#since some of the relations events (of course) build off info from the last one marika might be trying to audition for a role in a film bc-

[caramelmochacrow]

yk i was working on a post where i tried to guess the next relations event after the kurumi and miiko relations but ig i was gonna be wrong either way bc there wasnt going to be any relations after that lmfao 🥲

[barbariccia]

it’s time to talk about Hydaelyn.

i’ve been sat on this theory for a long time - i’m pretty sure i didn’t come up with the original idea myself, but the more i think about it the more it makes sense to me. i’m not sure HOW it’ll come into play in the story, necessarily, but the new year’s eve poem posted last night has me rubbing my chin even more. so:

Hydaelyn exists under Silvertear Lake and i won’t hear no for an answer.

(please note there'll be spoilers for 5.0.)

we have known since 1.0 that there’s Something Under Silvertear. admittedly, in 1.0 it was likely just Midgardsormr, because the times have been a-changing and while the dev team has done a truly admirable job at building on what lore remained from the 1.X days, they couldn’t and didn’t keep everything intact. i do not at any point consider this a downside, just something worth noting!

the Garleans, headed by Gaius van Baelsar (acting under solus-selch’s orders), after the invasion and successful annexing of Ala Mhigo, pushed into Mor Dhona as the next part of their “invade Eorzea” project as a central location that would make continued pushes into the land easy. not only that, but Mor Dhona is noted as being (and has been since 1.X) the center of aetherial connections in Eorzea, if not the whole world, though Eorzea is particularly topped up with aether compared to other landmasses. Cid Garlond in his 1.X iteration suggests that Mor Dhona is where aether returns to rejoin the Lifestream. Quote:

Cid nan Garlond: All aether would - should pass through Silvertear Lake upon returning to the Land, but it now appears that something is bending the energy's course - drawing it away.

in 1.X, Nael van Darnus was originally drawing Dalamud down to fall on this area, where Castrum Novum (now Castrum Centri in ARR and beyond) was built, until adventurers put a stop to that and the transmitter was relocated to Coerthas, where the Rivenroad was ripped from. I’ll accept it as a happy coincidence - the castra was built in this area, it makes sense for plot events to happen there - but it does strike me as interesting, especially where the parallel between the Garlean’s Meteor Project and the original Meteor from FFVII is concerned. Sephiroth wasn’t just calling down a giant slab of asteroid for shiggles; he was doing it specifically to create a wound in the Planet that would require an immense amount of energy to heal that he could siphon off of and become a god. If XIV’s Meteor had hit (and not hatched like an egg), a similar thing might have happened.

And there’s no better place to call a lot of aether to the fore than somewhere entirely rich in it. Almost like there’s a great being in that area dependent on aether that directs the Lifestream through itself to preserve not only itself, but all life on the planet.

The second the Garleans got too close to the lake, Middy burst out with a whole host of Dravanians and the Battle of Silvertear Skies began (and ended with Dravanian victory at great cost). This sequence from 1.X is notable as being one of those things that has to have been changed from ARR onwards considering what we now know about primal summoning (they weren’t just ‘let loose’ into the world, they’ve been actively taught to certain peoples (though why only ‘now’ and not ‘before, too’ is still up in the air)) - not to mention we know that the Echo started manifesting after the battle, too, almost as though something felt like it was in danger and needed thralls (1) to protect itself - but Middy came out to protect something. He’d been known as the great protector of Silvertear Lake for a very long time, since he first appeared to the source. Quote The Rising Chorus, from patch 2.5:

Minfilia: [...] an unlikely ally came to Eorzea's aid that day─Midgardsormr, legendary guardian of Silvertear Falls, burst forth from beneath the waters of the lake and led a host of dragons against the Garlean airships overhead.

Minfilia:  Midgardsormr was once worshipped as the guardian deity of Silvertear Falls [...]

Minfilia: One of the ancient myths regarding Silvertear Falls states that when the waters came into existence, so too did the great wyrm. Althyk and Nymeia, Brother Time and Sister Fate, decreed that Midgardsormr ever watch over the source, from which all water─and magic─was said to flow.   I wonder... What if this was the covenant of which he spoke, and 'twas not the gods with whom he treated, but Hydaelyn Herself? 

minfy and ourselves can only guess as to the nature of the covenant forged between hydaelyn and midgardsormr. Following the Omega questline, we know that Midgardsormr fled the Dragonstar with his seven eggs to get away from Omega, crossing the vast expanse of space at great cost to his own personal strength. We don’t know at what time Midgardsormr appeared to the Source - whether it was before, during, or after the time of the 13th Reflection being turned into the Void as we know it - but it would have been post-Sundering of the Ancient world, considering he was able to make a pact with Hydaelyn at all (2) (not to mention there’s no dragons on the First; if there were dragons everywhere we’d know they were reflections of the First Brood! i’m still angy there’s no Azdaja and Vrtra. fucking PLEASE squenix i’m DYING for info on them).

(1) this is a good a place as any to mention that in 1.X, Minfilia - then known as Ascilia - witnessed the Battle of Silvertear Falls with her father Warburton and her Echo awoke a few years later. interesting to think that the primal that tempered Ascilia in potential desperation would later scour her clean and use her for its own purposes, though i know this wasn’t intentional from the devs at all as a plot-point.

(2) the nature of Hydaelyn and Zodiark’s battle makes me doubt that there was much time between Her summoning and the Sundering of the world

There’s an interview from 2014/15 with Koji Fox where he notes, quote,"There's a presence [at Silvertear]. It wasn't just Midgardsormr there, it was more of a force[...]". There’s definitely something there that isn’t just the dragons. Something big. It’s Hydaelyn!!! It has to be. (highlights in the excerpt mine.)

My interpretation of this event is that Midgardsormr agreed to protect the physical ‘body’ of Hydaelyn in exchange for the safety of his eggs - the First Brood - which is what he’s been doing for potentially upwards of 10,000 years. The battle at Silvertear is pretty explosive otherwise for what’s effectively a non-event. There might not have been dragons in Gyr Abania, or in Ilsabard, or Othard or anywhere else they’ve been pushing into - but there’s never been any indication of the dragons being particularly territorial. The Dravanians shared their space with proto-Ishgardians back in the day, and their issues with the elezen of the Source was due to some choice eye-vorage, not encroaching on lands like the sahagin and kobolds.

As for Hydaelyn’s physical form - well, it’s known that Zodiark has a physical form which was sealed directly into the moon. The true moon, known to us colloquially as Menphina (3) (is there another name for it? i haven’t seen anything). It stands to reason that Hydaelyn has a physical form as well, then, hidden away somewhere safe, because as we known, primals can be defeated and their essences scattered to return back to the Lifesteam.

(3) Hey, it’s worth noting here that Menphina, the Lover (whose divine stone is parked right where Haurchefant’s grave is) is said to be the younger sister of Azeyma, the Warden! and boy, while we’re thinking about the misremembered names of the Convocation coming back as names of gods in modern day, what significance does that have?

The Antitower: In all of creation, what greater mystery could there be than the fate of this very star? To sound the deepest depths, to study the aetherial sea itself─for these purposes and more was the Antitower built. Abandoned by her Sharlayan caretakers following the exodus, it has since been overrun by the magical guardians they left behind. Yet were one blessed with Her gift to brave these dangers and descend to the furthest reaches─to hear, feel, and think at the heart of this world─what would they find?

(emphasis mine.)

in the cutscenes following the Antitower, we meet Hydaelyn in the aetherial sea, and Her mouthpiece, the Word of the Mother. and by using the Antitower, something specifically Sharlayan-built, no less. I’d be very interested to know if you can reach the aetherial sea from only the Forelands, where that dungeon is, or from anywhere. I’m gonna make a stab at anywhere.

It’s been brought to my attention that in the cutscenes post-Antitower, Hydaelyn mentions in the quest The Word of the Mother (patch 3.2), and Ardbert echoes later in Shadows of the First (patch 3.4) that “across ten and three were [we] then divided, reflections of the source, each possessed of a shard”, which seems to imply that not only the people of the world and Zodiark, but also Hydaelyn Herself was sundered and became weaker in so doing. which is FANTASTICALLY interesting, all things considered! maybe She wasn’t just becoming weak (and finding it harder to take mouthpieces and the like) because of the land’s aether being drained by primals (and other sources).

The just-released (as of time of writing) New Year’s Eve poem makes me think that the “last chapter of this story” might relate back to this in some way.

[EN]

Our progeny may never know Wherefore we look unto the sky Nor why we dig for truth below; We bear their scorn or watch them die.

[FR]

With our mouths closed, we pile stone upon stone, To form a staircase leading to the lands of knowledge, As well as another pointing to the heavens of existence. Our children will remember it, no matter how angry they are.

[GR]

Committed to our silent office We seek wisdom in the deep earth. Put tomorrow in starry hands, Sung by children's lamentations.

[JP]

By staying silent and saying naught, we will not accumulate the crystals(?) (4) To gain knowledge, we climb into the earth, To survive, we climb to into the heavens. Even if our progeny resent us, it is all for their sake.

(4) 石 meaning stone rather than ‘crystals’, 水晶 meaning ‘crystal’ (and used in the JP title of the Crystal Exarch).

*** translations from THIS reddit post and THIS tweet for the EU and JP translations of the poem, respectively.

something something 6.0 is looking more likely to be Sharlayan than anywhere else, something something big tower something something learn stuff from within the earth. c’moooon, i wanna go beat some answers out of crystal mom. walk freeeee indeed.

Getting away from the poems again and back to Stuff On The Source, we can take a look at the First, a much more pristine reflection of the Source due to having no Calamities happen to it ever. The Source (not to be confused with the Source), the equivalent of Silvertear, is being presided over by none other than... Bismarck, a member of the fae (and BOY i’d like to know more about whaleboi in this world!!!!), in exactly the same position Midgardsormr is, presumably protecting something of equal importance. Having said that, I don’t know if by splitting the world, Hydaelyn also split Herself.

Having said that, there’s an environmental anomaly in that area. Fly out to Bismarck’s (5) nose, and then dive under the waves. There’s a crystal formation coming out of the ground that can’t be found anywhere else on the First - there is nothing else similar to this formation - that has patches of light emitting from bits of it. A friend of mine noted that the way it seems to be coming through in only this location is almost cancerous in origin - that is to say, uncontained and Wrong in some manner, more complex than we have words or knowledge of. The only way you can interact with these crystals is in the level 78 mining levequest Crystal Meds, which notes that you can yank salt crystals out of that formation... but it seems a little too suspect to leave as ‘just salt’.

(5) Speaking of Bismarck, from that earlier interview with Koji Fox, he also has this to say, which... what else have you been hiding in plain sight... (highlights again mine.)

Or the Crystarium’s just going around seasoning their meals with primal mama, who knows.

Eep, this post got away from me. Anyway, i’m not really sure what to DO with any of this information. as many of my friends know i’ve been harping on about this for years at this point, and i’m not the best at speculation and guessing accurately where stories end up going - but it feels more right than ever to talk about it now after that poem was release.

hells, maybe they’ll give us another tower. say... a tower of bab-il, to take us to the moon? 6.0 FFIV expansion pretty please??

[delta-roseblr]

Lol, all the new info about the solangelo and delix kids made me want to have a fic just about them. So I was wondering if that would be possible? xD

Hello, Anon!

I know it has been forever since you sent this prompt, but it wasn't forgotten!

I hope this is worth the wait

_____________________________________________________

The Kids

· Because Solangelo and Delix both set down in California, Solangelo in New Rome and Delix stays in Northern California; they see each other a lot, as do their kids.

· The fact that Michael and Lee (Nico and Will's twins) and Mason (Felix and Dean's son) are a little more than a year apart just added to their drive to get together as a family. The kids could entertain each other, and they always got along well. The twins were challenging to entertain when they were little, so this is a big deal.

· Will and Dean always figured the three of them would always get along because, well, that was how they were, but Nico and Felix had their doubts. They figured that as the three got older and if (when) the twins started showing their demigod powers that they would drift.

· Nico and Felix turned out to be completely wrong, and the three just got closer as they got older.

· You would think, since Mason is the oldest of the three, he would take on the leadership role in the group, but that isn't how it works out. Mason is a pretty even-keeled kid. He definitely got Dean's tendency to want to put his head down and do his work. He can and does take the leadership role during team things like sports but not when the twins are involved.

· The twins are a damn handful from the moment they are born, and they never really change. Both of them are outgoing in their own ways. Lee is more competitive and will jump at the opportunity to take on a challenge, while Michael is more social- he can (and will) start a conversation with pretty much anyone he meets. The two are also a perfect storm of trouble because Michael will come up with an idea like they should buy fake ids and sneak into a club, and Lee will view it as a challenge, so he wants to do it, and they will absolutely find a way to talk Mason into joining them. Mason definitely tries his hardest to keep them out of trouble and manages to be at least somewhat successful sixty-five percent of the time.

· The twins love showing up at Mason's mortal school events, so even though they do not go there, most of Mason's classmates recognize them. They are also pretty much honorary members of Mason's lacrosse team. While Mason gives them shit for being menaces, he really likes when they show up, it definitely stops things from getting boring.

· Mason visits New Roman as well, even though not as much because going to New Roman can be a process as a mortal going to New Roman. Still, he has teamed up with the twins and a few of the other children of the seven around their age to case a little harmless trouble on the weekend.

· Btw, Dean has had several conversations with a teenage Mason about precisely what to do if he finds himself being hit on by a horny god (with very specific things to say to Apollo or Dionysus). Mason considers these the most embarrassing conversations he has ever had with his days. It's bad enough that his middle-aged dads still act like teenagers half the time and CAN'T keep their hands off each other. He doesn't want to hear about how Greek gods had tried to bone them back in the day. Grandpa Solace jumping in with "Just remember, Apollo isn't nearly as good in bed as he claims, and you can take my word for it" doesn't help with the awkwardness. He would rather have to go through the birds and bees talk a million times over.

· All three of these boys are NOT STRAIGHT. Michael is gay, while both Lee and Mason are bisexual. It's hard to say that Michael or Lee "came out" because it happened so organically. There was no sit everyone down and tell them moment. Instead, it was just "I LIKE like that boy" or "that boy is really cute" when they were like twelve. Mason takes FOREVER to admit this to himself and even longer to admit it to anyone else. Michael and Lee KNOW way before Mason admits to anything, and neither of them lets him hid from it. Lee tries the comforting approach hoping Mason will admit it while Michael goes more the exposure therapy route- he'll point out cute guys and ask what Mason thinks. He tricked Mason into going to a few gay events without Mason knowing until it was too late to back out.

· FYI, Mason comes out to Lee first, but only because they get into a fight because Lee is flirting with a boy; Mason secretly has a massive crush on (or at least he thinks it's a secret, but everyone can tell). Michael is solidly pissed about this for months, but that doesn't stop him from trying to play matchmaker.

Dribble:

The rain had stopped, and Mason supposed he should have been happy about that, but the lingering sense of tension and danger made it hard to appreciate. He, Michael, and Lee had already walked one block north of Gypsy Bar, and Mason was hoping as they put even more distance between themselves and the bar that sense of unease would dissipate at least a little.

They had been walking in silence for several minutes. That was a rare thing, and Mason hoped it meant that it was one of those rare occasions that his cousins were thinking about how horrible their idea had been, but Lee killed that hope the moment he opened his mouth.

"Well, we had to try," Lee declared.

Mason looked over and up because, of course, Lee was at least three inches taller than him. That would have been more annoying if Mason was at all insecure about his height, but at six foot he was comfortable. Also, he had a couple of inches on Michael, which helped.

Lee's hair looked practically white instead of its usual light blonde under the street lights' harsh glare, and his complexion seemed extra fair. Even his freckles were lost in the artificial light. Not surprisingly, there wasn't a single sign of worry on his face.

Maybe if Mason had Greek god powers, he would have been relaxed too, but he didn't. That call for adventure that Lee and Michael had just seemed like asking for trouble to Mason, the mere mortal. "Not with the worse fake IDs in history," Mason pointed out yet again.

"They were not that bad!" Michael was quick to defend.

This was not the first time Mason had heard that, and it didn't make it any less ridiculous. One of Michael and Lee's dads was literally a doctor that could heal people by touching them. There was no fucking excuse for their inability to see what was right in front of them. Why Michael had even bought the IDs, having seen them, Mason would never understand.

"They looked like they were hand-drawn by a preschool," Mason pointed out, "And the names were ridiculous."

"Pictures didn't look much like us," Lee agreed.

Michael let out a long, loud sigh, pushed a dark strand of hair that had fallen out of his ponytail and into his eye line, and tucked it behind his ear. While Lee looked like the stereotypical California surfer dude, Michael almost looked Mediterranean. He had light brown hair that he had grown out over the last year and now almost exclusively wore tied up, and he naturally had a more tan, almost olive complexion. Even with the differences, it was impossible not to recognize the two as twins immediately. They both had the same sharp facial features, lean and athletic builds, and light blue eyes.

Mason was the obvious odd man out in the group. His hair was somewhere between a light brown and a dark blonde, and his eyes were hazel rather than blue. His build was boxier, and he was definitely wider in the shoulders than his cousins, but that might have been because he had been playing lacrosse since he was eight. His facial features were also a little more square and angular. It might not have been a stretch to believe the three of them were related, but no one was going to mistake them for triplets.

"Okay, that is enough with the pouting," Michael declared with just a little bit of annoyance in his voice. Mason was a little surprised it had taken that long because usually, the more outrageous and destined to fail one of Michael's plans were, the more annoyed he got when it did, in fact, fail. "At least we got a fun story out of it," he stated.

Knowing Michael, he really did see that as a win which was crazy. Mason fucking loved his cousins. They were literally his best friends and really always had been, but sometimes they were crazy to be around. Mason put that on all the demigod stuff. After all, if you have literally trained to fight monsters since you were a little kid getting fake IDs and trying to sneak into a twenty-one and over club probably didn't sound all that crazy.

Mason wasn't exactly a fucking nun. Sneaking into a bar didn't sound completely crazy but trying to get into a bar known for checking IDs with comically bad fake IDs did.

"We are lucky they didn't call the police," Mason pointed out flatly. The bouncer had decided to take pity on them for some reason after giving them one hell of a fucking lecture, and Mason would forever be grateful. "Or worse, our parents," he added with a shutter.

"What are you worried about?" Lee asked with a laugh, "Uncle Dean and Uncle Felix would have been totally cool."

Mason gave Lee a serious look. "Nothing about my parents is cool," he stated firmly, "No matter how many people say otherwise."

"You really are a master of denial," Lee commented teasingly before patting his shoulder and adding, "It's kind of impressive."

The fact was Mason was well aware that his dads were pretty cool. If they had been called and told Mason had been caught with a fake ID trying to sneak into a bar, they probably wouldn't have even yelled at him. Neither of them were big yellers. Mason would have gotten one hell of a disapproving lecture which Mason was convinced was worse than yelling ever could be. He definitely would have lost a whole bunch of privileges for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, Mason had been hearing about how cool his dads were since he could remember. The fact that Felix getting early releases of video games all the time helped. Dean always bringing Mason and his friends for ice cream after practice when he was younger didn't hurt. As he got older, he just became the one with the cool parents in all his friend groups. It got old after a while, and that was before the term DILF started getting thrown around.

He would have been more annoyed if it was anyone besides Lee and Michael. They had it just as bad as he did, even if it was slightly different. Uncle Nico was practically a legion among Demigods for all the questing he did as a teenager, and even if he had just sat on his ass, he was still the son of Hades, which was a big thing. Uncle Will didn't have the history with all the questing, but he played an important role in some battle, which was enough to give him some fame. The twins had to deal with their fair share of people going full-on hero-worship over their dads, and then there was the fact that Uncle Nico had worked as a model for like five years.

Mason might not have been truly pissed off, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to flip Lee off for that comment. He did grin as he did it, at least so it was clear that it was all good.

They had walked about half a block as they had talked, and they made it about a block more in silence before Michael huffed. "So what are we going to do now?" he asked. Mason went to answer but barely got an opportunity to take a breath before Michael held up a finger to cut him off. "And the answer of going home is not allowed, so just don't even say it," he stated firmly.

Mason didn't get why going home, playing video games, ordering a pizza, and hanging out was such a bad idea. His dads were out on a date night, so they probably would have had the house to themselves, not that that mattered. According to Michael, that was just not an acceptable way for them to spend their evening, and in fairness, he had made that clear before then. That didn't mean that wasn't exactly what Mason had been prepared to suggest, but he wasn't really surprised that Michael warned him not to before he got a chance.

Mason stopped and looked around to get a feel for where they were. Since they were in West Berkeley, it was more his stomping ground rather than the twins. If it were New Rome, the twins would have a list of places they could go and things they could do, so he guessed it was on him to at least come up with one suggestion.

If he was honest, he only had a vague idea of where they were, and it wasn't a part of the city he visited often, so he didn't have the best idea of what was around. Ultimately, he went with the first thing that came to mind. "There is a really cool vintage bookstore like two blocks from here," he stated, pointing in the direction he thought it was.

It might have been the first thing he had thought of, but Mason didn't think it was a half-bad idea. He had been to the place a few times with Dean because Dean had a radar for little bookstores, and it didn't matter what they were doing or where they were supposed to be; he had to go in. It was such a well-known fact that Felix always looked up where bookstores were when they went on vacation so they could plan when they went. The little bookstore that Mason couldn't remember the name of had actually been pretty cool.

"You found an answer worse than go home," Michael commented flatly, "Why do you hurt me like this?"

Mason rolled his eyes because now Michael was just overdramatic. "They serve coffee and stuff," he informed.

