#so i'm literally never talking to her about important subjects ever again... like that's an INSANE thing to say...

[sherlock-is-ace]

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[inbarfink]

So the AA Fandom has no shortage of jokes about how our favorite Anime Laywers generally prioritize stuff like the Power of Friendship above more mundane concerns like 'getting paid for doing their job' but...seriously now, how often do they actually get paid for lawyering?

Well, welcome to...

The Big Overview of WAA Lawyers and Actually Getting Paid!!

The vast majority of AA Cases do not discuss payments for legal services explictly, so I will be Ranking how probable I feel it is the Lawyers got Paid. With a 0 standing for 'explictly and unambigiously did not get paid' and 1 standing for 'explictly and unambigiously did get paid'

The First Turnabout

That's an easy one, it is actually explicitly mentioned that no, Larry did not pay Phoenix for his services as a Lawyer.

And so, my first trial came to a close. Larry slapped me on the back and said, "Gee, Nick, it's good to have friends!" But I'm pretty sure he's not going to pay us. Unless you count the clock he gave Mia.

Which is brought up again months later during 'Turnabout Goodbyes'

Butz: Whoa… Nick. S-so, is that why you helped me out for free? Phoenix: Uh… yes. I helped you because I believed in you. (Except I don't remember saying I'd do it for free…)

So Phoenix expected and wanted to get paid, but he’s just, like, not assertive enough to get his money off Larry. And thus a long legacy of Not Getting Money was born!

Probability of Getting Paid: 0

Turnabout Sisters

Okay, so the subject of money does not come up directly in ‘Turnabout Sisters’ but like… Maya does not seem to have a lot of liquid funds on her at this point. For most of the games she generally relays on Phoenix to pay for things for her. At best right now she is semi-dependent on Morgan for cash - and considering her motivations, she probably came out with some excuse like ‘oooh Mystic Maya must prove her independence in such a dire situation or something, the whole Fey Family is broke we can’t afford to give you any more money I feel so bad ooooh’.

So I think if Phoenix got paid for defending her that was mostly a token symbolic gesture of gratitude more than actually anything that’ll help him pay the rent. And obviously Phoenix wouldn’t gain anything if he paid himself for that second trial of the case lol

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.1

Turnabout Samurai

Okay, so this is the first case where I think it is more likely than not Phoenix Actually Got Paid. There’s nothing textual, but I think with the implications of Phoenix starting the case fretting over how to pay the rent:

Phoenix: A month has passed since my trial. Mia's murder was the talk of the town for some time… But no one paid any attention to the Wright & Co. Law Offices… How am I going to pay the rent this month? Maya: It'll be okay. I'm sure some big client is just around the corner! Phoenix: Hmph.

And THEN his new Client is Will Powers who is:

a fairly sucessful actor whose life and career seems to be unglamorous but financially stable.

the first cilent Phoenix has who isn't a friend, a relative-of-a-friend or Literally Himself

generally just a really nice and wholesome guy.

It seems pretty likely to me that Phoenix and Maya got paid for this one!

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.8

Turnabout Goodbyes

OKAY so, I've seen folks say that Phoenix would've probably done this for free cause he sees this whole thing as repaying a debt for Being Nice to Him in Fourth Grade because as we all know, Phoenix is a Certified Ridiculous Human Being.

Phoenix: This is my chance to finally pay you back. Maya: Pay him back…? Edgeworth: Pay me back? For what? I don't remember ever doing anything for you. Phoenix: Never mind… I guess you don't really need to know.

Buuuuut... Larry at the time was also part of that Class Trial Bestie Pact and Phoenix did expect him to pay I mean Larry is not the Love of His Life but still.

And more important, this case ALSO established that Miles has a problem expressing gratitude and overcompensate using financial gifts.

Phoenix: Thank you. Oh, wait! Umm… I was wondering, how much is bail going to be? Gumshoe: Don't worry about that. Mr. Edgeworth is posting the whole amount. Phoenix: What? Edgeworth…? Gumshoe: Didn't I tell you? He's grateful to her for what she did. Alright, pal. Well don't forget to go pick her up, okay? Phoenix: (Hmm… Maybe I can get Edgeworth to pay this month's rent, too…)

So I feel, like, regardless of what Phoenix wanted - at the end of this trial - Miles IS going to make sure he is GETTING PAID. Dude was probably shoving checks into his mailbox like a full month after the trial concluded.

