!

And so the rivals meet.

And the masks come off.

Literally.

I know I open each review praising this season, but I can't help it. It's been such a drastic leap in quality from the first to the second season that I am continually impressed. We get plot threads and lore that was so noticeably missing in season 1, and delivered so well. The animation is incredibly impressive, to the point where each episode's climax feels like it could be a season finale. We get some awesome new characters, wonderful interactions, cathartic emotional moments...

And Lumity is canon.

REMEMBER ALL THOSE TIMES WHERE I SAID THAT I HOPED THAT THEY WOULD PULL THE TRIGGER MID-SEASON SO WE WOULD ACTUALLY GET SOME EPISODES OF THEM BEING GIRLFRIENDS? I GOT WHAT I WANTED!

But before we get to that, the episode decides to just casually drop a bomb on us.

We get to see Emperor Belos's face.

(ignore the red circles, it's the only image I could find so early)

Now, I've seen a lot of people express disappointment that such a threatening villain has such a non-threatening real face, horrific scars aside, but I really like this look, even with the "kindly" expression.

See, Belos already has a classic villain look, and it's awesome. But this add an even more uncomfortable dimension to him. Evil often wears a fair face, and you can honestly see how someone like Belos could keep such control over Hunter.

And let's be clear: Belos and Hunter's relationship is 100% abusive. It's a mixture of flattery and cruelty that creates a very uncomfortable dynamic. Hunter is basically dependent on Belos for validation, and fears disappointing him above all, and Belos knows this. It's very...Horde Prime, I guess.

Now, if you'll recall, I was supportive of the theory that Belos is Philip Wittebane. Now that I see his face, I'm not so sure, as that ravaged ear could go either way. I would not be at all surprised if he and Hunter are Philip's descendants though. It would explain their lack of natural magic if they were part human. If he's not Philip, Belos having gone to the human world in the past is very interesting.

Though you know who he reminds of? Principal Bump. I wonder if they're related.

Also, I noted that Belos is studying something called the Grimwalker. Whatever that is, it cannot bode well.

Meanwhile, back at the Owl House, another victim of an abusive parental figure is very much trying her best! Luz is sick with the "common mold," and since she's human, it's really hitting her hard, so Amity is taking charge to be an awesome girlfriend and do everything she can to take care of her. And she has enlisted Gus, Willow, and Hooty to help.

Poor Amity. She's come a long way, but she still hasn't shaken the damage her parents had done to her. She still judges herself by her usefulness to others, and now that Luz is the most important person in her life, she's still terrified of letting that person down, possibly getting rejected as a result. Of course that won't happen, as Luz is Luz, but that's not a mode of behavior you can just shake off.

Also, I do note that Gus and Willow are really starting to feel so first season. I'm not saying they lack depth or don't have a place, but considering how much growth all the characters have had, they do kind of feel like they're just fulfilling the supportive friend role instead of acting as fleshed out characters in their own right.

Though King namedropping Lofi-Beats did make me pop.

Meanwhile, Eda's got her own thing going, specifically trying to figure out how to change into the harpy at will. Which involves knockoff Dragon Ball Z for some reason? Which she apparently saw in theaters when it first came out three decades ago? I know she made multiple trips to the human world, but how much of that time was spent just binging on anime?

ANYWAY, though Luz is really sick and out of it, she manages to coax another bit of information from the echo mouse, and that is she'll need some of the Titan's blood in order to go home. And apparently the best sort is a place called Eclipse Lake.

Which is where the increasingly paranoid Kikimora is currently staging operations.

And where Hunter heads in order to one-up her.

You see where this is going.

It was very interesting watching Hunter and Amity interact, since they're so similar in how they've been manipulated and abused by their guardians and the ridiculously high standards they set for themselves, whereas Luz, the person that connects is their absolute foil. And I honestly don't think Hunter was trying to manipulate Amity when he misinterpreted Luz's texts. That is just how he feels about things. That's how much Belos has messed him up. And while Amity is further on the path to healing, she still has a way to go. That's how Hunter was able to get into her head so easily. She's terrified of being rejected by Luz. Luz is the only person that makes her feel good about being, well, herself.

I'm going to skip over a good chunk of this episode and get to the really good part. Namely, the fight between Hunter and Amity. Oh, my God, it was so awesome. The animation, the direction, seeing how far Amity has come as an abomination-centered witch, see Hunter display a host of new abilities from accepting Rascal as his palisman (which does...raise questions), to that final confrontation. I did notice Amity breaking the key as soon as that cracking sound happened, so she has some Titan's blood to work with. There's more in the key Hunter now has, but is it enough? And now that he has accepted his palisman, how much is that going to change between him in Belos? Because Belos is totally going to find out.

But yeah, stellar climax. They're really breaking the bank this season.

So, let's review: Belos has the portal, but no key. Hunter has the key, but it's cracked and doesn't have enough Titan's blood. The Owl House gang have some Titan's blood, but whether or not it's enough to get Luz home remains to be seen.

Also, Kikimora! Relax! Jesus.