"Coffee actually sounds pretty fucking good," Lee admitted, which was a good sign. Of the two, Michael always wanted to do something big and over-the-top. Lee could be like that sometimes, but he was more likely to see reason when Michael was just suggesting something crazy. Usually, if Mason could get Lee on his side, he had a chance. If Lee backed Michael's idea, then it was only a matter of time before Mason agreed to whatever insanity had been planned.

Michael stared between Mason and Lee with clear disapproval. "We can not go from trying to sneak into a 21 and over club to drinking coffee in a used bookstore," he stated with disgust before just shaking his head with disappointment, "Honestly, what is wrong with you two?"

"Okay," Lee declared, managing to sound just as unamused by Michael as Michael was with them. Lee was infinitely better at dealing with his brother when he was being dramatic than Mason was. "How about we go into that pizza place-" he pointed past Mason toward a small pizza place just across the street from where they were standing, "-and talk to the cute girls that are walking in."

"Well, that doesn't sound like fun for me!" Michael grumbled as he turned and assessed the option for a split second. "Oh, there is a couple of boys that could be cute! I don't hate that idea."

Mason gave in and turned to see what they were talking about and immediately wanted to crawl into a hole and die. "Oh my god, could you too stop staring," he hissed as he turned his back on the scene and hoped no one saw him.

They should have gone to New Rome.

Of course, both Michael and Lee were staring at him, and he knew they were going to ask. Neither of them was precisely known for letting things go either.

"What?" Mason shrugged, sounding more defensive than he meant to, "They are people from my school."

Michael and Lee exchanged a look that was never a good thing. It was one of those weird twin silent communication things they would do, and it usually meant they were about to tag team, Mason. It never worked out well.

"You know them?" Michael asked, although he managed to give the question far more weight than such a simple question should have had.

Lee was even less subtle as he stared at Mason with obvious suspicion, "How come we don't know them?"

Obviously, Michael and Lee didn't go to Mason's high school because they were in New Rome, but they hung around with Mason enough that they knew all of Mason's school friends and a fair number of his classmates. It wasn't necessarily weird that they didn't know someone that Mason knew from school, but it was a more rare occurrence. On this specific occasion, it actually made a lot of sense because they were people Mason only recently started getting to know.

"It looked like Theo and a few of the other kids from the theater club," Mason explained. Mason was not a theater kid. Even if he had wanted to be, he never would have had time with lacrosse and soccer. Since he was a junior and apparently would benefit from diversifying his afterschool activities (so saith his guidance counselor), he joined the AV club and somehow ended up helping with the school play, so he got to know some of the theater kids over the last few months. Not a big deal in the slightest. "And for the record, you two aren't entitled to know all my school friends," he pointed out just to prove a point.

Michael and Lee exchanged another look.

"Theo?" Lee questioned.

"Interesting," Michael commented.

Mason's heart jumped into his throat. Had he said that name? He hadn't meant to, but it must have just slipped out. He was absolutely fucked because the twins weren't going to let that go, and that was the last thing Mason needed. Theo was just a dude with great hair that made Mason feel weird sometimes, and he didn't want to talk about that.

Play it cool, Mason told himself through his internal panic. He shrugged, which felt like the most unnatural gesture ever. "He hangs out with a lot of the AV kids helping with the play," he explained. More accurately, he hung around many band kids helping with the play, and Mason had to adjust the audio equipment a fair amount. After talking a few times, Mason may have invited him to hang out with the AV kids, and the guy took him up on that. There was no fucking way he was telling Lee and Michael that story. "I've learned his name. It isn't a big deal," he stated. That at least was true, and no one would convince Mason otherwise.

Michael and Lee were silent for a long moment, just staring at him before Michael broke the silence. "You know what? Pizza sounds fantastic," He declared before turning on his heels and starting across the street. He was halfway across before he called over his shoulder, "And I love a good theater club. Always fun gays."

Lee patted Mason on the shoulder, which turned into him practically pushing Mason forward toward the pizza shop. "So, which one is Theo exactly," Lee asked in a mischievous tone.

Now Mason wished their wrong fake IDs had worked.

[bladekindeyewear]

Bloggin’ thru new Homestuck^2 bonus, The Influencers part 2.  Kinda got my gears ground during part 1, but that largely wasn’t this sideplot’s fault, so I should still be able to enjoy it.

Reminder, bonus update blogging is always light on detail because I don’t wanna spoil all the paid content, but I’ll give the gist of my reactions and go into anything plot or character related that helps understand the main story, as well as giving you a real top-down view of “what happens” so you know what it’s about and whether or not to invest in looking yourself.  (And I don’t necessarily have to give you anything that isn’t main-plot-relevant.)

So where are they going to follow the main party?  They shouldn’t need to record the funeral I’d assume, because that already would have been televised (and awful for Jane’s PR)...  *click*

9/28/2020 - The Influencers, Part 2

TEACHER: Time’s a-ticking. TEACHER: The next plot point is yours to change, if you want it. Don’t you feel it calling to you?

Yeah, just hanging a lampshade on this whole parallel sideplot I guess.

> (==>)

Whatever it is, Imode feels it. A tiny string of relevance spooling out from their belly. They want to follow it.

That’s pretty Lighty and/or Seery.  I’ve used that terminology to describe the pull of Light and its “relevance” connotations even since the only fanfic I’ve ever written, back in 2011 during Homestuck’s run, and it’s obvious enough terminology that I think Rose later mentioned it somewhere like in the Epilogues.  Are these three kids perhaps going to get a fourth, and become their own session by the end of this like Harry, Vrissy, Tavros and Yiffy might?

They can’t stop picturing their friend, Harry Anderson, arrested or tortured or worse. They’re not sure what there is to be done to stop this chain of events, but they’re sure as shit gonna find out.

(”They” is almost certainly referring to Imode here, not all three, since Imode uses they/them.)

Alright, self-aggrandizing used for good.  Show off the sort of thing that Vriska could have accomplished if she actually used her talents for her team for once.  (Besides, like, the similar thing she did just recently by making a scene.)

> (==>)

Imode is the first to choose pursuing this path over bootlicking, and the others are sure to follow.

> (==>)

Yup, Avril and Silas follow.  (Had to be reminded of ALL of their names, it’s been months since their single named appearance.)

> (==>)

Crockercopters overhead but none taking note yet, just ominous setdressing

> (==>)

IMODE: lemme take a ⏱️ to 😮‍💨 before we figure out where to go next. AVRIL: wait don't you know? IMODE: Huh? AVRIL: we were following YOU this whole time.

Oh, that answers the first question I asked.  They have NO clue where they’re going.  Let’s see if they luck out and find the clock tower.

IMODE: You 👂 what he said about the next step 📞 to us, same as i did. Don't you feel it pulling at you?

Literal pull? Powers? Future player?  --All baseless speculation of course.

SILAS: Woah are you seein’ this.

Vriska’s probably putting on her very public display now.  (This is a bonus so I’m skipping lots of banter and arguing.)

> (==>)

Oh, they just saw John flying up to the clock tower in his outfit.  And catching sight of him fly is rare celebrity gossip stuff so of course it’d stand out to them, apparently.  (Only one of them is athletic apparently, the other two are groaning at the prospect of more running.)

> (==>)

Avril always enjoys running, but there’s something else thumping along to the rhythm of the thuds of his feet and beat of his heart. He’d thought Imode was nuts for feeling it just a minute prior, but now he’s realized he isn’t deadweight, that he hasn’t fucked up someone’s life irrevocably, and it pushes him faster and faster as he tears ass toward the belltower.

(Did we know Avril was he/him before this?  Probably but if so I forgot.)

Okay, since we’re getting glimpses into each of their headspaces narratively that BOTH have had some oblique aspect references, I have to at least OPERATE on a guessy assumption that there’s a sort of classpect-for-each-of-them thing going here.

I’ve quoted both those whole paragraphs here... so what do I see?  This is going to be a bit tougher because I don’t care as much to remember these characters...

Imode had some Lighty-or-Seery language, and then could not stop picturing bad things happening to Harry, wanting to avert that chain of events.  So something of a Seer or Mage would make sense.  But given how easily Lighty stuff and the Understanding classes (or at least what we think those are) can be conflated, Mage of Light seems a bit of a premature jump.  Heck, I’m only saying Mage because a Seer of Light already occupies a starring role, and because her first act on that feeling was to jump after it herself and tell the others:

IMODE: Stay here and 👢👅 your way into fame if that's what you really want. IMODE: I’m ✈️. Follow me if you’re not 🐔💩.

--leading by example rather than directing the others into battle.  Only half-caring if they followed, willing to pursue it herself if necessary.  So, potentially more “Active”.

As for Avril... the word “heart” is mentioned there, sure, but the full context is “there’s something else thumping along to the rhythm of the thuds of his feet and beat of his heart”.  I’m inclined to think that the rhythm/beat references, especially the even footsteps and heartbeats hitting like a metronome, might be more tied to Time?  But if so, I don’t see anything class-related.  (Could also be Blood, and him thinking of what he owes in the last sentences could be reinforcing that?  Big question marks for now.)

> (==>)

Door to the belltower’s locked.  The kids figure John’s forgotten that his son can’t fly.

AVRIL: this is it, this is the thing we can help with! #feelinit #vibes IMODE: OK I'm excited that you believe me now, but what are you gonna even do? IMODE: use your big all-star 💪 to break down the 🚪?

--so they think they can “resolve a missing plot point” by getting the way into the clock tower open?  Is this going to be a theme or running joke of the Influencers sideplot, showing plotholes resolved in bonus content like how we finally saw how Gamzee’s body was relocated last time?  When I was explicitly mad about that?  (This seems like a much smaller one though.)

Apparently in HS^2 proper they remarked that the door SHOULD be locked, but Vriska just opened it anyway and wasn’t surprised it was unlocked, which she would’ve ascribed to her luck -- how the universe just makes way for her.  (And we’re literally seeing HOW the “universe” “made way” for her this way, through these Influencer kids.  Even though Vriska could have broken down the door in a second and it’s practically meaningless.)

> (==>)

Avril just has the key!

AVRIL: so like my photoshoots are like, #modernfashion #myworkout #urbexp IMODE: Yea, your 📸 are why we’re all in this mess. We know. Get to it. AVRIL: fair. ok well this is the urban exploration part. AVRIL: a lot of the public infrastructure buildings in the kingdom have the same weird, shitty deadbolts on them. AVRIL: its like they were mass-produced for ease of access or something. AVRIL: none of the deep crockergov stuff, but a lot of the kingdom maintenance buildings. AVRIL: so once you swipe one key, you got access to it all. AVRIL: that’s how i get a lot of my hard-to-get shots #tradesecrets #tellnoone

Hhhmmmmm.  So what does this tell us about his potential role?  Getting places you’re not supposed to is associated with the Thief, Rogue, Bard, and sometimes Knight classes... as well as the Time/Space aspects, or the Void and Breath aspects.  A Thief or Rogue of Time could do the trick, and fit with the rhythm paragraph earlier... whereas Space doesn’t have the same rhythm associations even if it is “places” he’s getting into for these shots.  And photography, snapshots still in time, is something Dave was also explicitly into.  Plus, this exploit he’s showcasing is specifically for older buildings, playing into history/archaeology from an urban perspective.

So, Time is looking like a safer and safer bet for him.

> (==>)

lock click

> (==>)

long-hair swoop, cheer

SILAS: Yeah, I’m tickled a near-disproportionate amount by the unlockin’ of a door, so I’m inclined to believe you were onto somethin’.

Still no real hints about Silas, yet.

AVRIL: ok so. we did it, right? #missioncomplete AVRIL: feels a little anticlimactic #tbh IMODE: idk, I think so? whatever I was feeling doesn't seem so immediate anymore. IMODE: I wonder if-

Okay, that’s some near-confirmation that Imode was LITERALLY FEELING the plot or some such.  We’ll probably end the Influencers sidestory eventually with at least solid GUESSES blatantly obvious for their potential Hero Roles or the like.

> (==>)

Ah, Vriska and the kids are coming-- and we get the Silas paragraph(s)!  Silas is green-themed with green text, and a session with a Time player has a good chance of having a Space player too, so let’s see if...

Silas doesn’t know what being spotted by the other kids might mean, metaphysically or logistically or legally. She’s not particularly pressed by that sort of thing. But this is a day that’s come with more introspecting than she’s used to having to endure in a year, so she's ready to get moving before it becomes an issue.

As Harry Anderson, Vrissy, Vriska, and Tavros proceed to have this conversation, Silas pushes to catch up with Avril’s pace. She’s not sure where they’re headed, and has no clue what all this means for her. She knows the step she’s taken isn’t one she’ll be able to backtrack from, but she’ll figure that out tomorrow. For now, one foot in front of the other.

That...

I mean there’s a lot of talk of time-FRAMES, from a lazy perspective, but just-pushing-forward-in-the-here-and-now is reasonably Spacey? ...hm.  I was excited for the Silas paragraph(s) but I don’t see any immediately-apparent pattern meant for us to discern classpect info here.  Maybe a female Page example (since we could use one), propelled along by events without knowing what’s going on at first, too early in her journey to have taken more than her first step up the gradual incline of her long-term potential?

I really don’t know I guess.

Anyway, that’s the end of the bonus upd8!  See ya in a while.

[thaliatimsh]

So I saw your meme about the eucharist monologue, which I loved, but the possibility of George Hodgson being autistic has lived in my head rent free ever since I saw it. It fits his behaviors so well, and to this date has been one of the most galaxy brain takes I have ever seen. I was wondering, if you don't mind of course, explaining your take on it some. I would really appreciate it!

of course! I have to say it is.... mostly just a gut instinct based on my own experiences as an autistic person with variously autistic family members (but all falling under the bracket in ASD that used to be called Asperger’s so my view is coloured by that.) and... UH, I just... feel like I recognise.

(opens UnfinishedHodgsonEssayThree.doc)

okay I am once again REALLY BAD at explaining myself, but I guess what I mean is that I can see where every mental leap Hodgson makes comes from - that he is, at his core, a man who is extroverted and friendly, wants more to be *liked* than admired - but for whom social skills don’t come naturally, and other outcomes aren’t imagined.

We catch him time and again exposition/info dumping -

+’the xing mission came aboard’ from the alternate wardroom cut - an event he was PRESENT FOR but still tells like a rote fact

+’they say she talked up a storm until her father died’

+’the word diet -’

+intro to the Comanches Bit= ‘my mother’s cousin had a relation who married Texas man, moved to a territory town there called Victoria in ‘38′... ALL OF THIS UNNECESSARY PREAMBLE

making poorly-timed/not relateable/barely-relevant/professionally inappropriate jokes

+’now she’s ~~all silence~~” @ random AB

+’they must we waltzing with that bear after all’ re: a crisis

+’[frostbite is worse because] I play the clavier back home’ @ random Marine/ship’s boy/AB re: ‘sir there is a monster out here’

+’hear hear’ about the pudding that used up their fruit

+’when the ship sets sail, make sure you’re aboard’ @ a rando caulker’s mate

+’would that be rocks here, then?’ re: caribou tastes of what it eats

+’[the beard] can’t hurt where we’re going’ @ rando caulker’s mate (??) who’s just shown aSTONISHING disrespect

+’dis-moi ce que tu manges’ @ rando NOT-caulker’s mate-turned-Godkin re: man-eating monster

PLUS a few barely-relevant personal anecdotes told more to himself than anyone else (Comanches bit/American Ham/Eucharist Monologue) - and yeah, Ep8 and The Comanches Bit in particular are what cements my opinion, which, I mean, from the top:

Little & Hodgson charge into the tent and give this absolutely confident rundown of what happened, and then we watch the surety in Hodgson’s entire bearing leave as crozier, fitzjames & blanky take him off-script. He'd known what he was doing, because he'd taken the situation at face value -

'those dastardly natives committed unspeakable acts on lt irving and mr farr! I know so because mr hickey saw it! we retaliated!'

and crozier & fitzjames would finally go 'well done george, quick thinking.'

but they don't! There are other questions! questions he's not prepared for - questions that take processing time, questions he doesn't even seem to understand why they're being asked - he hadn't previously asked them because Mr Hickey Saw Dastardly Natives Cut Lt Irving's Cock And Balls Off - when Crozier says 'I want to see the bodies' and leaves Hodgson behind in the tent, he looks utterly baffled. He's missed something, clearly, but he has no clue what it is.

We know what he's asking Little, and we know it's unfair to even pose the question to another officer - I'm getting the sinking feeling that I've fucked up - did I do the right thing? would YOU have done what I did?

and he'd take ANY ANSWER to ANY of those questions, - you've done something terrible, you're going to hell - you were right, those dastardly natives had it coming - I don't know, but I'd probably have done the same thing - but instead gets Edward Little 'If that's what you thought at the time, then that's what you thought!' it's fucking MEANINGLESS and VAGUE, Edward, listen, do you even understand why I thought what I thought? I know all about Dastardly Natives, they'll kill women and children and they'll kill us too, do you understand, do you understand, are you understanding -

And then he understands, from one bit of seal meat, barely digested - you can almost see it happen in his mind’s eye, moving the little markers of the characters around, slotting the real story back together - he must have been alone with Mr Farr - but no-one’s interested in that. all they want to know is if he’ll confirm it, and of course he will. it’s the truth.

I know it’s very funny to say Hodgson’s bad at his job but until that entire debacle... he really wasn’t. Yes, he let EC in, but the fact that he had even the SLIGHTEST inkling that EC and Hickey weren’t the same, after a single meeting of a few minutes with the first, during which time he spent most of his time writing, a month apart from the previous - I???? All that scene does is show that Hodgson has a near-preternatural memory for faces (he greets Morfin by name before getting his papers) and a non-confrontational manner.

I’ve written at length about how I think Hodgson models the social standings between the men as something like school; Crozier’s Headmaster, and Fitzjames is his teacher, and Edward’s Head Boy, and he is a prefect who is going to keep the separation between student body and staff quiet. He isn’t a Captain - he’s a Lieutenant, a prefect, a fellow student who thinks he’s better than a fellow student because the Headmaster gave him power, and when he ends up with the Rowdy Boys Mutiny Crew there’s this explicit Othering that’s... let’s be real, fully schoolyard Weird-Kid Bullying - you sit on a barrel, you get a nice china plate, you get threatened by Des Voeux because Goodsir won’t cut up the dead guy -

I don’t know. I’m totally aware that this whole thing might sound insane and the problem with Readings of Media is that they're subjective... BUT

The show was careful about how it used the names (& therefore lasting immortal images) of the men on the ship’s roster - they were real people, with loved ones and lives, and they were victims of a disaster. The entire message of the show is that W. H. Auden line: We Must Love Each Other And Die. The only character who did Unforgivably Bad Things was swapped out for an OC out of respect for that, so building some bizarro conspiracy of Personal Evil around a character who seems to just be doing their best, though weirdly - is just plain rude, and insulting to the writing, frankly.

SO, as with every character in this show, it behooves you to give the benefit of the doubt - and the benefit of the doubt leads me to “Hodgson is autistic”

[zutrixblog-blog]

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l So that since your last announcement of my very own. Here's just a gold rule of internet search engine marketing I've heard years past. When doing seo for the site for many keywords that are chosen, type those key words in to your own browser initially and examine the arrangement of their very first few sites which show up on the very first page. Check out their internet site architecture and origin code (HTML- assess their Off Page search-engine-optimization ). Watch exactly what key words they've within the name and generally speaking the one thing you need to do today would be to produce far better search-engine-optimization arrangement than this internet site has. Simply make some alterations in a manner of search engine marketing and then trust in me your internet site can look close for that particular one, over a week. Yes it is really that easy. That you never need to re invent the wheel or hotwater, simply find out what and how the others do search engine optimization, create a number of changes on better and your done.

[wellhellotragic]

Dead in the Water (2/2)

Here is its guys, the epic conclusion to this fic, all inspired by @clockadile’s​ amazing work (just wait until you see her second piece!!!!). I hope you all enjoy it. I’ve had a lot of fun plotting this out with Clock, even if writing it was like pulling teeth at times. My own fault to be certain. It’s a bit strange to know this is the end of my fic writing, but I couldn’t have asked for a better event to go out on. Thank you again to @csrolereversal​ for putting this all together.

Summary:

Killian Jones may have just had the worst year of his life. The loss of his hand, of his career, and of his pride were almost more than he could take. In a bid to reclaim his life, Killian decided it was time to face his fears, and get back on the metaphorical horse, or in his case, back on the water. Only, the purchase of a haunted second-hand boat may just come at the cost of his sanity.

“The sea is like a cruel mistress. You can love her, you can hate her, but you can never trust her.” - author unknown

A/N: Just to warn readers, this is were the fic earns it’s mature rating for violence. It’s not discussed in extreme detail, but some people may find it upsetting.

Rating: M (foul language sprinkled in and some adult themes)

Also on AO3

 Fall turned to winter and winter to spring. The leaves fell, littering the streets, only to be replaced by mountains of snow, which eventually melted off leaving a mess of sludge behind. The city kept going somehow. But The Jolly remained untouched for months, still left barely tied to the dock.

 Killian hadn’t actually been out to check on her since his frightening encounter. Wasn’t even rightfully sure if she was still there. He’d been too spooked at first. Then too busy with work. 

 But by the time March came around, things at work had slowed a bit, and Killian began to wonder about that day. Months had passed and his memory just a little foggy. Had he really seen anything at all? Or had his mind just twisted something up? Like awakening from a dream and not knowing what was real or not. He’d been through so much in the year and a half before. It hardly would have been the first time he’d imagined seeing things.

 By April he was all but convinced that the entire thing had been one huge figment of his imagination and was ready to give sailing another go. Starting with just a small trip out to build his courage, Killian waited until well after sunrise, hoping the extra hours of daylight would provide a slight respite from the chill still in the air. He didn’t even bother packing food as his plan was to not go so far out that he couldn’t see the marina. 