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.9

Rise from the Ashes

So... the person who initially hires Phoenix to the case is Ema Skye, a 16 year old girl whose main funds are her allowance. And Phoenix was kinda willfully ignoring his financial situation at the start and only took this case for sentimental reasons. (just more evidence that Miles was STILL sending him payments for 'Goodbyes' lol)

It's been two months since Maya left the office… Two months without a single trial. I've had offers… But none I took. That is… until the day that girl showed up.

However he does get 'formally requested' by her probably-well-off-considering-prosecutors-in-this-series older sister shortly thereafter.

Lana: … Mr. Wright? Phoenix: Y-yes? Lana: I believe our discussion here is ended. The rest… I leave to you. Phoenix: …! Um… you mean, you're requesting my services as your defense? Lana: Don't lose any sleep over it. Your client has confessed, after all. The case is over. Phoenix: Right… I'll do what I can to get to the bottom of this. Lana: …

And after a very long and harrowing journey of being in-conflict with his own client, Lana did end up being very grateful for what he did. And again, this case espacially emphasizes that 'prosecutors make the big bucks' - so she had both the means and will to pay him.

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.6

The Lost Turnabout

Alrighty, so, Maggey is generally a nice girl and also a fangirl of Phoenix Wright and that gives her an incentive to support him financially...

Actually, I really love to watch court proceedings, and I always root for you to win! When I'm off duty, I like to come here and…

But with how unlucky she is, that might imply that she could have Money Troubles. Although on the other hand she at least has a stable job at the moment... But on the other OTHER hand she does mention how all the other lawyers 'laughed her off'

Just when I thought all hope was lost; when all the other lawyers had laughed me off… "Leave it to me!" you said! You! The one and only Phoenix Wright came to save the day! And just like that, I was moved to tears, sir! I'll never forget what you're doing for me, EVER!

Which usually I wouldn't note as a financial thing. Usually when an AA Defendant is like 'oooh I have no one else to turn too, all the other lawyers turned me down......" this is because the case is considered too impossible to win or Unbearably Wacky (or some sort of conspiracy like with Maya in 'Sisters'). But, like, this is a Tutorial Case. Phoenix won that one with Fucking Amnesia. The 'impossibility' of the case was not the issue, so, yeah, it might legitimately be the money?

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.4

Reunion, and Turnabout

It's Maya Murder Trial Time Again! Pretty much the same as before with the two added factors being:

Maya is now officially employed in the Wright & Co. Law Offices during the duration of the trial.

AFTER the Trial, when Morgan is like, in jail - Maya might have a bit more acess to her family funds. Although they are established to Not Be Doing Well Financially in general....

A piece of cloth with a ton of finely-written characters jammed onto it. Probably esoteric knowledge only mediums should know. …Hmm, let's see… Here's one in English… It says… "100 Ways to Save Money". … Being a medium sounds like a rough way of life…

I think all in all these kinda even out to the same Chances of Getting Paid at last time??

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.1

Turnabout Big Top

So if you ever start discussing how pointless the AA 'middle cases' are - just remember this one crucial detail; they are the most reliable way Phoenix Wright gets food on his plate! We once again have a stranger (that Phoenix won't feel obligated to defend for free) that is very explictly Fabulously Wealthy.

He's not as nicey-nice as Will Powers is but I feel like paying Phoenix's legal fees is not something Max will bet an eye at.

Phoenix: It's a table for guests… There are some papers scattered on top. Maya: Ah! Look at this! Max's salary is written on this piece of paper. YIKES! Phoenix: W-What is it? Maya: I didn't know a magician… This salary is incredible! Phoenix: (She looks like she's about ready to pass out from shock…) How much is it!? How much is it!? T-T-THAT MUCH!? Maya: Incredible, huh? Phoenix: You can say that again.

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7

Farewell, My Turnabout

Okay so this is the Big One. This one’s a really complicated one to determine.

Let’s just get the first thing out of the way, the fact that Phoenix “”lost”” the case does not matter one way or another. Criminal Defense Lawyers, as a general rule, do not work on a Contingency Fee Basis. That means they are paid regardless of the result of the trial. So if this was a normal trial, Phoenix would probably be paid.

But this was not a normal trial, was it?

Phoenix was FORCED to work as a Defense Attorney due to a KIDNAPPER. And, like, my first instinct is ‘if you are already forcing someone to work via criminal means, why the hell would you also pay them??’ 

Buuuuut….. This is MY instinct, not the instinct of goddam Shelly De Killer. 

Since Shelly’s whole thing is being the Honorable Assassin, and he has some level of respect towards Phoenix as like a Fellow Professional. I can see him thinking maybe wanting Phoenix to get paid for the work he is Coercing Him To Do Under Threat of Murdering His Best Friend for the sake of Honor. 