 The Jolly was still there, something he found slightly surprising as the winter waves had been known to blow sailboats clear down the shoreline and he’d barely tossed the rope around the deck cleat. She was also a little worse for the wear. Her sails a bit dirty and tattered around the edges. Soot from the melted snow covered her decks. But she was still afloat, and really, that was the best he could have hoped for.

 He did his routine checks, making sure that she was sailable before pushing off, letting the gentle breeze guide her out to sea. He made it about a mile out, just able to still make out the apexes of the ships moored near his spot, and waited. For what exactly he wasn’t sure, but still, he waited for nearly an hour. 

 The time that passed could only be described as unremarkable. No oddities happening around the boat, no spooky sounds, and no ethereal visions. She was just a boat like any other and just as before, he’d imagined the whole thing. 

 After bringing her in and properly tying her up, he went to work on setting her to rights. Scrubbing the decks, replacing the frayed ropes, and tending to the sails. The headsail was easily salvageable, but the mainsail needed replacing after leaving it half rolled up. Water and dirt settling in the loose packing, icing over and weighing against it. He knew better, but he’d been in such a state that he hadn’t cared at the time.. He’d have to order a new one before he set out again.

 Having eased his mind a bit, the next week went by for Killian in a blur. He’d ordered the new sail as soon as he’d arrived home, and luckily the company he’d purchased from was local to Boston and agreed to let him pick it up directly from their store rather than having it shipped.

 Liam seemed a bit shocked at Killian’s previous reluctance to sail, but seemed even more surprised by his sudden determination to start up again. While he didn’t offer to go sailing with Killian again, he did insist that Killian call him before setting sail and after returning just to know that everything was ok. 

 For his part, Killian agreed, still not having told his brother of his previous difficulties with the lack of wind, nor of the ghoul he’d seen onboard. Not that it mattered much as it had all been a figment of his imagination. A haunted nightmare caused by the trauma of his past.

 As Saturday approached, Killian found himself excited for the first time in months. He’d planned a trip to Nantucket Island. He’d never been there but by all accounts it was a lovely little place. It was the Brant Point Lighthouse that had really caught his attention though. Online, it was the quintessential image of New England, and he wanted to see it in person. 

 By his estimations, it was roughly a three hour trip, a tidbit that only caused him to second guess his plan for a few minutes as the theme song to Giligan’s Island played in his head. 

  A three hour tour…

 Once he’d reclaimed a better hold over his sanity though, he finished planning his exact route, making sure to send a copy of his plans off to Liam, just in case.

 He woke up early that morning, ready to replace the mainsail himself before setting off. There was still a bite in the air that left him searching for a sweater and his trusty leather jacket. The one Liam had gifted him just before his first assignment. He even grabbed the gold compass locket from the drawer he’d hid it in after his scare, not having wanted anything around at the time to remind him of that event. Now though, knowing that he’d imagined it all, he felt it only proper to wear it for his first true journey on The Jolly.

 It was dark when he arrived to the marina, only the very first hint of light breaking over the horizon. It took longer than expected to get the old sail off, the fabric having fused to the lines over the past months. He’d had to cut some parts off, letting his hook do most of the work while his other hand just followed behind, pulling at the tattered scraps. Eventually the sun rose, the morning light turning from red to orange to yellow. 

 The sky filled with the lightest shades of blue as he worked on installing the new sail. He was just about finished tying off the last of it when he felt something, a shadow pass over him. Checking the sky above him, he found no clouds. Just an empty blue sky. He closed his eyes, willing his mind not to fail him again, to seize control over himself. But when he opened them again, the shadow was still there. A woman’s silhouette framed in the mainsail he’d just attached. Her hand pressed against it as if she was reaching out to him. 

 He swallowed thickly, willing the figure to go away, but it didn’t. He froze once again, waiting for it to pass, mentally repeating the mantra his therapist had given him for just such occasions, but no matter how long he waited, the shadow remained.

  “Who..who’s there?”

 He waited for what seemed like an eternity before he heard it again. The anguished cries, this time less distorted, but just as upsetting.

 “Get out!”

 That time he didn’t freeze; He didn’t wait for it to disappear. No. That time he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, despite cries from other people milling around yelling at him to slow down. He got in his truck and drove home just as quickly as he could, locking the door behind him and grabbing a bottle of rum he’d stashed in the cabinet above his freezer.

 Everything after that was a bit hazy. The next morning he woke to find he’d texted Liam, telling him he was sick and would be out the whole next week. Something he didn’t remember having done.

 He spent the entirety of Sunday held up in his apartment, watching bad cable tv programming, hiding from the world. Eight binge hours later, somewhere between Snapped and Homicide Hunter, Killian had a realization. If the spooks only ever happened on the boat, naturally, it stood that it must have been related to whatever happened before he bought The Jolly. It likely happened to the previous owner and that’s why he got such a deal on her.

 He had to wait until the next day to contact Ariel’s Antiquities. They were insistent that the info they’d given him before was accurate. That the ship was repossessed from the previous owner for non-payment, but when pressed for details on the who the previous owner, they dodged his questions. Something just didn’t feel right. More determined than ever to uncover the truth, Killian turned to the internet, hoping that perhaps the original owner had registered the ship somewhere. His search of Boston and greater Massachusetts provided nothing. Eventually he stumbled on a national website that guaranteed to prove a comprehensive history report for only twenty dollars. Fortyfive dollars if he wanted addresses as well.

 And that was how Killian found himself spending an indecent amount of money on a website called The Hulltruth. It took about thirty minutes before the report was emailed to him, but when it came in, he found that the boat was registered in Storybrooke, Maine and reported missing. The rest of the report was limited, just telling him that the boat hadn’t been in any previous accidents. No address, no name. Just that she was missing.

 Of course he’d allowed himself into being swindled. Who else was lucky enough to purchase a stolen boat but him? With his full wrath backing him, Killian found the auction house’s office address and stormed there, ready to raise hell over his stolen second hand haunted boat. Surprisingly, he wasn’t the only person there airing a grievance. 

 A woman was there, arguing with one of the auction curators. As it turned out, the first edition one of a kind copy of Her Handsome Hero was not the two hundred year old book the house had promised. It was actually a well crafted replica. Despite the letter from an expert that the young woman had brought with her, the staff declared that all sales were final and sent her on her way. Killian wasn’t discouraged though, knowing he had the law on his side. 

 It took time, and there were threats made, but Killian finally discovered that the Jewel of the Realm had been found off the remote coast of Kittery Point, Maine by one of the auction house’s salvagers. Apparently a number of the items sold there under than label of authentic antiques were actually salvaged on abandoned beaches. Items lost or washed to shore. 

 The auction house brought the boat back to Boston and sold it as soon as possible rather than report it as found. They tried to claim that since the boat had been abandoned, that it wasn’t technically theft. When pressed about the damage to the boat, they conceded that while the hole had been there when they found it, they were the ones that removed the guts of the boat to make it a more appealing purchase. They told him that the wood was badly stained and they didn’t want buyers poking around trying to figure out what happened. A pointed remark towards him to be sure.

 He left with no more answers, aside from the knowledge that The Jolly wasn’t stolen in the middle of the night from a different marina. Or at least so they said. Killian prided himself of behind able to read people, and while the man, Sebastian, had shown a range of emotions, he never appeared to be lying. 

 The next morning he was still unsettled, not really knowing what happened. Especially given that in her current state, the boat was unusable. He wasn’t going on it just to be frightened within an inch of his life again. The human heart could only take so much. Plus there was the added thrill of the mystery, not that he’d call what was happening a thrill in anyway.

 But he needed to know. He needed to find the previous owner, to ask them if they’d had problems too. 

 That morning Killian packed up his car and headed up interstate ninety five, ready to get his answers. The report he’d bought didn’t have an address, but considering that there was a missing boat report, the local sheriff's station seemed like a good place to start. He’d spent the three hour drive coming up with a cover story. Telling them he’d bought the missing boat wouldn’t accomplish anything. They would simply seize it from him and then cut him out.

 So instead he decided it would be best if he claimed to be a reporter, working on a story about a string of boat thefts along the northern coastline. That he was trying to see if they were connected. He’d even gone so far as to look for missing boats online while he stopped for gas. He thought of everything, was prepared for every eventuality, except for the one he got.

 Storybrooke was a small quaint town. There were a few people milling about, but as he pulled up to the station, he found himself to be the only car in the parking lot. Slightly worried that he’d find the station locked up, he was surprised that the door was in fact unlocked. The building was small, just a short hallway separating the outside from a large room housing three empty desks. Along the back wall there were two holding cells, also empty. The place seemed to be deserted until he heard a shuffle coming from around the corner.

 “Hello?”

 “Just a sec!”

 I took a moment, but eventually a tall blonde man in jeans and a button down appeared, offering him a handshake. He introduced himself as David Nolan, town sheriff. Killian gave him the reporter backstory and asked if he had some time to talk. He noticed the way the man stiffened a bit as they walked to his office, but the man made no comment. Just led him into another room where he offered him a seat across the desk from his own.

 Killian started out vague, just talking about how he was an investigative reporter out of Boston, where they’d experienced a string of boat thefts recently, and he wanted to see if they were in any way related to an uptick of reports stretching through Maine. When he was done, there was nothing but silence as Sheriff Nolan simply looked down at his desk, his hand grabbing a photo frame and clutching it closer to his chest. 

 In time, with a wrecked voice, the man finally spoke. 

 “The report you’re asking about. It wasn’t a boat theft.”

 “Come again? The report listed it as missing.”

 “There’s more than one way a boat can disappear Mr. Jones.” The sheriff gave him a sad smile, passing over the photo. It was a picture of him with another woman. “Her name is Emma. Was Emma.”

 Over the next twenty minutes Sheriff Nolan explained to Killian that Emma, a beautiful woman, was his sister. His adopted sister, but family none-the-less. She was a family lawyer in Boston, specializing in divorces and custody issues. 

 Emma’s job was extremely stressful, angry parents, threatening phone calls, so on the weekends she’d sail up the coast to Storybrooke to visit family. The alone time allowed her to decompress. To let the weight of the world fall from her shoulders.

 About a year and a half earlier, just around the same time Killian found himself waking up in the hospital, Emma disappeared. It was a holiday weekend and she’d come up to visit her brother and sister in law. She’d stayed with them for a few days before packing up and heading back. The sheriff explained how he’d begged her to stay for one more day, that there was a storm coming, but Emma had insisted that she’d be ahead of it. That nothing would happen.

 And no one ever saw her again. The ship had disappeared too and the assumption was that she’d been caught in the storm and been lost to the sea. They’d searched for weeks, David calling in every favor he could think of, but for all of the searching they never found Emma or The Jewel. The case still remained open, but only as a technicality. 

 The drive home, all Killian could think about was David, and how much pain he was in. He’d wanted to comfort the man, to tell him that his sister’s boat had been found just down the shoreline, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t risk losing The Jolly before he’d figured out what happened, and more than that, he couldn’t risk giving David false hope. Not after he’d seen the photograph. The flowing blonde hair, emerald eyes. Not when he knew that the woman in that photograph was the same thing that kept appearing to him.

 When he got home, the first thing he did was look up Emma on the internet. She was in fact a family lawyer at Goldman and Mills, a prestigious firm based in Boston. By all accounts she was sharp, with a high success rate. Most of the hits he found were news reports from some of her higher profile cases. 

 Finally, on page three of his search, he found an article from the Storybrooke Mirror about her disappearance. It was just as the sheriff had said. The working theory was that something had gone horribly wrong and she’d most likely tipped and sank during the storm, too far off the coast, it was assumed that Emma sunk with the ship. All of which would explain why she was now haunting the Jolly. 

 He wasn’t crazy. His mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. 

 But he did have a haunted ship to deal with.

 He waited until Thursday to return to The Jolly, giving himself two full days to build his courage. The plan was to stay ashore, unsure of what might happen. He was ready to confront Emma, or whatever it was that looked like her, but he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to get through to her, or if she was just a demonic apparition, tied to the boat forever. He really shouldn’t have researched spirits.

 The marina was empty when he arrived. Most people were at work or already gone for the day. He supposed that may have been for the best. Killian’s ego was bruised enough without a large portion of Boston watching him scream like a young girl.

 The Jolly seemed just as empty as it had when he’d bought her, but by now he knew better. She was there, somewhere, lurking. He just wasn’t sure how to reach her. There’d never been one thing that seemed to spark her arrival. The first time he’d been stuck at sea, and the second, he’d been docked simply replacing the mainsail.

 “Emma?” Nothing “Emma Swan?”

 Still, nothing happened, so he waited, taking a seat on the deck. He waited, and waited, her ghostly form never appearing. Not until the moment the locket slipped out from behind his button up shirt.

 “That’s mine!”

 He looked up to find her, Emma, before him, hovering above a wooden plank, a small puddle of water filling the deck below her.

 “Get out!”

 She said the same words just as before, but this time it was different. Gone where the unearthly voices he’d heard echoing around him. Instead, it was just one voice. Just her.

 “Are you Emma Swan?”

 He watched as her head tilted to the side, a glimmer of recognition at the name filling her wide eyes. Then fear. Unabating fear.

 “Help me!”

 That was all she said before she collapsed onto the deck, her form turned into a cloud of smoke, blowing away into the wind leaving behind only the puddle of water. He waited for hours after that, but she never appeared again. 

 He went home, discouraged. He had no idea how to summon her. Not that he necessarily had any idea of what he was trying to accomplish. Did he want to help her move on? Did he just need to find out what happened so he could give David Nolan some closure. Did he just want his ship back?

 That night he tried to answer those questions. While it would be nice to have The Jolly ghost free, it was something more than that. He felt drawn to it, to her in a way. Finally, as he tossed and turned in bed, he realized what it was. She was in pain, just as he so often was, and while he couldn’t fully mend himself, he might be able to help her. To ease her burden in a way.

 The next morning, he went down to the docks first thing, calling for her just as he had before. Met with silence once more, he sat, trying to mull over what could possibly help him. Thinking back on his research, some people claimed that spirits were attracted to objects, but the only object he could see Emma being attached to was the boat herself. There was nothing else left on the ship that belonged to her. 

 Nothing except the locket.

 It was the first thing she’d mentioned the day before, claiming it was hers. He reached below the collar of his shirt, feeling for the chain and slowly pulling until the gold locket was fully exposed. But still, she did not appear. Desperate, he clutched the charm in his hand and chanted her name.

 “I told you, that’s mine!”

 She sounded less angry that time. Less confused as well as her feet seemed to actually touch the deck. 

 “Aye. I found it while I was repairing the boat.”

 He did his best to keep his voice low and calm, not wishing to frighten her away. 

 “Repairs?”

 “Yes. I had to replace the mast.” He watched as she scrunched her nose. “Do you remember what broke it?”

 Her entire form stiffened, her chest heaving. “No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.”

 “Emma, it’s alright. You’re safe here.”

 “Please” She just looked at him with desperation as her hand moved to her stomach. “It hurts so bad. Make it stop.”

 Drip. Drip. Drip. He heard it before he saw it, but blood began to flow down her ivory sundress, covering the deck of The Jolly. Killian leapt to his feet, trying to help her staunch the bleeding but before he could get there, she was gone, and the wood planks were dry, as if nothing had happened.

 He went out every day for the rest of the week, never taking the boat to sea, but always waiting for Emma, summoning her with the necklace. She only ever stayed for seconds to minutes, but each time she became a little more aware that something was wrong. 

 As Monday came though, he found himself stuck at work late, night after night. Dinner parties with potential clients. Drinks to celebrate newly signed clients. Liam’s company and his position kept him too busy to go down to the docks at all that week.

 It wasn’t until Saturday that he was able to see her again. This time he took the boat out to sea, hoping that maybe a change of scenery might help to bridge the gap between wherever Emma was and the here and now. Once he was about two miles out he held the compass in the palm of his hand, calling to her once more. She came to him immediately, with more solidity than ever before. He spoke with her for a while, telling her who he was. When she vanished that time it was calmly. No screams of pain, no violence, no fright. Just peacefully.

 He took the boat back to shore, tying her up properly. He’d promised Liam and Elsa he’d spend the day with them Sunday. Liam had started to worry about him after he took the week off of work, and he knew that if he didn’t concede to family time, Liam would start poking around. He wasn’t ready to explain it to his brother yet.

  Yes, Liam. I’ve been spending all of my free time trying to talk to the ghost that lives on my boat.

 That would have gone over marvelously.

 So another week passed in full before he was able to see Emma again. Every time he saw her she was able to stay a little longer. To talk a little more. They hadn’t addressed the elephant in the room, sticking to safe topics instead. Her job. His job. She told him about some of her more eclectic clients, always using the present tense. He told her about the cougar he’d had to wine and dine the weekend before. He wasn’t sure how much control she had over herself and he didn’t want to risk upsetting her again.

 Months passed, each weekend spent as sea. It was nice, just being able to talk to someone so openly. She never seemed to judge him. In time, he found himself rather vexed by her. She had witt and spunk. Just a little bit prickly but in a good way. A kindred soul.

 It was a warm July morning when it happened.

 “Killian?”

 “Yes, love?”

 He wasn’t sure when he’d started using the term of endearment around her, but she’d never objected to it.

 “I’m dead, aren’t I?”

 He nearly choked on his coffee, not expecting it in the slightest. She’d been so upbeat for the past few weeks, as if she’d had no cares in the world. He never would have guessed that she’d been considering her mortality.

 “How long have you known?” 

 “Since the beginning maybe? I don’t know. I can just feel it, like I don’t belong here.”

 His heart broke for her. He couldn’t imagine the feeling of knowing that her life was over. That everything was finished in a way, but that she was still stuck.

 They didn’t speak. Just stood together in silence watching the horizon. His hand slid closer to hers, his pinky reaching out to caress her hand, but instead he just moved right through her. If she didn’t know before, there was no way she didn’t now.

 Emma didn’t come to him the next day. Somehow he knew that she was in mourning, that she needed time for herself. It made his heart break all over. He felt for her in a way he hadn’t felt for someone in a long time. Not since Milah. 

 It was a week before he went out again, this time bringing flowers with him. She couldn’t keep them, but he hoped it would be nice for her just to see them. To know they were for her. She was solemn when she appeared. Not surprising given the state of things. 

 The two of them exchanged pleasantries and spent the day just soaking each other in, not speaking more than a few words here and there. It was nice in a way, but he craved more. 

 She enchanted him.

 “Killian?”

 “Yes?”

 “May I ask what happened to your hand?”

 It was another question he wasn’t prepared for. It was somehow easier and harder to answer. Something he never talked about with anyone, but something he found himself willing to share with her. So she could know him better in a way.

 So he told her. He told her how he was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. How he’d risen through the ranks, dedicated his entire life to the service of his country. Of how he’d been on a routine training mission that went horribly wrong. The mine field they were doing maneuvers through was supposed to be dead, all a simulation. But one of the mines was live, and the ship exploded. He woke up in the hospital after spending an entire night clinging for dear life to a barrel. His hand was gone and so was his career. That he had night terrors and had to see a therapist because he’d lost his hold on reality.

 He left out the part about his girlfriend being so disgusted by the stump that she left him, that she took a transfer just to get away from him. 

 When he looked at Emma again, he expected to see pity in her eyes, but there was none. She just gave him a nod of understanding. 

 They watched birds fly by. The sun moved from one side of the sky to the other. Just a peaceful silence, until she spoke again.

 “I think I was murdered.”

 “That’s not what everyone said happened. The newspapers, they said it was the storm.”

 “There was a storm, but I remember a man too. It’s hazy, like an old dream. But he was there, below deck, hiding I think. I- I went down below and he was there. I remember screaming at him to get out, but he didn’t.”

 She continued to recount the details she could remember, or that she thought she remembered. Her memories of that night where muddled and she didn’t know how much of it was true.

 The man below deck was familiar, but she couldn’t quite remember what his face looked like. He smelled of wood, or maybe it was just the boat that did. She remembered being attacked, thrown against the hull, hearing a crack. There was a fight, she tried her best to fend him off, but it wasn’t enough. She remembered being thrown against the fiberglass again and again, hearing the hull fail. Glass from a mirror slicing through her stomach. The rest was a blur for her. The man was gone, and she tried to climb to the deck but her body was broken. She made it to the radio, but there was only static. Water began to fill the cabin, and it took everything she had to force herself up, to pull herself above deck as the storm raged on. Each droplet of water that fell feeling like acid against her battered skin. She told him how she held on as long as she could, and that was it. That was all she remembered. 

 She’d been murdered, just like she said. It explained the damage to the hull, why the mast had snapped, the stains on the wood the auction house had removed. 

 He had nothing to say. No words to offer her. His problems were nothing in comparison. Someone had taken her life, with purpose and malice. And now she was trapped in two worlds, belonging in neither, unable to move on. 

 He wished nothing more in that moment than to hold her. To be able to wrap his arms around her and block out all of the pain. To take away her sorrow and to give her hope. To let her know she didn’t deserve to die that way. That she didn’t deserve any of it. 

 But he couldn’t. He couldn’t do any of that. She wasn’t really there. She wasn’t solid. He’d never be able to so much as hold her hand. 

 A knife through his heart. 

 And that’s when he realized the true depths of his feelings for Emma. He was in love with her. He was in love with a ghost.

 And all he could do was to be her friend. Her confidant. 

 “Where do you go when you aren’t here?”

 It was a question that had plagued him since the beginning of their friendship, and while he was afraid to hear the answer, he needed to know that she was safe when he wasn’t there.

 “Nowhere?” She turned her head up towards the top of the mast. “I think I just stop existing.”

 That wasn’t the answer he was looking for. He was glad that she wasn’t in some realm being tortured but the idea of her just being gone? That was almost as bad. He went home that night thinking of her. Of what it would be like.

 He knew. He didn’t want to admit it, not when his feelings for her had grown so strong, but he was being selfish, calling her back to a world where she was nothing more than an apparition over and over. He needed to let her go. To help her find a way to move on. He just didn’t know how, short of finding her killer.

 She remembered nothing about the man though, only that he was a man. And Killian had no experience in investigating murders. It was a dead end.

 He continued to think on it all week at work, even through the weekend. He didn’t go out on The Jolly that weekend, or even the next, still debating if it was more cruel to leave Emma alone, or to force her to face her death again and again. 

 August passed, and into September. Still he stayed away, unable to torture Emma any more than he already had. It wasn’t until someone at work had brought up the fight she’d had with her boyfriend, how he always made the decisions for her, that he realized that was exactly what he’d done. He’d never bothered to ask Emma what she wanted. He just assumed that it was worse for her when she was with him. 

 That was enough to ignite a flame under him. He left work early, driving out to the docks. The sky was scattered with clouds but there was still enough light out for a quick trip to sea. 

 He didn’t bother with his usually checklist or sending Liam a text on where he was going, too eager to see her face again. To talk to her and find out just what she wanted. To ask how he could help her, if she even wanted help.  

 The wind had picked up significantly from the time he’d left, sending him out farther than he’d planned, but he didn’t care. Not when all he could think of was Emma. The sky a bit more grey now, a slight shower starting. 

 “Emma? Are you here?”

 He waited, clutching the compass so hard the metal around his neck snapped. He’d ripped the chain. 

 “You broke it.”

 She was annoyed, but he honestly couldn’t tell if it was from the jewelry or from him having abandoned her. 

 “I, I’m sorry. I’ll replace it as soon as I get back to land.”

 He wanted to talk to her, but she was too focused.

 “My brother gave me that when I started at my firm. He was worried I’d become a corporate stooge. He gave it to me so that I’d never get lost.”

  So you always find your way.

 “I’m so sorry, Emma.” 

 “You can’t replace it.”

 Killian wanted to cry, to scream, to go back in time and meet her before any of this started. But he’d never been a lucky man that way.

 He held his hand out, watching as small drops of water fell into the gold face. Emma walked over, letting her fingers graze over the metal. It was different that time, he could feel the weight of her hand. She didn’t simply pass through him. He watched as she took the compass in her hand, solid as could be. 

 “Swan?”

 Her head snapped up at him, completely unaware that she was real enough to hold an object.

 He reached out, letting his knuckles caress her face. He could feel the warmth of her skin. She was real. He didn’t know how, but she was real. 

 “Killian? How? How is this possible?”

 He didn’t know, and he didn’t care. He nuzzled his forehead against her own, their lips only a hair’s width apart. When she didn’t pull back, he leaned in, softly pressing his mouth to hers. Just a peck. Her lips were soft. He tried to pull back but her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him tightly. 

 They may as well have kissed for an eternity. He loved the feeling of being lost in her, not caring that the light sprinkle had turned into a full on downpour. That his clothes were soaking wet. Lighting flashed, illuminating the sky, and thunder crackled above them.

 But he didn’t care. Not with Emma in his arms.

 They broke apart finally, Emma’s laugh filling the air. 

 “Emma Swan. I’m in love with you.”

 He hadn’t meant to just blurt the words out. Hadn’t meant to say them at all, but his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. Forever passed as he waited for her to say something. Anything.

 “Killian,” there was sorrow, and he knew she wasn’t going to return his feelings. “It’s not fair to you. I’m a ghost, and I can’t control anything. You, you deserve so much more than I can give you!”

 “But you’re here. I can feel you clear as I can feel my heart beating in my chest.”

 She wasn’t there though. She could sense it even if he couldn't. There was a pull on her still, from whatever place she’d come from. Even in solid form, she didn’t belong there.

 Lightening and thunder filled the sky once more, darkness all around them.

 “Killian, it’s not safe out here, you need to go.”

 He looked around, realizing for the first time just how far out the wind had blown him, would continue to blow him if he didn’t stow the sails. Emma helped his as best she could, but with the waves now throwing the boat back and forth, they had trouble controlling their movements. 

 The Jolly was still heading in the wrong direction though. Killian felt fairly confident that he could weather the storm below deck, waiting for it to pass, but the growing waves continued to batter the boat and Emma pleaded with him not to stay. Begging him to return to land. He caved, heading to the back of the boat to start up SMEE, but no matter how hard he tried, the motor wouldn’t budge. 

 Unable to do anything else, Killian headed back to the cabin, trying to call for help, but the radio wouldn't work either. It was just static on every channel. As he hit the main box, sparks flew into the air. The Jolly swayed from side to side, getting closer and closer to tipping each time. 

 They both went back above deck to see just how bad the storm was. There was only darkness as far as the eye could see. They were trapped. He was trapped. 

 Dead in the water.

 “Emma, love, I have some life vests stowed in one of the front compartments. Go grab them and I’ll try the radio again.”

 “No.”

 “What?”

 She stood at the rail, closing her eyes and breathing it all in, calm for the first time since the storm had started.

 “It’s me.”

 “I don’t understand. Just go get the life vests. We’re going to be okay.”

 “No, Killian. It’s me. All of this. The faulty electronics, The storm. I don’t understand it, but I can just feel it. It’s, I feel it in my bones.”

 “No. No. Emma-”

 “Killian, you have to let me go. It’s the only way.”

 “But I just got you. I don’t know how to let you go.”

 She smiled at him, a sad heart wrenching smile and gave him a light kiss. 

 “It’s ok.” She held out the compass. “I think I can find my way now.”

 It was the locket.

 The thing that she was tethered to. It had never been The Jolly. The boat had simply been a means for her to stay and find it. 

 “I don’t know how to do this without you.”

 “You’ll find a way.” She gave him one last kiss. “I love you too.”

 And with that, she turned back into a vision, a veil between them. One last flash of light and she was gone.

 Just as she’d said, as soon as she left the boat sprung back to life. The motor revving behind him. The waves continued to beat against the hull of the ship. He was frozen, his heart torn to shreds. But he couldn’t let that be the end. He couldn’t let her have died, again, in vain, so he pulled himself together. He used the motor to push him through, steering himself back towards land, any land.

 He was lost after that. Spending days in bed, unable to get up, to do anything but cry. Her absence haunted him in a way she never had. Loneliness followed him. Emptiness filled him. Weeks went by. Liam did his best to get Killian out of the house, to bring him back to life. He knew his brother was worried, but he just didn’t have it in him to care anymore.

 With time though the sting, still there became just a little less. The pain in his heart became a little more manageable. Everything just became less in a way, less and more. He made it out of bed. He had dinner with Liam. He even was able to go back to work. 

 He still felt her loss, but it got easier. However something still tugged at him. An inkling that something wasn’t quite finished. He was in pain, but at least he had closure. Emma did too, but her family didn’t. They still didn’t know what happened to her. 

 He debated on the best way to tell them, how to give David the details without including the part where he fell in love with the man’s sister’s ghost. Eventually, he decided that it would be best to do it over the phone. That way he could control the conversation.

 He waited until just after noon on a Monday, calling the Sheriff’s station in Storybrooke, hearing the familiar voice of David Nolan pick up. He didn’t give David his name, just that he had information of the disappearance of Emma Swan. That her boat had been found by a company named Ariel’s Antiquities. That the auction house had destroyed all of the evidence on the boat so they could sell it. 

 David tried interrupting him, asking how he knew any of it, but Killian pushed through, finally giving the man the most important part, telling David that he was sorry, but that Emma had been murdered by a man familiar to her. He apologized for not being able to give him more information and then he hung up.

 He could only hope that it was enough to give David some form of peace. That maybe it would be easier to know for sure that she was gone. Because sometimes the cruelest thing in the world was hope.

 Time continued to pass. The pain in his heart turned to an ache. He still missed her deeply and thought of her often, but she’d given him something. She’d healed him, and nothing could take that away. It had taken him a while to realize it, to accept her loss. But her death didn’t negate the fact that she’d brought him back to life, and everyday he thanked her for that. Choosing to focus on the good rather than the bad.

  A year had passed. Exactly three hundred and sixty five days without her. His plan was to head to Robin’s and have one drink in Emma’s memory before heading to the docks to take the Jolly out. She was still there, a part of her in those old wood planks. He could feel her warmth in every inch of that old boat.

 Robin’s was overcrowded though, so he skipped the drink. Emma didn’t need an alcoholic toast. So he headed straight to the Jolly instead, stepping out of the pub’s doors just before the headlines changed, the little ticker tape running across the screen blocking the bottom of the Man United pitch. 

   Woman found alive on Kittery Beach after missing for over three years.

 He missed the headlines again when he decided to stay out just a little longer, wanting to watch the sun sink below the horizon. He missed it one more time too when his phone rang. An unknown number from Storybrooke, Maine.

 He’d almost let it go to voicemail, worrying that it was David Nolan, having discovered it was him that called all of those months before. But something in his gut pushed him to answer.

 It took a second for a voice to sound on the other line after he answered, but when it did, he nearly dropped the phone.

 “Killian?”

[tslasvegas]

Episode 4: “I'm sorry Daddy, I've been very naughty.” - Keegan

Dan and JAKE! A WORD IN MY OFFICE PLEASE! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS.

Wow! Today was A Day to say the least. I feel like boo boo the fool with how things went down today, but hopefully, I can recover from that now that there’s a new tribe. I’m excited to get to know new people, but sad to see my old alliances have to come to an end. I guess we’ll see what happens

Finally a swap and golly 5 OG Palazzo! I really hope this works in our favor. Kinda nervous for Joey and Stephanie tho because now they are in the minority of their tribe. I do hope they’ll find a way to survive till merge

LMFAO IM... watching the tribal council for the other tribe and I'm SORRY??? Who the fuck is Jake S he is the most condescending man I've ever seen in my entire life YIKES. Anyways this swap is nice.. I think I've got a good group, I really hope we win the next few immunities because I 1) really dont want to see Rachael on this tribe and 2) i want to try and rebuild my um. tattered relationships. I did the best I could in the challenge for tonight, I'll try to come back tomorrow a little more renewed cus I'm kinda wiped out from today's events. Now that my tribal council cherry has been popped for this Org its time to go crazy woop

So good not to check Luxor anymore! 

Well last tribal went fine, I got to see what was in the Prize Vault which is awesome; now I have a better idea of the twist. Big problem though- Our swap put me in the minority. I was running Luxor and had a core 4, now they have 5 OG Pink so they can pluck us off, one at a time. I went from drivers seat to getting driven over. We need to win the challenge, so I'm gonna go ham in winterbells and hope to pull it out.

We swapped! I think I made a confessional already, but honestly I don't remember. I gave Livingston some of my chips so he can go visit the vault after the immunity challenge. We'll see what is in there and for how much, and maybe snatch up some real nice items to help us out. I've also got Andrew on my side, which is great and he's apparently quite tight with Pat, which is fantastic. Mo is a pretty decent dude and I've been talking with Jake a lot today. Things are going alright. I just hope we can win this challenge. 

Phew, while the swap was not ideal. I was really liking my tribe, we were kind of quiet but individually everyone was great and we also kicked butt at challenges! Anyway, the swap with numbers wise not great, but I know Xavi from a previous game and we have a solid relationship, I hope he and John and Joey and myself can build a solid squad to make it to the merge. The challenge was rough tbh, I am not great at video games, but I think I did ok... Jaiden got like 20 trillion points on a game so really I have no idea how I did. Hoping for the best!

I am losing my mind in my personal life so I am sorry that I have been mia. I appreciate the patience from the hosts and my tribe. It makes me still want to play even though I've been kinda invisible. I'm aware of that. I'll fix it. I promise. Otherwise, its been pretty good as a tribe so far. Andrew, Pat, and NIk and i are all really close from other games, so we're good and Andrew and Pat and I are together, which is just really unfair if you ask me. I can't wait to start scheming!

Uhhhhhh.................................... anyways........ yall hear somethin? Oh I hear something. It's the sound of Joey literally blowing himself up to me hardcore!!!! The narcissism and arrogance really jumped out on this one. So Joey had the idea of calling tonight to go over some stuff and honestly out of the 2 hours we spent, I think about 45-60 mins of it was rather nice and I do feel that I enjoy his presence, but omg... his desire for control is so noticeable and its kinda gross. Joey and I debriefed on what went down on Bellagio and I totally understand why there was the difference in us discussing tribe dynamics - I had to give up all my info while he kinda kept things more reserved. I want to assume this is because of the fact that I went to tribal and he hasn't until now. I won't judge him for that. However, after this he's kinda like dictating the fact that an OG Bellagio needs to go home. Ben is the easier person to throw under the bus since he didn't even bother to do the challenge/let us know what's up. Not a big fan of that, but aight. Then Joey starts suggesting we vote out Kailyn...?? Uh... not on my watch. I have to make it up to Kailyn at least a little bit so even though she's probably got a loaded gun pointed at my head rn, I want to defuse the situation rather than start throwing her out there as a potential target. Even if it isn't coming from me, I'm not here for that. The information that Joey did give up to me relates to the chips in the game. I've never paid much attention to the chips, but I guess it takes 10 to get into the vault and Joey's got between 11 and 15 (he changed his answer on the subject SEVERAL times). He says there are three idols worth 40 chips each, then a super idol worth I think 50 or 60 (can't remember). On top of that, there are nullifiers, vote advantages, and a legacy advantage, too. He seems fixated on the legacy advantage and really wants the chips to get it. Like.. ok do you but we NEED the super idol?? Does he not realize that thing has more power than anything else in the vault combined..? ANYWAYS. What really started to turn me off about Joey is that there was this sudden expectation that I'd be giving him all of my chips thus far. I don't care about them to begin with but knowing what I know now, it doesn't make sense for me to give him my stash just to fuel his hunt for... a measly legacy advantage... I put myself in a compromising position. I told him that once a host gets back to me on my exact total, I'd be willing to trade him my chips for I guess an allyship going forward. I mean that. I want to work with Joey at least through this vote, but I can't guarantee that it'll go much further than that. He is a very risky person for my game right now because if he's coming off this strong to everybody, it's only going to hurt me by association to stick with him longer than a vote or two. However, I'm going to try and divert the attention and just be like, maybe we need to use my five as a bartering piece for new allies at this point. I want to try and build meaningful partnerships right now, especially since that was the only reason I wanted to make it to the merge.. Rebuilding is crucial as well. Kailyn and possibly Nik/Rachael are not going to be fond of me once we all have "the talk" about last tribal. I put myself in an even more compromising position with them, but I'll find my way out of that mess. I think........ As far as this tribe goes, I think between Joey's WILD imagination/constant over-analyzing and the lack of direction this tribe has taken so far.. I'm doing okay. Nobody is really standing out besides Joey and I guess myself in a way, so if I keep him around it MIGHT even shrink my own target little by little - unless people find out we're together then FUK. 

......five seconds later

In terms of my other relationships right now, I love John Coffey but this is old news, I've been in love with this man since like 2016 and it's fine - totally fine - just fangirling a bit rn since I get to spend more time with him!! woohoo. Xavier and Stephanie are straight up non-entities which makes me SO scared of them especially since Stephanie's won an ORG before... how can someone be so irrelevant yet still win something? Hmm... Makes me think that she's secretly a ninja, you never even see her around. Nik has grown more and more quiet as the days go along and I wonder what's goin' on with that. Maybe they've decided since Biden won the election that moving to New Zealand is a bad idea? Lmfao. I dunno. Nik stresses me the hell out because I have no idea what they're thinking at any point in time even in the off-chance that we are talking. I think I might just have a personality they don't mesh with because I noticed on call forever ago that none of my jokes were particularly landing but Nik had a lot to say and a LOT to joke about there... rip. If it's a personality conflict - go off, I guess. I'll try on a couple different hats w this person to try and see if I can get things to go better than they have been. Kailyn.. like I said before, pretty sure she's after me but I am really trying to sell it to her that I like her a lot, because I do. I literally compare her to my best friend irl because they have very similar attributes and I consider Kailyn kinda messy but fun and quirky like my BFF so I hope that Kailyn did truly appreciate me making that comparison. Ben's inability to do this challenge is going to be his undoing. I think the only acceptable move is to vote him off this time because I HAVE to prove to Kailyn that I can stay the course, and I also need to whittle down Bellagio numbers to prevent people from targeting us and having everything go to shit that way. Let Joey control this, please dear god. Don't let me get blood on my hands. Let Rachael integrate herself well on this tribe. Let someone else blow themselves up in the process. Just not me plz and thanks. There is no fear in my soul tonight. Joey might be a fucking crackhead but so am I. I'm breaking down walls that I didn't think existed but Joey basically told me tonight that he thought I was confrontational, rude, chaotic, and all these other things but was impressed at how calm, optimistic, and outgoing I was. Love to hear it. He might think he overestimated me but he was right about the initial impressions... too bad he won't be around long enough to see that side of me :~) 

FIRSTLY, DeNara was robbed. Okay so I already wrote this a while ago in my host chat about how the fact jake and dan are praying for my downfall because after the swap i am the only og bellagio on a tribe with 5 palazzo and 2 luxor. so after I slowly blinked at my screen for a bit I was like okay how do we survive this if I go to tribal. Because I’m under the impression tribes are gonna stick together especially going into merge but since Luxor is already down so many members it’s kinda Bellagio Vs. Palazzo. but then I was like okay wait I’m the only member of bellagio on this tribe after coming from a tribal so I’m the only one who can say what happened and I can create what narrative I want to help me get through the next couple rounds. Because if I was like oh blah blah I was in majority im so fucked then of course they’re gonna target me to get me out. But if I play the victim card and milk the fact that I voted in the minority acting like I hate my og tribe maybe they’ll think to use me as a pawn. To take down others moving forward. Listen if I have to be labeled a goat to move forward then BAA bitch.

.....five seconds later

Things are going good, because not only am no longer in danger this round but that means Rachael is going to the enemy tribe which if she came to our tribe that might’ve disrupted the narrative I had going of me being against og bellagio. Also DeNara should still be here, don’t think I didn’t clock the fact that Ben scored a 0. I also found out from Andrew that Rachael and Ben are apart of the same Tengaged group which explains why Rachael was so set on Ben staying but like, listen, if I end up in a game with someone I’m friends with, and they’re not active and helping the tribe. Good riddance.

What the. We lost yet again. I have lost everything since the start of the game. It's crazy. There are 4 from Bellagio, 2 Palazzo and 2 Luxor. 2+2 seems like an obvious plan, but it looks like it is falling apart already (read: Joey). Sucks to be across the world, so instead of scheming, I'll be sleeping.

Forgive me father, for I have sinned. is the same as I'm sorry Daddy, I've been very naughty. 

The swap did happen. Expected it. Glad we won this first challenge in this new tribe tho in worried for Stephanie and Joey

Vault Shenanigans - Holy shit I did not expect this to be as powerful as it is. I was preparing myself for some sort of payment based search system, but being able to straight up buy the items I want, but its also the same for other people. I had a misconception at how generous the wheel was so I'm probably behind some people with the amount of chips, but I could very well start scooping up some of the steal votes and just say "see ya" to the idols, although getting a super idol would be very wild, it still seems risky to hold out that long to get it, even though there's a great amount of power associated with it. The other issue with a super idol is that I think that its very likely that if I get into a position where I need to use it, that I lose a lot of respect with the jury if it does happen. The only benefit from actually having it would be that I no longer have to worry about someone else whipping it out, so it'd be less for me wanting it, but more for others not having it. As of now, I think my optimal play is to hold on to my chips until around ~40, and then buy both vote steals at once, OR go all out for the super if someone has already bought an idol by that point, because I would be operating under the assumption that the frontrunner is already out of the running. Tribe Swap Shenanigans - This is a hell of a tribe swap. 5-2-1 is always a great spot to be in, I am already good within the 5 that I have so I don't have to worry about anything there, it should be relatively smooth sailing as far as getting to the merge. Mo/Jake are alright so far, neither particularly speak too much. Kevin has not reached out at all, probably will try to talk to him tonight for general purposes, even if he seems like he'd be an easy one to get out first should we go to tribal the next time. But generally I really don't plan on losing so it's kind of a wash. I'll take the smooth sailing, easy path to merge. Premerge is never as relevant as merge is when it comes to FTC as long as you have something to show for yourself at the merge. I've got all game to make my presence known, and I plan on using the entirety of the game to do so.

I feel super anxious today because even though I had a great conversation and built a good connection to Joey, there hasn't been any talk about the vote quite yet. I mean obviously names have rolled out but nothing solid is out there still, I think I just need to let go of the urgency for a name to start being spread early on and just let things be. Stephanie and I have been chatting a bit here and there today so I feel more comfortable with her and hopefully she sees things from a similar perspective as everyone else - the Bellagio foursome needs to get broken up right now. As long as it's not my name of course!!!!! Plz vote Ben @everyone. Or Kailyn tbh save me a little bit of trouble now. Talking to Xavier is SO HARD LMAO. He doesn't immediately contribute information into a conversation and as bad as I wanna get rid of Ben, I almost..almost think going for Xavier is the smarter move, since Xavier doesn't seem too motivated to actually get to know ME and work with me. I'm selfish that way. Kailyn doesn't seem like she wants to do Ben which is a little frustrating but I totally get it, if Ben stays he's going to go after her hardcore but like she needs to actually pitch me an alternative lmfao. I don't wanna go bending over backwards just to appease her right now so if she doesn't gimme a name.. sorry sis but then I think it's gonna be Joey's call on this one :/

I am being very cautious now. The 4 of us (me, John, Joey and Steph) are going to vote together. Now Jaiden wants to vote Nik. And Kailyn wants to vote Ben. Why can't we just agree on one?! And it always has to go down to the wire. Stick together, people!