But also also, Phoenix’s terms are not officially with De Killer, it’s with This Asshole!

And Matt Engarde is absolutely the kind of guy to casually take advantage of Phoenix’s frantic ‘please please just let me be your lawyer or my Friend is gonna Die!’ thing where, like, obviously getting paid is NOT gonna cross through Phoenix’s head atm in order to not pay/severely underpay the guy even though he can obviously afford it.

All in all, things are not looking good for this case’s probability, which is a shame considering how it ends.

Powers: Um, anyway… So, who's paying for this lovely dinner party? Maya: As if you need to ask! Everyone say, "Thank you" to Nick! Phoenix: Huh? Gumshoe: Ah, yeah… I'm kinda at the point where I can't even buy instant noodles, pal. So I kinda already put your name on the bill.

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.3

Turnabout Memories

First time covering a Lawyer that’s not Phoenix!

Now, Mia’s client in this case is a college student who probably doesn't have tons of personal funds, and considering her own motivations for taking on the case she probably would’ve done it for free but…

At the time she was employed at the Grossberg Law Offices, and Phoenix hired just the office in general and then Mia took over the case just last night.

Grossberg: Still, you surprised me… What, with your earnest request last night… "Let me handle this case!" you suddenly said. And quite forcefully, too! Mia: I just found out yesterday. About the case, I mean.

So... really this is just the Vibes I get from the Grossberg Law Offices, being generally the more professional and by-the-book law offices compared to the utter chaotic energy of Wright and Co, that makes me assume that they usually reliably charge their clients and pay their lawyers.

There’s some evidence further down the line (which we’ll get to soon) that some of their lawyers do some pro-bono work - but I dunno if Phoenix’s case was extreme enough to necessitate that (I mean he might be a broke college student but his family would probably help him with the legal funds although that assumes they even exist) . So my assumption is that Mia probably did get paid. Probably?

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.75

The Stolen Turnabout

So, Ron DeLite used to really financially struggle to keep up with his wife’s shopaholic habits - but that seems to have stabilized ever since his ‘benefactor’ showed up. So I’d assume he still has some funds left to pay his lawyer. I mean I guess it won’t be totally implausible if Desiree did manage to blow through them all…. Or maybe being a a high-spending shopaholic means that she’d want to pay extravagantly for her lawyer as well?

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7

Recipe for Turnabout

It’s Maggey again! And now she’s:

Closer to a friend, or at least a friend-of-friend. Rather than Just Another Client.

Is probably in a more dire financial state than before, on account of being unemployed and also in jail for the last two months.

Also being a waitress isn’t that prestigious a job anyways 

And if anyone is gonna help her cover her legal fees it could only be Gumshoe which… does not bode well to anyone involved!

Pissed at Phoenix cause it took her some time to realize that no, that guy who got her found guilty two months ago is not him

So basically everything that changed since her last trial makes it less likely that Phoenix charged for his legal services. I'm sure she'd try her best by the end, but Phoenix might just wave it off to save everyone a headache.

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.3

Turnabout Beginnings

So first things first I want to reiterate that Criminal Defense Attorneys generally get paid regardless of if they ‘win’ and while I couldn’t find any concrete statements about the matter - I believe they get paid even if their clients die mid-trial??? I mean, the legal fees just get added to their posthumous debts? So the lawyer would hypothetically be able to claim their due payment from the deceased’s remaining funds and possessions. If they wanted to, that is…

Cause, well, this is why I said the Grossberg Law Offices might do some pro-bono cases. Terry Fawles was, like, a part-time tutor who has been incarcerated for the last five years. If he has any family or friends outside that could help him with his legal fees, he never mentions them. 

So I’m really not sure if he bought Mia services or if she volunteered to do this pro-bono after hearing he had no options for legal representations out of concern for, like, prisoners rights. 

And even if he was supposed to pay Mia for her service, after the grim ending of the case - I’m not sure if she would’ve even tried to pursue getting her legal fees from Fawles’ posthumously/from his next of kin. From how deeply traumatized she was by that trial, I think that would’ve only made her feel worse about the whole situation. 

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.05

Bridge to the Turnabout

Iris is a nun from a small temple that is mentioned to not-be-doing-so-hot (cause it’s tied with the Kurain Channeling Technique and it’s been on a downturn since DL-6), but she does have at least enough personal funds to have her own cell-phone and occasionally go into town. So it’s not a lot, but I think it’s enough to get Phoenix at least a a symbolic token-of-gratitude payment.