I think I am possibly leading the charge against Nik rn?? Joey told me he wanted Ben and then I told him I wanted Nik and now he wants Nik LOL take that Stephen 

Okay well I have no idea what's going to happen tonight, but I'm going into tribal not afraid of the vote I am probably going to have to make ... I think the best move is to just vote for Nik and be done with it, but it's going to cause a serious rift in a lot of my relationships if I do so. I've been super wishy-washy to a lot of people I think and right now it doesn't make sense to continuously do one thing when I mean another.. especially since there seems to be zero ground to move upon when it comes to getting the vote to turn from Nik to Ben. Nik doesn't even SEEM ACTIVE?? Why are we making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. Ben can't just walk around deciding what's going on and I think Kailyn would prefer to keep Nik around rather than Ben but it's like... so push for Ben to be the target hun! She's feeding into someone else's move no matter what she does, it's either Ben's agenda or John's agenda. Pick a side, but pick the side I'm on, too. Why don't we just vote for Kailyn tbh. lmao

[littlemisssquiggles]

RWBY Musings #80: Trust in Love: How far will Ruby’s deception go and how much will it affect her bond with Oscar?

miki-13 asked “ I remember you making a headcanon or two of Ruby getting a wolf-faunus boyfriend and well... Marrow is based on Boy who Cried Wolf, he has green hair and eyes and he wears white clothes, all which contrast Ruby's red/black hair and outfit. Not to mention the distance Ruby's lying put between her and Oscar, and possibly her team... maybe Ruby will try to find someone outside of her circle for comfort?”

explodingcarr0t asked “ From what I’ve seen of screenshots and gifs of the newest episode, it seems like Oscar is sad/disappointed when Ruby lies to Ironwood and when Ironwood gives her the relic back. I really he calls her out on that especially since Qrow told her “we’re better than that”. Part of me wants it for Rose Garden stuff and (more importantly) that team RWBYJNRO for once don’t all agree on something.”

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Squiggles Answers:

@miki-13​ @explodingcarr0t​

‘Sup Miki-chan! ‘Sup Carrot! Sorry for the delay in answering both of you, fam. I decided to turn my responses to your questions into a new musing post for this week since I was considering discussing my thoughts and theories on a certain moment we all know of from V7CH2 and you guys provided me more incentive to talk about it. So without further ado, let’s get into it, shall we?

[Spoilers Ahead! Nuff said!]

One thing this squiggle meister is very curious about with Ruby’s arc for V7 is just how far are the CRWBY Writers going to have her continue to be dishonest to Ironwood and his inner circle of confidantes for the sake of covering her tracks.

Because the thing about lies and half-truths is that, while they may start off small and harmless at first, eventually they start to build up after some point the more times you do it. You tell one lie to cover up the first one and then you tell another to cover up the last one and so on and so forth until before you know it, you’re sitting on a mountain of lies where you’re left unclear of what’s actually the truth anymore. And essentially you end up lying even to yourself so you wouldn’t have to deal with the guilt of your own deceit or worse, the potential emotional impact your duplicity has on the people you deceived. This is my concern for Ruby. 

 Are the lies just going to stop at her not disclosing the truth about Oz and the Relic of Knowledge to Ironwood or will there be more to come from that?

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Down, Down the Rabbit Hole

Because already Ruby has told two very significant lies. The first untruth was about Ozpin’s sudden disappearance while the second one was regarding the true status of the Relic of Knowledge in order to plug up the holes in the first lie.

As an audience member, I understood Ruby’s motives for choosing to not disclose the whole truth to the General. On one end, she probably did it out of her own slight mistrust of Ironwood given how he and the military initially treated the heroes upon their arrival in Atlas; not to mention all the odd stuff she’s heard about him regarding his disregard of the plight of the People of Mantle under his leadership. 

I recognize that Ruby probably felt it best to not reveal everything they learnt back in Argus to Ironwood ---at least not yet, maybe---considering he might not be in the best frame of mind to absorb said new info especially the part about Salem’s invulnerability due to her immortality curse. I also wish to believe that another reason as to why Ruby was quick to lie about Ozpin’s sudden disappearance was due in part to her, once again, looking out for Oscar’s well-being. Ruby must’ve acknowledged Oscar’s anxiety after the General approached him and started probing him about Oz. 

Not to mention that let’s not forget that the last time someone heard the truth about Salem, it didn’t exactly end very well on Oscar’s part. Qrow straight up socked Ozpin in the jaw with little regard for the physical repercussions it might have on Oscar afterwards. Same for Jaune who downright slammed Oscar against the wall at the Cotta-Arc residence spitting accusations about Ozpin in the poor kid’s face. Thus far, apart from becoming his successor, Oscar has additionally become the proverbial punching bag for all of Ozpin’s past mistakes.

So one could only imagine how Ironwood might react to the news; especially in light of his current paranoia, according to what Pietro pointed out in the first episode. 

So yeah, given all that, I would say that Ruby had a solid good rationale to lie. That still doesn’t stop me from disliking it as much as the next viewer given the potential circumstances that can come from it. And that’s the point of my unease. I’m worried that Ruby may have low-key written herself into the same trap Oz once placed himself in. Sure she may have told one half-truth and one little white lie, repeating Ozpin, but who’s to say that it’ll stop just there? 

As I said, once you’ve told one lie, it’s very easy for it to spin into a web of lies especially when your previous lie starts to crack and leave glaring holes in your last alibi leading to you telling more lies to cover up it up before it stirs more problems for you. This is the danger of the predicament Ruby has placed herself and the heroes in with Ironwood.

Ruby told Ironwood that Oz disappeared after the Argus train crash, correct? So at this moment, James must assume that Oscar’s problem with Oz must have something to do with his soul or something. As evidenced by the V7 Opening, Oscar is expected to be training, possibly privately with Ironwood, for this season. Ironwood also promised to work with Oscar on bringing Ozpin back.

Who’s to say that Ironwood wouldn’t start probing Oscar with questions on his predicament, hoping to hear a proper explanation from his mouth?

After all, Ruby was the one who answered on Oscar’s behalf for a problem relating to his soul. I’m sure this is going to lead into Ironwood prompting Oscar with the same said question and more in order to have Oscar’s answers correlate with what Ruby first told him.

I doubt Ruby is going to be in the same room as Oscar all the time to answer for him. I mean, she can try. Like imagine how awfully suspicious it’s going to look if Ruby always accompanied Oscar on his training lessons with Ironwood; for proclaimed morale support; only each time Ironwood asks Oscar regarding Ozpin, he’d either stammer or Ruby will jump up immediately to answer for him again.

After all, if Oscar answers incorrectly, it could potentially poke holes in Ruby’s lie which can lead to Ironwood becoming suspicious of the two and the heroes---especially in his current paranoid state. With Oscar sharing moments alone with the General, this could potentially lead to the farm boy also sharing moments with Ruby---not really for the sake of them bonding but more so that the two can correlate stories and Ruby can ensure that whatever Oscar says doesn’t contradict anything she said.

Because that’s another thing about lies, right? They have all the durability of a severed ball of yarn left to roll aimlessly on the floor. At some point, the lies will start to fall apart and unravel with the threat of the truth being exposed. We saw that clearly with what transpired back during the aftermath of Argus Limited train crash with Ozpin. 

If things unravelled so quickly and heavily back then, it’s going to happen again with possibly far worse consequences for the hero team especially depending on how long they continue to withhold the truth from Ironwood. And here in lies another great concern I have going forward into the season--- how will Ruby’s deception affect her budding friendship with Oscar and how much will it dampen his overall trust in her?

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Love and Lies

Alrighty! Time to finally tackle the Mammoth Grimm in the room. Oscar was clearly NOT happy with Ruby lying to Ironwood. 

Some Pineheads claimed he appeared annoyed with Ruby in that moment; hence her sort of guilty glance at him as he looked away from her. 

Others said he was disappointed. For me, while I can’t exactly put a name to what Oscar’s expression meant; I’d say it’s more disappointment with a tinge of gloom rather than annoyance, in my opinion.

As a matter of fact, Oscar’s face in V7CH2 reminded me of the same depressed look me made back in V6CH4, after he had commented to Ruby about him being ‘just another one of his---meaning Ozma or Ozpin’s---lives’ only for Ruby to respond reassuringly that he was his own person. Only for the comforting moment to then be ruined by Qrow commenting dryly:

“…Don’t lie to him, Ruby. We’re better than that.”

It’s the same face. By Oscar’s impression of her, Ruby is supposed to be a better person than this. Someone who is above lies and keeping secrets from their allies, especially following their last adventure in Argus. May I remind everyone that the events of V6 took place over the course of four days with the finale and first two episodes of V7 relatively being the same day.

So technically, in terms of the RWBY timeline, it was only two days ago when Ozpin disappeared into Oscar’s mind and left the group on their own in the wilderness of Anima’s Northern coastline, eventually leading to them taking temporary refuge on Brunswick Farms. 

Two days ago, the whole truth came out and the heroes were understandably very displeased with Ozpin for withholding such important information from them for so long especially the part about Salem being indestructible and Ozpin not having an actual plan to stop her; not even after all these centuries and lifetimes of fighting to keep her at bay.

Two days ago, the heroes were rightfully upset with Ozpin for keeping secrets from them especially since they were supposed to be on the same side, fighting for the same cause. What was it that Yang told Ozpin back in V6CH2?

“…Look we’re supposed to be in this together. You can trust us. We’re not going to turn on backs on you…”

 …This was later followed up by the heroes turning their backs on Ozpin after the truth was forced out. 

Two days ago, the heroes fed Ozpin to the dogs for choosing secrecy over trust despite the fact that they were all supposedly allies and now here were are, two days later with our gaggle of heroes pulling the same stunt that Ozpin pulled with them. 

Ironwood and his Inner Circle---Penny 2.0, Winter and the Ace Ops---are allies to our heroes. It’s like what Ace Ops member: Marrow Amin said to them in the same episode.

“…We’re on the same team now…”

They’re on the same team yet one side still chose to withhold not one, but two important pieces of information from the other. The same side that just the other day called out their previous leader for pulling the same stunt they’re doing now. The same stunt that ultimately caused his isolation and placed him in the doghouse with his own team of huntsmen and huntresses.

Do you see why this is problematic?

Don’t get me wrong; narratively I’m enjoying this direction that the CRWBY Writers chose to take Ruby and Ozpin’s hero team. I’m anticipating that it will lead into the group finally understanding why Oz chose to handle things the way he did in the first place by letting them stand in his shoes for a few more episodes; eventually culminating with our heroes properly reconciling with Oz on better terms. While it doesn’t erase or excuse the prolonged impacts of his past actions and mistakes, at least this rounds the group will have a better understanding for why Oz is the way he is; y’know what I’m saying?

After all, Ozpin did explain back in V6 that the basis for his conduct was backed by experience and those experiences---good, bad and/or indifferent---moulded him into the very wise and heavily cautious man he came to be. 

“…Do you really think Leo was the first? That he didn’t say those exact same words to me? I’m sorry but you have to understand that my behaviours are backed by experience. I’m not saying that I have reason to think you will betray me, I’m saying that I have reasons for the things that I do, the secrets I keep…”

 And I’d like to think that by the end of V6, the heroes come to have a better relationship with Oz having gone through a somewhat similar experience that lead to them adopting the same mind-set as Oz. So story-wise, this is great as a future plot development.

However; on the flipside to this; morally---this move also makes Ruby and the heroes look like a bunch of hypocrites; sadly to point out.

It looks bad any way you spin it. 

You didn’t hesitate to call out Ozpin for his deceit and put him and Oscar through the ringer because of it but here you are casually doing the exact same thing. I hope for the love of Oum that Ruby doesn’t believe that what she did was the right call. 

As a matter of fact, this squiggle meister is very interested in hearing what Ruby’s validation for choosing to lie to Ironwood and their Atlesian allies is going to be; meaning that I’m curious to hear what she tells Oscar in the aftermath of V7CH2.

I think we can all assume that Oscar is definitely going to pull Ruby aside and confront her on her actions in Ironwood’s office. He’s not going to roughly accost her or anything. Like I said, I don’t think Oscar is as mad at Ruby as people believe. If anything, I’m expecting Oscar to approach Ruby very calmly about this subject and granted that she’s able to explain her reasons, he’ll be quite understandable. 

 This is also where I expect Ruby’s quote from the V7 Trailer to come in:

“…I’m trying to do what I think it’s best but I really can’t tell if what’s best is what’s right…”

She’ll probably say this during a talk with Oscar to help him understand where she was coming from with her decision; which Oscar will most likely respect. Like I said, if Ruby is able to help Oscar understand then he most likely will since he trusts Ruby and trusts her judgement.

Hooooooooooweeevvvvvevr…

That doesn’t meant that Oscar is going to be 100% okay with Ruby lying to the General. He’ll probably let it slide the first time on the grounds that the truth must come out at some point. Possibly before the completion of Amity Tower before it’s hauled into space and before Ironwood could make his global broadcast to all of Remnant.

The truth has to come out. Right now, Ironwood is operating only on the belief that he thinks Salem can still be stopped. He still believes there’s a chance. 

I mean what’s Ironwood gonna think telling the rest of Remnant about the existence Salem is going to achieve? Does he believe it’ll rally the People of Remnant against Salem by decreasing her chances of wooing others to her side if they knew of her presence? I mean sure, that’s not a bad thought. However Ironwood is missing the major miscalculation in his plan.

Right now, as far we know, the rest of Remnant hates Atlas. Let’s not forget what Cordovin said back in V6:

 “…You’re just like the rest of these Argus ingrates! This city wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for our Atlesian ancestors and what do we get in return? The entire world is ready to put a knife to our throats!”

“The General is no coward. Atlas is strong! If all the kingdoms plan to make us our enemy then so be it! Atlas will prevail!”

 If that wasn’t a huge red flag and a mega foreshadow for the spark of a second Great War with the remaining kingdoms turning heels and deciding to wage war against Atlas then I don’t know what is.

If Atlas reveals the truth about Salem to all of Remnant, not only will it cause the whole world to descend into chaos bringing forth the Grimm but it’ll also make Atlas appear even more treacherous to the remaining three kingdoms.

“So that’s why you withdrew your troops. To handle the panic that will break out in Atlas.” “Yes. Panic is inevitable and panic brings Grimm. But I believe we are ready. Once Atlas has comes to grips with the fight ahead, I’ll use Amity Tower to spread the message to all of Remnant. “

“But everything will fall apart. Grimm will be everywhere!”

“You’re right. But Atlas is willing and prepared to assist.”

“Trying to hide the truth from the world will eventually kill us all.”

 … And suddenly dropping the truth on the world will only serve to quicken the process of humanity’s destruction. 

At least hiding the truth brought you some time to try and figure out a better alternative with possibly less chaos; which I’m assuming is what Ozma and the rest of the Wizards have been trying to do wisely for many, many, years.

Bold of Winter to assume that the rest of the world will be willing to cooperate with Atlas against the Grimm once this word gets out. Also foolish of Ironwood to not consider that this might just be want the enemy wants. What Salem and her forces are expecting and banking on. As a matter of fact, that’s the game plan, isn’t it?

What Ironwood said in V7CH2 is starting to make sense of breadcrumbs left behind from V6 regarding Salem and her schemes. Once upon a time, I made a hunch where I gave my impression of what I believe might be Salem’s ultimate goal.

Do you remember what the God of Light told Ozma in the Lost Fable?

“…We have chosen to depart this world, but in our absence, I would like to offer you the chance to return to it.”

“I…don’t understand.”

“Mankind is no more yet your world remains; and in time, your kind will grow to walk its face again. However, without our presence, they will be but a fraction of what they once were. 

Creation, destruction, choice and knowledge were the ideals upon which humanity was made. Now I leave them behind with the hope that you may learn to remake yourselves.

If brought together, these four Relics will summon my brother and I back to your world and humanity will be judged. 

If your kind has learned to live in harmony with one another and set aside their differences, then we shall once again live among you and humanity will be made whole again.

But if your kind is unchanged, if you demand our blessings while still fighting amongst yourselves, then man will be found irredeemable and your world will be wiped from existence. Until your task is complete, you will reincarnate but in a manner that ensures that you are never alone…”

Salem wants to bring about both mankind and Remnant’s destruction. She wants the world to fall to chaos and war so that by the time, she and her minions successfully gather all four Relics and summon the Brother Gods back to Remnant, the Brothers will have no choice but to wipe both man and Remnant from existence as they said they would after arriving to find it going through yet another Great War.

This is what will happen if Ironwood goes forward with his plan and this is exactly what Salem wants. Don’t you see? Now a lot of details are starting to add up. This is why Watts and Tyrian were sent to Atlas for. Not just to stir problems for its military but to ensure that Ironwood goes forward with Amity Tower.

This is also why Ruby needs to come clean to Ironwood before construction on Amity Tower is complete. 

But she doesn’t have to do it alone. Oscar also has his own part in stopping Ironwood too by figuring out a way to bring Ozpin back. 

This isn’t just about burying the hatchet anymore. The heroes need Oz because, according to Watts in V6, Ozpin is the only person who can talk sense into Ironwood and make him see the astronomical sized flaw in his master plan (supposedly).

If Oz returns, he’ll be able to level with Ironwood and persuade him from moving forward with the broadcast. Ironwood is clearly forgetting that his plan for Amity Tower is nothing but a rehash of the Vytal Festival on a much global scale. 

Last time, Ironwood wanted to bring his army to Vale for the Vytal Festival but Oz was heavily against this plan out of fear that the Military’s presence may spark uncertainty and anxiety within the public bringing forth negative emotions which will then bring forth the Grimm.

Following the Attack in Central Vale, Ironwood then went behind Ozpin’s back to the Council of Vale and got them to side with him, forcing Ozpin’s hand in the matter. Against his friend’s better judgement and advice, Ironwood got his way and his forces were brought to Vale; thus playing right into the villain’s hand. 

And how did that go? It brought forth pandemonium because Arthur Watts hacked their security code, took over the entire Atlesian Army and contributed to the calamity that resulted in the Fall of Beacon. 

Ironwood is pulling the exact same plan he pulled in Vale. Only this time, instead of being isolated to one kingdom, it’s going to affect the rest of the world. 

How much do you want to bet that Watts’ will hack into Amity Tower and rig Ironwood’s first broadcast to Atlas so that the rest of the world is audience to what he reveals firstly to his kingdom?

How much do you want to bet that Watts will spin this in a way that once again humiliates Ironwood and the so-called strength of his kingdom and army? How much do you want to bet that Watts is going to spin this in a way that once again make Atlas look like traitors to the rest of Remnant?

After all, isn’t Watts not Atlesian and currently working with Salem? What’s stopping him from spinning it to look like Atlas has sided with Salem and has been working alongside her to cause war and trouble in the other kingdoms? Think about that.

Finally, what’s stopping Watts from taking full control of Amity Tower and rigging it to fall out of the sky and plummet towards Remnant with Vacuo as its targeted crash site? Thus making it appear as if Atlas has now waged an attack on Vacuo, all the while the rest of the world observes with baited breath?

I say Vacuo could be the next target for this staged attack by Atlas because of something Tyrian said back in V6CH9. Remember what he told Emerald and Mercury before his and Watts’ departure?

 “…There’s been a change in plans. Your grace must act swiftly if we are to prevail. If General Ironwood comes to senses and calls upon aid from Vacuo, all may be lost for us. So the Good Doctor and I are being sent to Atlas to prepare…”

Last season, I shared a musing post where I depicted the possibility of the villains manipulating Ironwood to have Atlas wage war against Vacuo. Now looking at evidence provided by this season, I think I might’ve been onto something back then. Atlas is going to wage an attack on Vacuo…at least, that’s what the villains plan on making it look like.

Right now, Atlas already has two strikes against it. One for what transpired in Vale for the Vytal Festival and two for what happened in Argus with Caroline Cordovin and the awakening of the Leviathan. 

There is no doubt in my mind that that event isn’t going to have severe repercussions for Atlas with the Mistral Council. Though they’ve been less of a vocal presence as the Council of Vale back in V2, it wouldn’t surprise me if word got back to them about what happened in their northern city.

And while our heroes left Argus with Cordovin and her military forces handling the remaining army of Manticore and Sphinx, mind you we never got to learn the aftermath of that; both with the People of Argus and the rest of Mistral. 

As I’ve said many times before---Cordovin’s stunt in Atlas---with her bringing out the mechazord and proclaiming to all of Argus about the awesome might of Atlas and to consider her stunt of reminder of that---that’s definitely going to come back and it’s going to bite Atlas so hard in their metal behinds. 

I can probably sit here and predict the events to come for the remainder of the Atlas Arc but I’m not gonna---that will probably be its own separate post.

Bottom-line, shit is going to hit the fan if the truth doesn’t come out and Ironwood isn’t brought to his senses. But before all of that can come to pass, let’s get back on track with what I was saying about the Rosebud friendship.

I feel like Ruby’s little white lie can potentially spell some emotionally heavy discourse between her and Oscar. One scenario that I’m hoping doesn’t happen but at the same time am worried could happen, is the truth being threatened to be forced out.

It’s like what Ironwood said. Panic is inevitable. Trying to avoid it may prolong the process but at the same time it only makes things worse in the long run. It’s no different than this. 

Imagine you’re a kid in kindergarten on the school playground. You do something wrong but rather than tell your teacher the truth, you tell a lie. However unbeknownst to you, another student saw you do the bad thing.

Which do you think would have the worse ramification? If you were upfront with your teacher about the mistake you made and were at least shown to be honest in letting them hear the truth from your mouth…or…have someone else tattle on you making your actions appear twice as bad because on top of doing something wrong, you also lied about it.

With Ozpin, the truth was practically forced out of him because he basically brought himself to that point. I may have been one of the population of Ozpinheads who defended him last season and while I still stand in Oz’s court, I’m not going to deny the fact that Oz did put himself in that horrible position in V6CH2. 

That I will admit here since, let’s be fair, Oz had several opportunities between Mistral and Argus (at least three chances from the time he and Oscar first reunited with Qrow at the bar) to come clean to the team and tell them everything which, at the end of the day, is all they wanted. No more lies and half-truths, right?

Instead of being upfront from the get-go and confronting the negative results of his actions from the truth then and there with his team, Oz chose to prolong it ---prolong the evitable panic like Ironwood said---which in turn made the situation look far worse for himself when the truth is brought out. Not through Oz but through Jinn because Ruby asked her to tell the truth since Oz wouldn’t. . 

I’m not saying that things would’ve been different if Oz had just come clean. Anger and alarm probably would’ve happened either way.

I’m more saying things might’ve had a much better outcome if the truth had come from Oz instead of Jinn. Instead of having Ruby using Jinn, imagine how it would’ve been if Oz had revealed, by his own words, that Salem can’t be killed and that he’s been searching for years to find a way to stop her but to no avail thus far.

Imagine if Oz had just straight up said that the only thing he’s been successful in doing is keeping Salem at bay and preventing the world from falling into chaos again because he knows that’s what Salem wants because she wishes to gather the Relics to summon the Gods who would’ve then wiped humanity from existence because of the chaos. 

Imagine if Oz had just told the team all of this new-news and then backed it all up by then summoning Jinn himself from the lamp and having her show the group everything from the time Ozma first met Salem to when he first learnt that she couldn’t be killed in his lifetime as Norman.

The Lost Fable made sense of so many actions and so-called mistakes that Oz had taken to prevent Salem from harming humanity. The terrible part was that the only way the team could’ve learnt this is by having Jinn reveal it. Not Oz. Like I said, the truth was forced out and we saw how bad that looked.

This is my concern for Ruby and Oscar. I’m worried that Ruby will desire to prolong revealing the truth to Ironwood for her own reasons backed by her experiences on the matter whereas Oscar will wish to come clean since it’ll be better for the comradery of everyone if they were just straight with each other from the start. No more lies, no more half-truths---just pure trust because trusting in each other will help them work better together to find a proper solution---or at least a better one than having the world fall to ruin.

Do you know what would be so funny but ironic? If Ruby is the one who ends up becoming more like Ozpin in this scenario whereas Oscar becomes more like her and Ruby ultimately sees more of herself in Oscar than Ozpin. 

That can actually be potentially great for Oscar and Ruby’s friendship. Having that complete role reversal right there. This way it can help Ruby understand Ozpin (and thus use that spark of hers to get the others to understand Ozpin as well) while simultaneously strengthening the bond and growing trust she shares with Oscar.

So on one hand, I do want this kind of development to happen. But on the other hand, I fear it eventually happening because I know it will lead into a moment where Ruby and Oscar constantly butt heads on their differing ideologies and choices, leading to one big fight that could potentially destroy their bond.

It doesn’t though, obviously but it does hurt them both especially Oscar’s perception of Ruby since he’s seeing her become like Ozpin---telling the same lies he told, making the same mistakes he made--- and he knows fully well, more than anyone, that that’s a crooked path that doesn’t end well.

I can see Oscar having a potential Iroh moment with Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. The small farm boy turned little barn prince isn’t mad at his rose. He’s more scared that she might lose her way and deviate from the person he knows her to be. Just as how Oz deviated from the man he once was given his past experience with Salem.

“…What Professor Lionheart did was reprehensible; I am not here to argue differently. But does one lapse in judgement truly negate all of his good? Do we not all have regrets? You may met Professor Lionheart, but you never met the man he was before Salem found him…”

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The Little Prince and his Rose

My fear is as this season progresses, Ruby will continue to tell more lies that deceive Ironwood and withhold the truth about Salem from him and his forces, similar to how Ozpin did with the heroes.

This in turn will cause her and Oscar to often clash. My hunch is that since Oscar will be training with Ironwood while simultaneously working to figure out a way to bring Ozpin back, this interaction will cause Oscar to chum up to Ironwood, built a sense of trust between them that feels genuine to his eyes. This will then lead to Oscar desiring more and more to reveal the truth to Ironwood but he doesn’t wish to do that since it will mean breaking his trust with Ruby.

So instead Oscar tries more and more to convince Ruby to tell the truth herself since this all started with her and it would be better that the truth come from her instead of anyone else. 

My theory is that Ruby will make promises to Oscar to tell the truth to their Atlesian allies but over their time in Atlas, those promises will be broken to the point that Ruby even starts to lie to Oscar.

…Or at least she tries to. But as we know, Oscar will see right through Ruby’s deceit---as evidenced by V5CH5 in the Dojo scene where Ruby tried to hide the truth about her repressed grief over the Fall of Beacon and the loss of her friends only for Oscar to call her out on it.

I fear that this will happen again. Ruby will continue to follow the same path as Ozpin, even to the point of lying to Oscar---one of her closest allies (as Oz did with Qrow and essentially Ironwood) and just like in the Dojo Scene, he’s going to call her out on it.

This could then potentially lead into Ruby and Oscar having a big fight. And do you know what would be interesting?

What if…Ruby and Oscar have a big fight over their disagreements of trusting their Atlesian allies only for Oscar to threaten Ruby with taking the Relic of Knowledge from her and using the last question to force the truth to come out in the same fashion as what happened with Ozpin.

I’m not saying this could potentially happen. But I am askinh what if it did?

 Imagine if…this even leads to a moment where Oscar leaves and our heroes return to discover that he was gone again. 

Like let’s say Oscar has been rooming with JNR in their dorm room for the majority of V7 only to disappear later with all his belongings cleared out of the JNR dorm. Not because Oscar ran away like in Argus but left to go maybe stay with Ironwood wherever he lives up in Atlas.

Like imagine JNR_RWBY freaking out about Oscar disappearing on them a second time---doubt he went shopping this time, am I right?---only for Atlas Academy Employee of the Month Penny 2.0 to jubilantly inform them that Oscar has gone to stay with the General at his quarters, much to everyone’s shock especially Ruby’s.

In the Little Prince story, the Prince eventually left his home planet because of the Rose. I believe the story was that the Prince grew tired of the Rose not reciprocating his feelings despite all that he did for her (because she was naïve and vain) so he left her to explore the rest of cosmos.

Picture…something like that with the Rosebuds where Oscar, tired of Ruby’s continued deceit and mistrust of their Atlesian allies and even him, loses trust in Ruby all together and leaves the hero team to side with Ironwood?

That could be an interesting plot point for V7, right? Similar to how the Rose from the Little Prince didn’t realize she loved him until he left, it can be a similar scenario for Ruby with Oscar only substitute love for trust. Or see it as one in the same if you will. Trust in love, right?

You can even say that trust and love go hand in hand. Because trust enables the heart to open up and it is only with the heart, that one can see rightly what essentially is invisible to the eye. Love. See what I did there, right?    

 What if… similar to her counterpart from the Little Prince, Ruby doesn’t realize how much she trusts Oscar and valued his trust in her until he eventually left her out of fear that he couldn’t trust her anymore and the belief that she doesn’t trust him entirely.

Technically the idea is that Ozpin isn’t trusted anymore by the team. Ozpin is a part of Oscar and the narrative belief is that Oscar is meant to become Ozpin. The team trusts Oscar. Ruby trusts Oscar. However Ozpin is the other half of Oscar. The team can’t trust Oscar and not Ozpin. They can’t trust only half of him because what happens when Oscar and Ozpin become one whole person.

Will the group retain their trust in Oscar or remain distrustful of Ozpin? Basically I think it’s going to boil down to Oscar thinking that he isn’t trusted entirely by the group, particularly Ruby (as the proclaimed leader of the rag-tag) due to Ozpin.

I think this is what will also lead to Oscar’s departure. His fight with Ruby could potentially lead to Ruby dropping the ball that she’s still distrustful of Oz, which, by Oscar’s understanding means she doesn’t trust him either.

She might as well be saying that she doesn’t trust Oscar since technically; she can’t trust half of him, right?

I can see this as an opportune moment for Oscar to show his support of Oz by saying Oz is a part of him just as much as he is a part of Oz.

Oz’s responsibilities are his responsibilities. His burdens are Oscar’s burdens. His past mistakes and all the consequences of them are Oscar’s and it’s his duty to rectify them in a sense. Thus justifying my theory of Oscar challenging Ruby on deceiving their Atlesian allies as well as my Pinehead headcanon of Oscar wishing to mend the bond between Oz and the heroes.

Oscar and Oz may be two minds in one body but at their core, they are one man (and that man’s name was Ozma---ESPECIALLY if my other Pinehead headcanon about Oscar being the one true Ozma as the younger reincarnated version of his original body in Modern Day Remnant is true).

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The Wolf Who Helped the Rose

Before I conclude my Rosebuds theory, let me just deviate to touch base on your question about Marrow and Ruby @miki-13​.

While I still like my Ruby’s Big Bad Boyfriend Lil Red headcanon (and thank you so much for remembering it), I don't think I can actually pair Marrow up with Ruby. At least, I don’t think so? Let me double check. 

Well, I'm assuming that Aces are all graduates from Atlas Academy, right? Clover did address our hero team as students which gave me the impression that he and his own rag-tag of teammates have already finished school since they’re currently working with the military and it was stated in the Atlas Academy ad that graduates from the academy eventually go onto join the military with a chance of joining their special operatives division.

It was also mentioned briefly by Ozpin back in V1 that upcoming huntsmen train in the academies for four years from the age of 17 before graduating to become certified huntsman and huntresses who go on to serve their kingdoms. That being said, if I had to guess the ages of the Ace Op members, I’m assuming they’re all in their 20s since they would’ve been at least 21 years old by the time they finished the academy, right?

So right now, it’s safe to assume that Marrow is probably at least four years senior to Ruby. He doesn’t look a day over 21 (unless he lies about his age, eyyy!) 

A 21-year-old working graduate dating a 17-year-old student technically in her second year of huntsmen training? People already crucify Rosegarden for the measly two year age difference between Ruby and Oscar. Imagine how much trouble a potential Big Bad (Ruby x Marrow) ship could stir?

Nevertheless, I do like the concept of Marrow having a kind of flirtatious exchange with Ruby. Since my key Marrow ship is Bunny Bites with him and Harriet, I can totally picture Marrow pulling a Neptune and kind of flirting with Ruby but only to make Harriet jealous because that’s their thing. Like I can picture Marrow secretly having the biggest crush on Harriet (which is reciprocated by her interest in him) but due to Harriet’s competitive nature with him on the battlefield and Marrow’s habit of lying, Marrow often pretends he doesn’t like Harriet that way by flirting with other girls in front of her.

It’s like Marrow totally likes Harriet a lot but doesn’t want her to know that he likes her that way; y’know what I’m saying? So basically he’s a big ole tsundere. Still a good boy though. 

Anyways, in terms of Ruby turning to Marrow for comfort when her relationship with Oscar goes sour, you actually might be onto something there, Miki.

Imagine…Ruby being depressed after Oscar left home to stay with Ironwood (going back to my theory). She goes for a walk alone to clear her head and bumps into who else but Marrow, of all people. Imagine Ruby confiding in him about hurting Oscar with the whole lying thing and in a surprising twist, Marrow helps her out and actually offers some good advice.

Imagine how ironic it would sound if the Boy Who Cried Wolf taught Ruby about the consequences of lying too often. As a matter of fact, that could be the morale that Marrow imparts on Ruby in relation to the lesson that was the basis of the original Aesop Fable he’s based on.

That’s actually pretty brilliant when you think about it. So it fits excellently especially when I add it to the events of my Rosegardening Rosebuds headcanon:

Ruby lies to Ironwood. Continues to lie and keep secrets from the Atlas Crew following in Oz’s footsteps (maybe it might even make Ruby think back to the lesson that Oz imparted on her with the burden of leadership from V1). Her continued deceit hurts her friendship with Oscar leading to them fighting and Oscar leaving his home with their team.

Ruby grows sad because of this. Meets a Good Boy (Marrow) who imparts an important lesson onto her by probably telling her a story---a fable if you will---inspired by his life.

This inspires Ruby to make things right with everyone. So on the day Amity Arena is complete, with Ironwood possibly planning to make the broadcast later that same day---Ruby comes clean. All the right people are already present---Ironwood, Winter, Penny, Qrow, the Ace Ops, JNR_WBY and of course Oscar.

Ruby takes the floor and goes into making the big reveal. But before she does that, she gives a heartfelt speech where she apologizes to everyone for lying to them---including Oscar but she does it in a manner where she doesn’t outright come out and apologize to Oscar (cause she’s giving her big ole trademark Ruby speech) but it is heavily implied in her words and subtle glances in Oscar’s direction.

So Ruby drops the ball that Salem can’t be destroyed. Naturally, the Atlesians react in shock and immediate disbelief of this. So to further emphasize her point, Ruby summons Jinn before their very eyes.

Since Ruby told Ironwood that the lamp has already been used up, I think Ruby summoning Jinn could be a nice way to get her point across. I also considered the idea of Ruby using the last question to have Jinn show the truth of Ozma’s past and everything the heroes saw back in Argus to Ironwood and his forces.

I can see that as another way to further get the point across. But at the same time, it wouldn’t surprise me if the lamp isn’t used for V7 just in case the CRWBY Writers planned on savouring the last question for later.

But overall, my point is that in the end Ruby pulls herself from making the same mistake as Oz did. However this experience also helps Ruby to better understand Oz as well which leads to her apologizing to him just as much as Oscar.

So Ruby’s trust in Oz is renewed and the same can be said for her trust in Oscar. I can see a potential plot development like this being used to strengthen Ruby and Oscar’s bond through strengthening their trust in each other.

Though they may have had their fair share of doubts, especially about the other beforehand, by the end, there is no more reservations. Only trust in its purest of forms thus opening the door to love.

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So to conclude…

Trust love. Trust in love. Love and trust, you can say it whatever way you’d like, it means the same in the end.

These two sentiments often go hand in hand and it wouldn’t surprise me if our pair of Rosegardening Rosebuds learning to completely trust one another essentially opens the door for them to fall in love with each other. Who knows? It could happen for this season given the breadcrumbs dropped by these last two episodes.

As always, these are only my thoughts and theories and as expected, my assumptions could be wrong in the end. But either way, I would actually love to see some of the headcanons I shared in this post come to fruition in the canon. Particular the one where Ruby’s continued deception of Ironwood and their Atlesian allies causes her and Oscar to ‘break up’ and Oscar leaves the team because of it. I like it since it harkens back to the Little Prince and you guys know much this squiggle meister loves seeing those fairytale parallels, however big or small, within the RWBY canon.

Besides, sometimes things need to fall apart just so they could be brought back together stronger than ever. I can see this happening for Ruby and Oscar’s arc for this season. If I’m correct in V7 being the closest we’ve ever seen these two together along with the hunches I’ve shared in this musing post then brace yourself fellow Pineheads, Rosegardeners and Rosegardening Pineheads, we may be in for a wild ride with these two smaller, more honest souls for this season. But we shall see. 

In the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed the new musing. As for Miki and Carrot, I hope I best answered your questions. Let me know what you guys think about my theories shared here if you can. 

Until then, I’ll see you all in the next RWBY Musing. Cheerios FNDM fam!

More Squiggles’ RWBY Content

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)

[haematophiliac-a]

// I am going to try and keep this short but I will FAIL.

Edit: Massive fail lmao.

     So this year has been... A roller-coaster for me IRL. Ups and downs but mainly ups.

     First, to note, I’ve been suffering from “clinical depression” and an amalgamation of other issues since 2003 and by this point in my life I know how to cope with it so when it hit me throughout the year at various points I knew what to do - Just sleep it off and wait it out. That would be some down points of the year and after several years debating something that nagged at me and inevitably made me even more depressed I decided I finally had to change my entire life, which brings in the next point.

     I told mum something I really had to tell her after years of debating with myself (you can ask in DMs if you’re curious but I’d rather not splay it everywhere) and it’s made things so hard for me and her but also made things so much easier for myself in a way as I can finally be myself. She’s struggling with it but supports me nonetheless albeit it being so difficult for her and for that I’m so damn grateful. She is truly an amazing mum.

     I started going to the gym to try and change my life with this new acceptance of myself but of course, with my bad luck in life, I badly screwed up my elbow and had to stop so that put everything on hold. Now I’m waiting, since May, for surgery to fix it. Then once that is sorted I can go back to the gym and continue trying to change my life for the better to become who I really am.

     Out shopping just after March when I told mum ‘The Thing’ I bumped into a person in a shop who saw my LGBT wristband and invited me to start going to a social group in a nearby town. Best. Thing. Ever. Not only has this gotten me out of my shell but gained me a whole social life of which I’ve not had one since 2009 due to IRL issues (depression, anxiety, friends moving away, bad experiences etc). So that was amazing to just happen to me. I’ve been going every two weeks to this social group, made IRL friends from it, been to events, social nights in places, Pride fests, even stayed in a nearby city with the person who saw my wristband and we went to comic con and for the first time could be who I really am. I’m building relations and damn, I’m happy about that. Ten years with nothing was fine but to finally be out and about is so much better.

     Five or so years ago I came to Tumblr while seeking out images of Pokemon related things and found out it has this RP community. It was only nearing the end of last year that I made Jax (October) and fully got immersed here.

     I have no regrets about that.

     I’ve made so many friends of you all and I’m so damn happy to have met so many you. Some of you have become really close to my heart. I adore you all. I’ve only had one bump in the road as someone vague-posting about me but other than that it’s been PERFECT and I cannot thank you all enough.

    My anxiety has been bugging me this year too and it centers around this community but I am in no way complaining. Long story short is that since 2010 I’ve been a WoW player on a certain server. I was a newbie to that type of RP and made so many mistakes that I got heavily noticed and eventually ridiculed. It got to the point where I’ve been heavily harassed, stalked and even doxxed to the point I couldn’t post on the forums without my IRL info being splayed out for all to see. So you can understand that coming to a brand new community was very difficult for me and every single day, even today, I worry that things will get messed up again somehow and people will once more hate me.

     But you know what? I love this place so much that the enjoyment overrides my anxiety most of the time.

     I joined a server towards the end of last year but eventually left it from drama and yet gained friends from it either way. I was able to reconnect with a few people from my old blog and make new friends and for that I’m thankful. 

     Without all of you I’d be so bored, alone and wouldn’t have been able to develop Jax at all. It’s been very amazing this year on this site and yes, I’m just happy to be here with you all.

     So here’s to another year! May we all continue our great relationships, get some awesome RP going and of course meet even more new people! I hope this year brings you all joy and everything you deserve.

[shearssheep47-blog]

Hunting Com Objects

Top 10 Factors To Come To Be A Security Guard

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Content

Professional Driving Ability

Whizrt: Substitute Smart Cybersecurity Red Team

Add Your Get In Touch With Info The Proper Way

Security Vs. Presence

If you actually desire the task, an unenthusiastic answer that makes the job interviewer wonder. You wish to offer some detail regarding why you would take pleasure in the job and also how the task matches your goals. This is specifically important if the job stands for even a slight job shift or a step up to even more duty. A too-general solution that could relate to any position.You do not wish to give the perception that you're only curious about this job since it's offered.

What are security skills?

Security guards minimize theft. Often the mere presence of a security guard will deter patrons and professionals from stealing. A guard is a greater visual deterrent than just camera surveillance or a standard security system.

Professional Driving Capacity

Jewell later on efficiently filed a claim against numerous news companies that reported him as the criminal before having the truths. The vigiles were soldiers appointed to guard the city of Rome, usually credited as the beginning of both security employees as well as authorities, although their primary task was as a fire brigade. There have actually been evening security guard considering that a minimum of the Middle Ages in Europe; walled cities of ancient times additionally had actually watchmen.

Whizrt: Substitute Smart Cybersecurity Red Team

The proficiency they obtain in weapons dealing with and also handling violent dispute make ex-military workers and police officers excellent candidates for armed security. Several of the clients of personal security agencies additionally have the alternative to hire in-house security. Often times it is simpler as well as a lot more reliable for them to acquire out the service via a neighborhood security firm than to hire internally. The duties of a security guard coincide, globe about. Their task is to safeguard properties by surveillance, reporting, and preventing any kind of breach of security.

Add Your Contact Details The Proper Way

What are some duties of a security guard?

A security guard is someone who patrols and inspects property against fire, theft, vandalism, terrorism, and illegal activity. They monitor people and buildings in an effort to prevent crime.

An unique chair showed up in Europe sometime in the late Middle Ages, called the watchman's chair; this unupholstered wood chair had an onward slanting seat to prevent the watchman from dropping off throughout obligation. Technological improvements in relation to drones, facial acknowledgment, as well as robotics are anticipated to remain to boost the personal security landscape in Australia. A developing understanding of risks has caused personal security playing a greater part in reacting to crucial occurrences, such as terrorist strikes. " Public Security", an individual utilized or appointed as an (generally equipped) security officer by a government or government firm.

Richard Jewell, a gatekeeper at Atlanta, Georgia's Centennial Olympic Park during the 1996 Summertime Olympics that was wrongly accused of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing. Jewell was later on free from those costs, and remained in fact the one who conserved hundreds of lives when he first noticed the questionable plan and obtained the area left.

" beveiligingsbedrijf - wat is objectbeveiliging , advertises financial growth for the Area by making sure customer retention, Gatekeeper retention, and also assistance for the advancement of brand-new organisation. " Scheduler", Security Officer project and also critical scheduling resulting in client fulfillment, employee retention and also cost maintained within District monetary plans. " In-house" or "proprietary" (i.e. employed by the exact same company or company they shield, such as a mall, theme park, or gambling enterprise); formerly often called jobs police or security authorities in the United Kingdom. A security officer shielding the entryway to an apartment building, and also managing the parking of cars in Haikou, Hainan District, China. There are much better verification techniques than passwords and also security concerns available for your company-- as well as with assistance from LoginRadius, you can adopt them promptly and conveniently.