Also, it might be possible Phoenix will wave off the fees due to the Personal Connection to the case. You know, he was doing this primarily to Uncover the Truth and get some personal closure for the Dahlia mess.... Or maybe not, cause he did still get paid (or tried to get paid, or forced to get paid) to save his two Fourth-Grade-Life-Debt Childhood Best Friends in court?

(And I do mean just Phoenix, Miles probably would never charge for his services as ‘acting defense attorney’, we don’t need that farce to get any farcier)

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.3

Turnabout Trump

Now this is a complicated one, let us list the factors here one-by-one:

1. As per Apollo’s comment in the next episode, the Gavin Law Offices probably operated strictly quid pro quo.

(Good-bye, quid pro quo. Hello pro bono. sigh)

2. Phoenix is supposedly friends with the boss of the Agency. And in reality, Kritoph Gavin has a very VERY vested interest in making sure the trial goes According to Plan. Incentivising him to at least give Phoenix a discount.

3. Phoenix is also not doing that great financially right now. 

4. Oh right, that entire law agency disbanded once the boss got arrested at the end of the trial!

…Speaking of which, I may be out of a job. I work for Gavin Law Offices, after all. (I still can't believe I just saw Mr. Gavin get led away in handcuffs…)

I think it is most likely that Phoenix got some sort of “”Friend”” Discount from Kristoph. But I really don’t know what happens if an entire law firm gets disbanded right after the trial cause the owner got arrested as a result of it. It probably depends on whether Phoenix was in agreement with the Gavin Law Offices who then assigned Apollo on the case or if Phoenix had an agreement with Apollo directly.

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.5

Turnabout Corner

Oh hey, look! Another rare case of an Ace Attorney that actually discusses the issue of money directly!

Well, I mean we know how much Apollo got paid for solving the case of Phoenix’s accident and Trucy’s panties (nothing) and for solving Eldoon’s Noodle Cart Theft (a free bowl of ramen). We don’t see them directly discuss the subject of payment regarding Apollo’s Actual Job…

Apollo: Your request… let me guess, something's been stolen? Alita: Um, your flyer… It says "now defending" so I thought… Apollo: Whaaaat!? You mean, you mean you want me to defend you? Me? Trucy: Maybe you can tell us what happened? Were you hit by a car? Did someone steal your stand? Or your panties? Alita: No! No… I'm not the client, actually. The client would be my… well, my fiancé, I suppose you'd call him. Apollo: Fiancé…? What happened to him, then? Alita: He was arrested this morning. The charge… was murder.

But as he was complaining before about not only being pigeonholed as some sort of a detective, but also not getting paid for anything…

Um… I was wondering when I get paid? We solved the case of your accident, and um, found a missing article of clothing.

And then getting this job and being so happy about it...

Trucy: Polly! You look as happy as a clam in its shell. Apollo: For a lawyer this is it, the place where the battle begins!

Implies that He’s Getting Paid - just as much as with Phoenix’s rent stuff in ‘Turnabout Samurai’ if not more. 

Also, I don’t think the fact that the person who hired him wanted him to fail and is now going to prison is a factor here.

As I already mentioned, Defense Attorneys get paid regardless of the outcome of a trial and logically that would apply both when they lose and when they win. Plus, I am pretty sure Alita filed her request officially through Wocky’s name or the Kitaki family in general and they were obviously very grateful for what Apollo did, and they had both the wins and wills to pay him.

So let’s give a big round of applause for Apollo Justice, the WAA Lawyer most likely to get paid!

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.99

Turnabout Serenade

These kind of showbiz-focused Middle Cases are generally pretty good for Getting Paid Probabilities, but this case is a bit more complicated.

Cause the plot of this case hinges on Machi being so desperate for money that he was willing to risk death via cocoon smuggling,

Situation… I cannot explain. But money. I needed. Very much money.

That doesn’t necessarily mean he was unable to afford a lawyer - without details of why exactly he needed that Sweet, Sweet Cocoon Money we can’t be sure.  But it’s plausible that hiring Apollo was not out of his price range but he was desperate for something far more expensive. 

Considering his young age and… you know, until the final day of the trial he pretended to not understand a word of English, it’s also possible hiring Apollo was a matter handled by Lamirior and/or the duo’s agency. Both of which will probably feel committed to Actually Paying, each from their own angle. 

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7

Turnabout Succession

Now, HERE’S a complicated one! 