Objects that have to acquire their security from a moms and dad object will present the alternative as handicapped, while objects that can not inherit security will certainly not show this choice.

Whereas security is always certain to an object (such a user interface or procedure design), exposure is usually depending on an expression.

Inheritance in object security dialogs is constantly shown as an option below the Parent field.

The following table gives a detailed malfunction of which items acquire security by default, and also which things will prompt you to set security throughout creation.

Security as well as presence are two unique ideas in Appian.

Visibility permits developers to offer granular directions regarding which individuals or groups should be able to see and also communicate with a specific facet of an object.

state of California also enables individuals to be detained in some circumstances. In The golden state, guards have to finish a training class that focuses on apprehension powers, and also the guard must after that rack up a perfect 100% on the final test for that course. Assuming that the guard passes the program in this fashion, he/she would certainly then obtain a certificate that allows for detention in the implementation of regular responsibilities.

How do I describe my skills on a resume?

You don't have to pull over for them, but you should, so long as you're on their property. Said security officer can make you leave property - as in, if you don't play by the rules set forth by the private property owners, you've gotta leave.

By having a professional mindset as well as strong work values, companies will be a lot more interested in considering you for promotions, new tasks, or other positive results. Security officers commonly start on between ₤ 12,000 and ₤ 15,000 a year yet this can enhance to ₤ 20,000 plus, with experience.

What should I say in a security interview?

The skills section of your resume includes your abilities that are related to the jobs you are applying for. In this section, you should list skills that are relevant to the position or career field that you are interested in, such as computer skills, software skills, and/or language skills.

We've produced a list of the leading 10 tough skills employers are seeking, with multiple examples of each. We'll additionally reveal you exactly just how to effectively showcase them on your resume to help you land much more meetings. A few of these jobs may consist of finishing your operate in a prompt as well as reliable way. Individuals who exercise solid job values are less likely to procrastinate the task at hand are the first to tip up and tackle a brand-new task.

What are your top five skills?

However, for the most part, there are three broad types of IT security: Network, End-Point, and Internet security (the cybersecurity subcategory). The other various types of IT security can usually fall under the umbrella of these three types.

We can supply for short and also lasting projects as well as will work with your budget and your worries to produce the security you require for you and also your service. security, offering the locations with expert armed security personnel for over twenty years.

This wage might raise to greater than ₤ 40,000 per year in primary and also senior security roles. We deliver on all the personal contract guard alternatives noted above, using only off duty, retired, and also prior authorities for armed security jobs.

Security Vs. Exposure

Personal protection officers, or dignitary and also executive defense, are security agents appointed to the defense of someone. Their task is to physically protect top-level as well as at-risk individuals such as celebrities as well as politicians. Police officers are employed for the City, State, as well as Communities. Off-duty policeman are usually appointed to preserve security as well as flow of website traffic at neighborhood occasions such as events as well as parades. Lots of armed guards are ex-military or police police officers.

[tkstrannd]

Ronen Rubinstein as a potential boyfriend for William Clayton in GA&TC

Well following the events of Arrow 8.09 Green Arrow and the Canaries episode, Future Team Arrow has a lead in the “she” person and who is behind of all this mess of bringing all this trouble to the future, and this time the mission need William's brains in the field and not behind a computer, William needs to go undercover

-No definitely no- says Mia. You’re not going undercover it’s dangerous for you, you don’t have an extended training or any battle skills this could be dangerous. 

-Come on it’s only party I don’t think that can be that dangerous and besides you will be there too, and who is the best in having my bad in the field than you, also Zoey and Connor will be there too, I think that I’ll be well secure.

-Fine -Mia sighs- But you don’t get to get lost from my sight alright

-All right just let me get ready i need get some files in the tablet and i have a suit already, it won’t take long.

-I’ll regret doing this- says Mia to herself

Now in the party looking for any resources that could lead to this “she” person William starts to scan all the room looking for anyone to get some info from, not exactly to get to the “she” person, the lead is to its second, the one that does all the dirty word and this person the second in charge, but could this person be there as their resources told FTA that he would be there, the only thing that FTA knew is that it was a He and that HE would be in the event

-Maybe would be someone who attracts a lot of attention- says William

Then we will have to wait a little more, because for me all this old men seens pretty boring to me- says Mia

As Mia says this, this gorgeous man enters the room and suddenly everybody in the room starts clapping to him, this gorgeous man that sudden made William lost his concentration that attractive 27ish male with those green eyes that could hypnotize you if you stare them right amount of time,a smile that would make you do anything that he would ask, brown hair long enough to have a curl on his forehead, slightly taller than William and a fit body that you could say that was made by the gods, he that could be wearing a suit that seens more like a second skin that which each movement that he makes the suits follows, as he turns to welcome the people to the party suddenly all the room starts to look at him, Him with an aubergine suit that William would say that is an ugly color but not in him, not in that physique, and Mia in the comms asking for anything new or suspicious and suddenly William couldn't articulate any word, he was shocked at the looks of the second in charge.- I-I think i found it- says Williams. I will get close to him

In matter of second this man is surrounded by people trying to talk to him, as William approaches to him, the man decides to leave the conversation with all these people and seens attracted to William. 

 -Did you know Argus in collaboration with Palmer tech built this place and is the most secure building in all Star City- says William to the man in the aubergine suit.

-Yeah I know I'm the one who ordered this building to be made with my exact specifications, this a total anti-meta building, anyone can’t get in without getting noticed. And as you can see all the doors only can be opened with biometric scans and the security firewall was created in association with Felicity Smoak so any one who tries to enter physical or virtually will have some trouble doing it say the man in the aubergine suit, -yeah I know- says William stuttering -I mean I know that it will be hard to enter this building with being invited, that is why I'm so amazed by this construction.

William Harris -he says giving his hand to the only man that has been able to make him hesitate without even talking to him.

Eliott -answers in the man in the aubergine suit returning the action and giving William his hand and with a firm handshake but he didn’t gave his last name, this is a little strange for William, everybody always introduce to him with a full name but not Eliott not this time but William let it past since he’s got his attention 

-I've never seen any beautiful eye like yours- tells William to Eliott

-And I've never seen such a fine man in this building before, after me of course answers Eliot turning this conversation into a compliments battle almost at the point of flirting in the room, a room with almost fifty people where suddenly every disappears as Williams and Eliott talks, It’s like the room was only for then but no, the room was full of people, talks and classic music.

-Jesus get room- says Mia in the comms and William basically ignoring her, this was the time, the time where William will return the favor to Mia and not listen to the comms, Mia was furious - I can believe that he is doing me the same I did to him the last time- says Mia.

Zoey and Connor are in the comms too and both look at each other and says, now the turn tables right Mia, this wasn't the right time to make a boyfriend this was a serious and important mission but William seen to not care and He and Eliott wanted to take the conversation to some place more private.

Both William and Eliott goes to Eliot's office, So tell me more about this building -says Eliott- since you're so interested in this construction maybe you can tell me something that I don't know. Well -answers Williams-  I know that any speedster can't phase this building, the guards are trained by ARGUS and the rotate turns each 6 hours so there won't be any tired guard and all these guards can be focused, but then William remembered that he doesn't have to say a lot, he doesn't want to blow up his cover, but I thinks that you already knows that tells William to Eliott with taking his eyes off of him, Yes that is correct -says Eliott- but maybe you can tell me more about yourself ask to William as he pours two cups of champagne,

-Well what can I say tech is my passion and anything related to Palmer tech would be my priority to study.

-Oh I see says Eliot, you work for Palmer Tech,

-Not like that- say William, more like a consultant, I specialize in virtual security actually I have my own company Harris Consolidated, and we are based in hackers security and meta tech, instead of preventing meta tech to be used in crimes we use them for security,

-So basically you're tell me that you're responsible for all the anti-meta security in my building- says Eliott. More or less -answers William- I don’t like to brag about my work, it’s what i love- 

Now having more confidence than before but of course he has more now, they are in a private place and talking about what he does best, -Well let me tell you something -says Eliott- while he takes William's cup of champagne from his hand to fill them again, I know what you were staring at me since the moment I entered the room you're not very subtle. And there it goes all of William's confidence, it left the room the moment that Eliott said that, Don't worry -says Eliott- if I were you I will be looking at me all the night too, and William left a breath leave his chest and calm again.

Oh I see now -says William- You're very cocky

Eliot reaches Williams with the cup of champagne and leaves them over the table, You know what?, Let's get straight to business -says Eliot as he approaches even more close to William-, I don't like to make a lot of turns and after that Eliott grabs William by the suit and gives him a kiss in the mouth

I thought you wanted to make business -says William as he takes a breath of that kiss maybe wanting more, maybe being so sure of wanting more-

This is business -replies Eliott- or you will lie to my saying that this isn't the reason that you're here, to seduce the most attractive man in the room? 

-At this moment William doesn’t know what to think, he can’t think straight well he never has do it, but at this moment he doesn’t know how to reach, He keeps kissing Eliott and enjoys it or he has to make a plan to get some info after all that is why he’s in that place, is Eliott really bad as he thinks?, does he really works for this “she” person?, he seens so nice but who knows apparences always lie. Something that William doesn’t know about Eliott is that he was trained by the League of Heroes created by Thea and Talia and he went rogue, when he found all those ancients books of the League of Assassins and he really wanted to make a change even if it was by his own hand, but this really didn’t matter after all this happened in earth one in the timeline before Crisis, but maybe this mattered after all, ever since the “she” person used Martian Manhunter’s tech on him to recover all of his memories from the erased timeline due to the creation of earth prime, and that in thew timeline he never lived through all that and he is "good", maybe he can use that training for something good, but not for the moment because Eliott works for the “she” person, maybe William can change something on him in the future, who knows?-

Well I wasn't exactly planning in seduce you but maybe this is a plus after all I just wanted to take a look at my work and you being here to show it is a total win, still kissing Eliot and with a shortness of breath after all this fine man takes William's breath away.

-Jesus -says Mia in the comms- and Zoey and Connor better decides to turn off their comms so they can't hear anything and in a moment of distraction William turns off his comms too for Mia's respect, they share everything after all they are siblings, but maybe William didn’t wanted to share this experience with all FTA and his little sister, not this experience that could possibly blow this mission and if William play well his card this could be the key to find HER

After a few minutes of kissing and laughs between kisses the clothes started to fall in the office's floor, yes that beautiful aubergine jacket fell on the floor and after all that William doesn’t thinks that it's an ugly color anymore, it was the turn of William Jack but Eliot wasn't so delicate taking William's jacket he was basically ripping off his clothes, Easy tiger -says William- I still need to turn to the party remember.

-I don't care says Eliot I can get you anything else if you want after all this is my building, and who say you will come back to the party?, come with me -tells Eliott to William while grabbing him by the hand and reaching the elevator.

Both of them goes one floor up and who could say that his building has a whole floor dedicated to be Eliott’s room. William is amazed by what he’s seeing the bed, the space and maybe just maybe Eliott new that i was going to be a long... night so he asked to get ready the room before they get there.

Alright them -says William- lets keep going with your business maybe we can have a good deal.

[covid10-blog]

coronavirus

coronavirus

Possesses Globalization Helped Corona Trojan to Spread Rapidly? You will find a myth going on within many portions of the globe, that because of the positive effect, the Covid-19 virus might spread easily and influence many around the planet. Although it can be real, that because of rapid distance coverage by surroundings, water and other solutions, the sickness spread, laying typically the entire responsibility on syndication is incorrect. There tend to be many instances in record, exactly where epidemics have distributed to result in loss of human being lives in thousands ahead of air transportation possibly endured. In this article upon possesses globalization helped halo trojan to spread speedily, i want to look at often the details.

coronavirus

Restrict Internationalization rapid What is the Plan?

The actual supports of deglobalization desire to build walls this sort of as the Wonderful Wall membrane of China, limit trips and travel, reduce the stock trading between countries. Sure, inside these times of Reino anxiety, it is required to put a brief enclosure, but long time significance of isolation among international locations can trigger a economical crease. In short, the actual most required component in the present time is actually co-operation of countries as well as definitely, not seclusion.

Record and Epidemics

Epidemics for example plague and small pox have destroyed many cultures around the globe. Right now there were times, when folks utilized to leave the whole area and villages, transfer to the latest place for you to start a new lifestyle. From the ancient ages, right now there were zero proper signifies of transport like cruises and airplanes. However the particular epidemics happened. Like only notice the Black Loss of life epidemic of 14th hundred years. The death toll relates to millions from countries from the Western Europe to Far east Asia. Nearly more compared to 20 million people missing their own lives.

It had been in 1520, the little pox started in Key America and wiped close to a fourth of the native population.

A fatal flu started in 1918, and also spread to numerous corners of driving. The entire population lost has been hundred million. When compared to help life lost in Initial Entire world War, the tarif is far more.

How Our Forebears Encountered An Epidemic

For you to be honest, that they experimented with every measure along with process to control the outbreak. Many methods were dirty and did not take an improvement. Some cultures observed in superstition and assumed typically the epidemic was the curse or even punishment through the Gods. In most places, the healthy individuals applied to shift to some other spots leaving behind often the dead, sick and tired and undeserving livestock. Another highlight is proof involving human sacrifice in order to conciliate the Gods as an approach connected with warding off the high incidence.

What are the procedures followed over the last to fight any crisis?

Although epidemics did carry on and rear their particular head every so often, the course of action of sanitation and cleanness did help to lower the actual casualties. The principal reason for a lot of fatalities in the old age groups was due to the particular fact, our forebears does not understand the illness plus the reasons for it is spreading and so fast.

Within recent times, a disease can spread within any that same day to all areas of the globe, complimentary air travel. But just about any pandemic will not trigger deaths throughout millions, typically the reason, exchange of knowledge. The particular best defense humanity features against any disease recently time is information by means of scientific analysis and prophylactic medicine prepared at often the original.

It was with the 1900s, which medication professionals of every nation came together and changed info on diseases in each country. Subsequently, the vaccination programme started off on some sort of global scale. Due to the actual sincere efforts of the remedies professionals, some remarkably infectious diseases such as tiny pox were completely taken away as early as 79.

In the earlier nights, it was difficult to be able to collect selections from impacted people while not being infected. At this point, with current medical tools in the form associated with safety gloves and face markers, the golf pros can easily accumulate samples, examine, identify in addition to then suggest the particular probable cure in the application form of anti-bacterials. People within the old age range, can not determine the result in of disorders such while Black Death as well as passed on in millions. Whenever typically the Corona outbreak occured, health care professionals took less as compared to two weeks to identify often the virus, its genetic makeup and also the possible ways for you to discover affected people, place them inside isolation along with prevent the distributing regarding this disease on mass.

What Did You Find out In the History of Epidemics?

The actual fact, globalisation has triggered several deaths is turned out completely wrong once again. With out proper transportation, a lot of epidemics caused millions of demise in the earlier instances.

The real prevention of almost any epidemic is as soon as the region first affected need to talk about the information regarding the actual condition to its adjoining nations as soon seeing that possible. In this condition, its trust and communal which matters a good deal in preventing the particular pass on of disease. All the nations around the world should also extend a new helping hand to typically the afflicted country. Today, using Culminación virus making madness across the world, China has to help teach international locations lessons with regards to the virus.

Co-operation will be also mandatory when places try their best in order to minimize travel from individuals involving other nations through a epidemic. If nations never trust each additional, then the information concerning disorder becomes useless.

Over the previous centuries, the war towards smaller pox was earned, since every country enjoyed throughout the vaccination programme. In the event that one country had never fall in line, subsequently the modest pox would likely have remained in addition to patiently lay for the right time to strike. But the idea would not happen.

Please be aware, the entire teens from recent times needs to be able to begin a clear border range. It's not between countries as well as locations. But the brand needs to be set clearly between humans and also viruses. Viruses which get induced deaths in latest times have come coming from animals to humans. For instance , Ebola virus. So, residential areas all over the entire world have to be defined about the safety measures along with precautions. If not, every at this point and then, the national boundaries collection between virus in addition to male will be shattered because of a indication. Then the entire individual race can become sitting quail for a brand-new finder virus.

With the written content in the earlier sentences, some specifics also include to be taken with thought. There exist a number of societies in the universe, where the people are usually not just knowledgeable about standard healthcare companies. These folks may become the objectives of transmission.

Since often the very last half a millennium, medical scientific research has meant itself in order to meet the issues of epidemics. There is out there an entire army as medical professionals, nurses as well as other staff members to patrol the world and also secure from any outbreak.

Precisely what Are The Major Variables To help An Epidemic Distributed More rapidly?

True, we possess all the health features, but countries taking believe in in one another. Inside some nations around the world, corrupt political figures do not present awards to medical companies along with hamper their expansion in addition to research. There is the part of society which can not rely on scientific healthcare expert tips and hold on their lifestyles because per their will. Every one of these factors can contribute for you to dispersing of a sickness among quite a few countries.

Realization

Let us desire that will the Corona Scare can promote trust between international locations. Let us not target on the niche - offers globalization really helped corona pathogen to distribute rapidly. The idea is a painful tutorial, but let us switch this kind of unfortunate event to help an probability to make the actual bonds between places better. The brotherhood involving nations can make the complete people stand strong in opposition to any kind of catastrophe (natural or perhaps health-related). Let us help make a resolve in order to get across the planet, if necessary, any time to overcome any threat that could threaten your entire human ethnic background.

[letters-from-the-three-houses]

So have you seen translations for the three House Leaders' Cipher cards? If so what are your thoughts then? I know this question has been asked but it's such an interesting topic I want to hear everyone else' opinions.

yes i have! no worries about already asked questions; everyone’s thoughts add fuel to the fire~

for those who haven’t seen it/need a refresher, here’s the translation. all three of the cards are meant to be read at the same time, so the lines feed onto each other!

it gives the tiniest sliver of detail on the trio’s relationship, but it’s still pretty substantial. see this post for a nice explanation and a different perspective on the matter

now onto the analysis!

p.s. in light of the reddit ‘leaks’ thread, this blog will be spoiler-free. all speculations come from the current information we have at hand (currently, anything up to the most recent famitsu scans). see this post for more details

let’s look at this step by step. first up is edelgard’s:

“a wise ruler shouldn’t take one’s words purely at face value”

all in all, she sounds suspicious of others, which implies that the political climate in adrestia is more ruthless than the other nations. as an empire, adrestia is likely to be the most ‘antagonistic’ of the three. the only other fe empires i know—and note that they’re called empires in japanese (帝国 or teikoku)—are rigel and embla. the former is militaristic and bases its principles on glory and power, while the latter is seen as the ‘evil’ side that’s trying to conquer more territory. adrestia’s probably going to end up on a similar boat (implying that the reason for the impending war is adrestia breaking peace treaties, but let’s put that thought aside)

it gives me similar vibes to nohr’s political climate: full of backstabbing and stepping stones galore. edelgard has to constantly be on guard because a) her every move is judged (more on ‘by who’ later) and b) there’s always someone trying to take advantage of her/the situation. i think she has a similar personality to berkut + xander—nationalistic and loyal to her country, but harsh to those who try to steal her position. edelgard probably had two choices: adapt or get eaten. reading between the lines kept you alive, while taking everything at face value placed your trust in the wrong people

however, there’s one caveat! we don’t know if this behaviour is directed solely to the court or if it propagates towards adrestia as a whole. since she’s a noble (hence, having to constantly interact with fellow nobles), i’ll run with the assumption that the court is, in fact, a den of snakes. one wrong move and you’re dead meat

the civilians, on the other hand, are a wild card. we don’t know a whole lot about adrestia’s economy, social order, quality of life, etc. is food scarce? what percentage of the population is considered poor? are they dissatisfied with the emperor’s rule? is there discourse amongst commoners and nobles?

well, we have no clue. but we do know that the black eagles only has one commoner student. so the question is why?

i mentioned in my last speculation post about dorothea that it could be because of money or power (or presence thereof), but it could very well be that there’s a strict hierarchy in adrestia; nobles exert control over civilians. only the rich and influential—say, a renowned opera singer—would have the ability to stand equal with the nobles. in that case, it’d be understandable if they held ill will towards the nobility. edelgard, then, would also have to be careful outside of the court because the people don’t trust her

take note that she says “ruler” in this line, so she’s explicitly referring to her role as an emperor. to be a good and fair leader over nobles and commoners alike, she can’t just trust everything that people say. there could very well be a warmer/softer side to edelgard, but any matters concerning politics, leadership, military, etc. are seen through the lens of a queenly mask

“i’ve no desire to be accused of seeing only subtext in what others say”

in contrast, dimitri’s straightforward. what you say is the truth. makes sense because faerghus values honour above all else, being a country of knights

you know, dimitri’s profile irked me for the longest time because he reminded me of someone but i couldn’t figure out who it was

and then it hit me: marth

“sincere”, “chivalrous”, “cheerful”, and trusting of others? it sounds very much like marth! also notable is that the kanji for ‘the holy kingdom'���聖王国 (seiōkoku)—is the same for the kanji in ‘the sacred kingdom of archanea’. i’d actually love it if dimitri was a bit like marth/leif/eirika: kind, empathic, well-meaning, but a bit naive. at first, he looks like one of those 'ice queen’ characters, but if he’s the exact opposite then it’d be a pleasant surprise

the reason why i mentioned the whole adrestian public situation in the last section is because it would mean dimitri has a straightforward nature even if he’s (hypothetically) been through similar situations to edelgard. so he’d be a forgive and forget kind of guy, who despite being lied to before, will give you the benefit of a doubt the second time. again, it lines up with the whole knight thing

or, simpler, he’s never had to experience all that backstabbing before. but i wouldn’t bet on that because his profile does mention a “dark secret”. what the dark secret is could be anything—for all we know, dimitri could be a serial killer! of course, that doesn’t fit with what we know of him so far, so i’d scratch that idea off of the drawing board

nevertheless, that means he’s a pretty blunt guy. if you want the truth, ask dimitri; he won’t beat around the bush

also, i think he’s well-liked with the commoners in his country (faerghusians? faerghese?). as a knight and a noble, he likely lives by the code of noblesse oblige. he’s not personally involved—i’d gun more for respected at a distance—but he certainly has their favour

“oh how innocent - how naive - these two seem next to me, shiftiness incarnate!”

woah! claude!! what’s that supposed to mean?!

the way it’s worded is really weird, but i think it means that claude refers to himself as “shiftiness incarnate”. his bio implies he’s clever and knows more than he lets on, so he must be good at deception/fooling people

he calls the two other lords “innocent” and “naive”, which is a neon red flag for claude’s personality. dimitri, we’ve speculated, could have a vanilla backstory so i’d let it slide. but edelgard has probably been through tons and tons of political intrigue. even then, she’s naive in claude’s eyes? whatever’s going on in his life must be heavy. it seems to be a big secret that rivals even the most misleading adrestians. claude sounds like he’s got a lot to hide

that, or the three just constantly have kindergarten squabbles on who’s better than who (“you’re smart? well i’m smarter”)

the leicester alliance also gives me merchant vibes, if only because trade would be booming within an alliance. i’d like to think that claude’s personally close with the common folk, and he keeps good relations with all the houses within the territory

out of nice timing (as well as adding a lot more info because this is a late reply), the most recent famitsu scans detail a mini history lesson of the three nations. adrestia was the ruling government of fódlan, then faerghus and leicester became independent of adrestia. to this day, the three contest against each other. very interesting!

i don’t want to say that the three of them are enemies though. maybe rivals that respect each other. though the academy is on neutral ground, i think it’d be a terrible idea to have enemy nations all in the same place. just imagine if nohr and hoshido were put into a boarding school; they’d kill each other before the day is over

in that regard, i’m hoping we can get them to interact in free time events. maybe they can build up some sort of rapport and budding friendships, so by the time a full-scale war descends on fódlan, there’ll be even better drama on the battlefield

[asks are open!]

[theonyxpath]

Pirates of Pugmire, from which you see the awesome beach duel by artist Pat McEvoy above, launched last week and is over half-way to its funding goal!

Thanks to everybody who has backed so far, and please check it out and spread the word! Pirates of Pugmire is a sourcebook that expands on the entirety of the Realms of Pugmire, and contains new rules and info on piracy on the Acid Sea and the port city of Waterdog Keep, new callings for dogs and cats, new player character types with the birds and lizards, gunpowder weapon rules (originally imported from other lands where the lizard-folk trade), and contains new and connected adventures.

It really has just a ton of new stuff for all of the Realms of Pugmire, but a lot of times folks will hold off on backing supplements – which we know from long experience – but this time it’s so much more than just that.

Plus, we’d really like to get this traditionally printed and in stores like Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau, but we can’t OK that unless we get over the funding goal (and into all the cool Stretch Goals). So, give it a looksee, me hearties! Don’t be scurvy dogs! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/pirates-of-pugmire-a-realms-of-pugmire-tabletop-rpg

Trinity Continuum: Aeon art by Gregor Pedrycz

Most of our talk in today’s meeting was setting everything up for our trip out to UK Games Expo. Mighty Matt and I are headed out in order to get there Wednesday, and Eddy will meet up with us and Matthew on Thursday to set up the booth and welcome Steffie de Vaan, John Burke, Chris Allen, and Klara Herbol, as they all roll in throughout the day.

Then, it is demos and chatting to folks in the booth – and directing those interested in purchasing our stuff to our friends at the Leisure Games booth. Matthew and I were enthusing about recreating entire scenes from Miller’s Crossing, in character and voices, or maybe doing Dueling Walkens if we get left alone at the booth – so watch out.

Like I said a couple of weeks ago, we’re experimenting with different booth/demo/sales arrangements depending on the con, and we’re starting with this one.

If you missed it before, here’s the UKGE hall map:

We also finalized the prizes for the Contagion Chronicle “tournament” our creators are running that culminates in a final round for all the declared winners of the previous Chronicles of Darkness games. Really looking forward to seeing how this event plays out!

Also really looking forward to Curry Take-Away if we can get it, but that’s just my personal thing I’m fascinated by. We do not have it around these parts.

Shunned By The Moon art by Leo Albiero

Since I’ll be gone still next week, our own Dynamic Dixie Cochran will be guest-writing this blog! So please make her feel welcome. Other than the updates, I have no idea what she’ll choose to write about, but I’m sure you’re all in good hands.

I hope.

Speaking of Dixie – thanks to all of you who left questions for her interview with me for the Onyx Pathcast. Some guy named Eddy Webb was there too, and they posted it last Friday. The link’s below in the Onyx Path Media section of the MMN, and I had a great time chatting with the Trio (minus Matthew).

Both of them (but mostly Dixie) were great at keeping me on point as I do love to ramble on, and their questions tended to deal with the olden days – although we got into the future of our projects and the Pathcast itself, so it wasn’t all lookin’ back stuff.

The other big category of questions, and I get these all the time, were of the “What is your favorite X” kind. Where most of the Xs are Clan, or Book, or Game Line, sort of subjects. Which are so hard for me to honestly answer since I really do have a lot of favorites in those categories for different reasons. But it’s also really rough to say that I love X as your bashful publisher.

If I name one thing, the folks who love all the others may think I’m not necessarily going to push anything but the one I said was my favorite. Or the creators of the others now think I think they didn’t do a good job. That’s not really something it’s worth risking.

If only people asked non-work related questions like Favorite Color (purple), or Favorite Inker of Gene Colan’s Comic Book Pencils (Tom Palmer). Favorite Novel Set On A Desert Planet, even (Dune). Those I can answer!

One question I have received a fair bit these last couple of months that we didn’t cover, and that I now can answer, is when is Scion going on sale to non-KS backers? Well, we’ll be putting the PDF and PoD versions up for sale next Wednesday, June 5th on DTRPG to match when retailers should have the traditionally printed books to sell.

Trinity Continuum: Aeon art by Gunship Revolution

Finally, I’m told that the D&D sale at DTRPG is featuring our Scarred Lands books until the end of the month with super discounts. Which is cool, because our 5e Scarred Lands plans are really heating up! Here’s a link: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/featured.php?promotion_id=2019SlarecianMay

I’ll be finalizing plans for the new 5e Creature Collection with Jon Hodgson, who is handling the creation of the book and running the Kickstarter, at UKGE, and we’ll be announcing a new developer for the line and the projects they are overseeing once we get back. Plus, on the Scarred Lands Community Content site, the Slarecian Vault, the beginning of July marks the start of a phenomenal linked adventure series you will not want to miss!

Just to give you one more teaser before I leave the country, the beginning of July will also mean the start of something folks here also ask me about all the time, but before then – on June 13th even – we’ll be starting a little treat for everyone that leads into the July event. Keep your eyes peeled, and tally-ho, old chap, right into our

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER:

Our Pirates of Pugmire Kickstarter is more than half-way funded, so swing over to our ship and check it out you sea-dogs!

Pirates of Pugmire is a chronicle sourcebook for both Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau. It’s usable in either game, or as part of a joint experience. Some highlights include: * Two new species for players to enjoy: lizards and birds * Six new callings, including two for dogs and two for cats * Rules for building, sailing, and sinking ships * A trove of new allies, enemies, and treasures * Information on Waterdog Port and Port Matthew * “Going on the Account,” a chronicle of three new adventures, taking characters from 1st through 6th level

You can also hear Eddy discuss the writing and design of Pirates of Pugmire on this week’s Onyx Pathcast podcast on your favorite podcast venues, or here on : https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/)

ONYX PATH MEDIA

Illustration by Charles Bates

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast is the first episode in Dixie, Eddy, and Matthew’s actual play of Scion!: https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

And Here’s More Media About Our Worlds:

The Onyx Path News will return later this week with more than one exciting release announcement!

In actual plays, as Matthew ran Scion: Origin for Eddy and Dixie live last week! The video is in two parts and will be edited for the Onyx Pathcast, but here’s part one of the Miami Hotel story for your enjoyment: https://youtu.be/uEzgr74CfOE Don’t steal from Poseidon!

It’s actual plays a-go-go, we have uploaded parts one and two of our Pirates of Pugmire playthrough, run by Travis Legge, to our Onyx Path YouTube account! Travis is a superb author and a fantastic Guide for the players, and we sincerely recommend you check these two videos out. Here’s part one: https://youtu.be/fU9y3tl77GM and here’s part two: https://youtu.be/rSzjLVW1rnQ

Fandible have uploaded the second part of their excellent They Came From Beneath the Sea! actual play, and it’s available for listening right here: http://www.fandible.com/they-came-from-beneath-the-sea-the-things-that-slither-2-of-2/ Please check this one out!

They Came from Beneath the Sea: The Things That Slither 2 of 2

We can’t get away from the superb talents of Travis Legge, as here is his Scarred Lands actual play on the Myths & Matchmakers series: https://youtu.be/zq4Uw1YaS9g

The Story Told Podcast have reached episode six of their Dragon-Blooded actual play. This episode closes out the dinner party at Kai’s villa and follows the Dragon-Blooded into the evening. https://thestorytold.libsyn.com/

Caffeinated Conquests are picking up a good number of viewers for their actual play of Scarred Lands‘ Gauntlet of Spiragos (they have gone totally off-piste by this point) and they’re incredibly entertaining to watch every time: https://youtu.be/lD7V7fm3cso

Twin Cities by Night continues with their Hunter’s Hunted II actual play, reaching an impressive episode 16! If you’re into long-form plays, give this one a go! https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-rg9ye-b19cb0

And of course, Red Moon Roleplaying, podcasters extraordinaire, have uploaded another episode of The Great Vilhaim Heist, a Scarred Lands game run by Matthew Dawkins: https://www.redmoonroleplaying.com/ Keep your eye on Red Moon Roleplaying, as soon they’ll be running The Sacrifice, from Chicago by Night!

Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!

ELECTRONIC GAMING:

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is now live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is both rolling and rocking!

Here’s an update from the App devs:

We’ve been having trouble fixing the android bug that messes up the resolution for newer phones. I think we have a fix for that.  It was also brought up that the store display is wrong on most tablet devices, so that is getting fixed too. That should all be soon!

ON AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE:

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue you bought it from. Reviews really, really help us with getting folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these fiction books:

OUR SALES PARTNERS:

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the Screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Scarred Lands (Pathfinder) books are also on sale at Studio 2: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/scarred-lands

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can now order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=296

DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, we have both our regular monthly Exalted 3rd PDF offerings AND the Advance PDF release of The Realm all on DTRPG!

CONVENTIONS

UK Games Expo: THIS WEEK! May 31st – June 2nd From the US comes Eddy Webb, Matt McElroy, and Rich Thomas to join with Matthew Dawkins, Steffie de Vaan, John Burke, Chris Allen, and Klara Herbol! Gen Con: August 1st – August 4th Save Against Fear: Oct 12-14 GameHoleCon: October 31st – November 3rd We’ll also be back at PAX Unplugged later this year.

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM FAST EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Geist2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)

Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)

Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Redlines

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

Second Draft

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

TC: Aeon Ready Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

Development

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Let The Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Heroic Land Dwellers (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

DR:E Threat Guide (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

DR:E Jumpstart (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

Manuscript Approval:

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Pirates of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

Memento Mori: the GtSE 2e Companion (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

Editing:

Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)

CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Blood Sea: Crimson Abyss for 5e (Scarred Lands)

Post-Editing Development:

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

V5 Chicago By Night (Vampire: The Masquerade)

V5 Chicago By Night Screen (Vampire: The Masquerade)

CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel (Cavaliers of Mars)

Distant Worlds (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Scion Ready Made Characters (Scion 2nd Edition)

Indexing:

Trinity Aeon

ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

Ex3 Monthly Stuff  

They Came From Beneath the Sea! – Art notes in.

EX3 Lunars

Hunter: The Vigil 2

Contagion Chronicle

VtR Spilled Blood – Contracted.

M20 Book of the Fallen – More sketches coming in.

Dark Eras 2 – More sketches coming in.

Pirates of Pugmire – KS art in, the rest has been contracted.

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant – KS art notes and contracts going out.

Scion Ready Made Characters

TC Aeon: Distant Worlds

Marketing Stuff

In Layout

Trinity Continuum Core

Cavs – Witch Queen of the Shadowed Citadel

V5 Chicago By Night

Proofing

Signs of Sorcery – Inputting final Dev note changes.

Aeon Aexpansion – In 2nd Proof.

C20 Cup of Dreams Novel

Scion Jumpstart

Dystopia Rising: Evolution

Shunned By The Moon

At Press

Scion Hero – Shipped to backers, PoD coupon out to backers.

Scion Origin – Shipped to backers, PoD coupon out to backers.

In Media Res – PDF out to backers, gathering errata with new sheet.

Geist 2e – PDF out to backers, gathering errata with new sheet.

Adventures for Curious Cats – PoD proof ordered.

Tales of Excellent Cats – PoD proof ordered.

Dragon-Blooded – Deluxe printing.

Dragon-Blooded Screen – At printer.

Trinity Core and Aeon Screens – Files at printer.

The Realm – Advance PDF on sale on DTRPG this Weds, Backer PDF already to backers, errata gathering from both.

TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: 

Today is Memorial Day here in the US, where we honor our fallen members of the armed forces. It’s a national holiday, and it’s also important to reflect on the sacrifices many have made that ultimately allow us to have lives where we can make and play games.

[manifestoonmoralmanlove]

Soulless Riffing: Brainless Epilogue

I got a supernatural action/romance book series as a gift that’s just riddled with stuff that I hate….and as a steampunk Victorian London action romance story filled with werewolves and vampires…it’s yeah gonna be easy to poke fun at.

I just want to say, it’s totally cool if you like this story or ones like it!  It’s certainly a better caliber than a lot of what I make fun of…however…I can’t help but want to make fun of it.

Over here for the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+8, 9, 10+11, 12, 13, and 14.

HERE’S THE FINAL CHAPTER, STRAP IN MY HEARTIES!

Epilogue

So, dang, this epilogue’s pace is the worst.  It’s so bad, if I recounted the events in the order they appeared I feel as if this riff would have a bad pace itself.  

So there’s this detached, braggadocios tone that describes two separate portions of the wedding in two totally separate parts of chapter.  I can boil it down to this actual quote, “The wedding was hailed as a masterpiece of social engineering and physical beauty.”

It starts off with almost an entire page of describing the dress.  I mean sure, but fashion isn’t my thing so my eyes glaze over.  Also that they had to redesign the dress at the last minute cause Maccon gave her a hickey that needed to be hid.  And I mean, isn’t that what we need to educate our young women about?

Man’s every careless sexual impulse needs to be catered to even if it greatly inconveniences everyone else. Why can’t you just cover it up with make-up?  Why is this adult novel treating a marriage of adults like a middle-school dance? WHO KNOoooOoOoooOooOOOWS?????

BUT THIS WAS ALL FOR THE BETTER cause the neckline of her dress inspired London’s fashion for a whole 3 weeks.  

Here’s an accurate attempt at me trying to understand this, “I guess it’s nice to have rich idiots incinerate and rebuild their wardrobe because of a thing you wore once.  But why stop there? I’d create an army of genderqueer flannel-babies out to hate read harmless fiction.”  Yes Faps, your interests are clearly superior to those who like to dress feminine.  Way to go!

We have a full page on the food which was more interesting but in a limited way because I have not had guinea fowl, aspic jelly, pigeons, sole, woodcock pie, pheasant, or grouse. But like, I’m not uncultured or anything! I’ve had alligator meat before! ….oh damn my American is showing real bad right now. DON’T MIND ME I’M JUST GOING TO HIDE BEHIND A WALL OF IMPERIALISTIC WAR CRIMES! But that’s okay cause the British can relate to that.

Personally I’d much rather the story brag about delicious food it’s likely the audience has had before, than just throwing out stuff that sounds period appropriate.  Cause honestly? My imagination does not think any of that would be tasty.   My dream wedding is definitely forcing near a thousand people (most of whom I’ve met only once) to pick at gamey meat and envy my dedication to an inconsiderate buffoon.

But before the wedding officially goes down we have the one and only nice scene.  Alexia wakes up Akeldama early so he can see the sunset before her wedding.  There was no reason for her to do it that day, since it made her late to her own wedding, but dangit it was nice.

However the actual wedding? Phew boy, there is no talk of the actual ceremony.  In fact there’s no cute speeches, dancing, bonding moments between friends or family, or even funny drama of the werewolves clashing with the humans.  I mean it would have been super annoying to have a scene where Alexia’s sister shrieks at one of the werewolves for drinking punch out of a bowl like a dog, and when she tries to rip it from him it spills all over herself.  Cause there’s no reason to cathartically enjoy seeing her sister humiliated but dang…it would have at least been SOMETHING ALMOST FUN!

Three things happened during the reception.

1.)    Alexia and Prof. Lyall hook Ivy up with some BARELY named servant to Maccon and Lyall. Like, you realize the trope of shacking up the side characters is supposed to be this cute little tying together of established characters, usually very different ones? Like it’s supposed to kinda help wrap things up by having separate parts of the story literally cum errr I mean come together.  Like, the obvious and decent choice, would have been Lyall and Ivy.  Hell if you needed Lyall for other nonsense, why not that Haverblink hunk guy Ivy was I THINK drooling over?  Took a fun trope and wasted it.

2.)    Alexia is ~gifted~ the Vampire hive servant Angelique.  Gosh I’m super looking forward to the part where Angelique realizes vampires are chumps and betrays them for the super cool Alexia.  I thought since she was named and pleading with Alexia for help earlier, she’d be damsel’d, or comes back later with more secret info, or was the villain mastermind AFTERALL! NOPE!  This human person with a name, hopes, fears, goals, thoughts, and emotions of her own is given like a decorative silverware basket as a GOD DAMN WEDDING GIFT! AND ALEXIA THINKS THAT’S FINE CAUSE TO HER HUMAN BEINGS ARE PROPERTY AND SHE’S OUR RACISM FIGHTING HERO! HOORAY!

3.)    Sorry to save the most tepid for last but the last thing of note is that Maccon’s werewolf pack, as part of werewolf tradition turn into wolves and just circle around them barking and howling….okay cool cool…but have you considered the more wolf thing to do would totally be for all of them to pee on her. ONE AT A TIME, THEY’RE CIVILIZED!  Her new husband gets all offended that she’s upset at this wholesome tradition.  Alexia secretly plots to bring supernatural genocide back into vogue again.

So on the carriage ride home they fuck but we have an entire book worth of build up for this scene to last 1 page.  Like, I wasn’t even looking forward to it but was still disappointed.  And, of course, this is one of those books that can’t directly mention SEX PARTS which SPOILER ALERT usually makes it confusing if you can’t be fucking straightforward.  Despite being all coy about it there’s the iffy phrase, “had Alexia squirming in such a way as to force the very tip of him inside her whether she willed it or no.”

Yeesh! As hot as you folks may find ravishment, it feels really out of place with a woman who’s supposed to be super horny and into her husband for it to still be written noncommittally like ravishment.

But with a lurch of the carriage he’s blamo balls deep and she says out loud that it hurts.  He DOES look worried and ask her if it still does. So kudos!  However there’s this infuriating line

“Something extremely odd and tingly was beginning to occur in her nether regions.”

Okay you weren’t aroused until he was balls deep, and we’re going to describe this as if a 26 year old woman (whom by the way has described being aroused by this man before, and describes being fascinated with her dad’s dirty books) is bamboozled that a dick in her made her horny.      

(Man looking confused and a bit suspect as he says okay.)

Also “It culminated in the most intriguing second heartbeat emerging around the area where he had impaled himself.”

WHAT!? YOU CAN’T SAY PUSSY BUT WE’RE GOING TO THROW THE WORD IMPALED IN THERE?

(Brittney Spears looking cringed out.)

That gives me the yikes.

She flops over after what sounds like 2 minutes of porking to remark, “Ooo,” said Alexia, fascinated, “it shrinks back down again.  The books didn’t detail that occurrence.”

OKAY 1ST OF ALL YOU LEGIT SAW THIS HAPPEN BEFORE WHEN YOU WERE DRY-HUMPING IN THE DUNGEON, BUT EVEN IF YOU HADN’T, WAS SHE UNDER SOME DELUSION THAT WHEN A DUDE GETS HIS 1ST BONER THAT’S JUST WHAT HIS DICK IS NOW?

YOU’D THINK CODPIECES WOULD STILL BE IN FASHION IF EVERY MAN IS SLINGING AROUND HIS ERECTION 100% OF THE TIME!

WHY ARE YOU SO FUCKING STUPID ALEXIA!?

If you wanted a cute little sexy thing to mention…why not, “Oh my dad’s books never mentioned that it throbbed! Or that it could twitch! Or that it got SO red! Or that it got THAT hard, it’s only full of blood afterall!”

LE SIGH!

So the story ends with the prospect of them gonna fuck sum more.

Say something Nice Faps:

I legit really liked that brief scene where she holds Lord Akeldama’s hand as they watch the sunrise, and he’s crying, and she’s got her head on his shoulder and just PRECIOUS!

Out of the things to brag about at a wedding, food is the top of my list, I can appreciate that she dedicated some time to it.

The sex had a bit of that ravishment flavor but Maccon does check in, and she admits she enjoys it.

IT’S OVER!