Going generally over the usual stuff, Vera is a pretty nice person and she’s clearly grateful for what Apollo and Trucy did for her. And while the Misham Family was driven into forgeries by financial desperation, at the present-time they seem stable enough that Vera could at least afford the rates of the WAA. If this was just another case, it’ll get like a solid 0.7 at minimum. Pretty typical stuff by now.

But this isn’t just one more ordinary case. This a weird sort of ‘Test Trial’ for the Jurist System with every factor - including the Defendant and the Attorney - arranged by Phoenix’s weird little committee.

Well, for one, I'll be chair of the Jurist System Simulated Court Committee. The chair constructs the ideal situation… choosing the case, the jurist candidates… …even the judge and the courtroom.

Apollo: So… what kind of case is the trial simulation about? Phoenix: Well, since it is the first run through of a new system, I wanted something simple. Trucy: Good thinking! No sense wearing yourself out on something too serious! Phoenix: True. The case is a murder. Apollo: That's not simple at all!! Trucy: By "simple", did you mean that the defendant is… Phoenix: …Guilty. Yes. Most likely. …So, good luck, Apollo. Apollo: Um… with what? Phoenix: With the trial tomorrow. You're defending, of course. Recall that I said it had something to do with you.

So I guess the question here, did Phoenix basically make Vera officially hire Apollo? Did the committee hire Apollo and they’re the one paying him? Is this another case of Phoenix trolling Apollo into doing Free Volunteer Work for him?

Honestly I wouldn’t put that past the AA4 version of Phoenix..............but also if he did that I doubt he would’ve missed a chance to crack a joke at Apollo’s expense about that. 

...You know, I started this thread of thought with the thought I’m arguing for a lower Getting Paid score for this case but I think I just talked myself into increasing the probability.

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.8

Also bonus round: THE TRIAL OF SHADI ENIGMAR!

Zero fucking chances Phoenix got paid on this one. HIS CLIENT DISAPPEARED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COURT PROCEEDING! And even if Phoenix gets paid before a trial is concluded (unlikely, since he didn’t know Larry wasn’t paying him until after the case was closed), he was his attorney for like half-a-day before he disappeared so wouldn’t have much of a chance either way.  And considering Zak’s character (and how he also tried to sabotage Phoenix’s current Poker-based career seven years after that), I doubt he put that much thought into Phoenix and his financial considerations to give him a down payment in case he had to to do his disappearnce act or whatever. The only thing Zak left Phoenix with when he left was his goddam abandoned child and ONE LESS BADGE!

So I think this case deserves a very special score!

Probability of Getting Paid: -1

Turnabout Countdown

It’s time for Athena’s first case! Or second case, depending on how you look at it.

Now, one of the major ways that Dual Destinies is gonna shake this Deep Serious Analysis up is that before we had, like, one Active Full-Time Lawyer at any time (maybe with a backup lawyer for Flashback Cases), and we now have Three Different Lawyers actively working together on the same cases. My main concern is primarily not which WAA Lawyers get paid for these cases, but IF any of them got paid at all. Still, shenanigans of cases changing hands officially and unofficially are gonna play a factor in my analysis as well.

And it’s here right from the start! We once again have a Lawyer defending their bestest friend in the whole world, and while some people’s instincts might suggest that means that Defense was for free, well… First things first, we already established Precedence for that back in the first trial of the first game with Larry (not for Lawyers getting paid by their friends, but at least expecting payment) and Juniper’s family is probably doing Just Fine considering she attends this super-fancy-pant prestigious Lawyer High School - so she would want to financially support Athena I would think.

And ALSO, Juniper technically didn’t hire Athena, Apollo was the one supposed to defend Junie in court at first. And although Juniper is… growing closer to Apollo at this point in canon, I don't think it's quite the ‘defend me in court for Free’ point of their relationship, compared to where Juniper and Athena are at. So this is just, like, one extra point to the Final Score!

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7

The Monstrous Turnabout

So in this episode, we actually have two different jobs we need to make sure if Apollo actually got paid for. We have the actual criminal defense case, and we also have Babysitting Trucy.

Trucy: Oh, we'd better hurry. Doesn't look Daddy's going to make it, so let's get going. Apollo: Huh? Where are we going? What about the job he mentioned? Trucy: This IS the job, Polly! You're supposed to keep me company today! Now, come on! Apollo: Another day of not being a lawyer. Should've seen this coming. Trucy: Well, this is the "Wright ANYTHING Agency," y'know. And there's no law-related work at the moment, so… Apollo: (Tell me again why I chose to "work" here?) Where is Mr. Wright, anyway?

That being said, Phoenix might still be a bit of a troll but the WAA is doing a lot better financially now that Trucy has those Sweet Gramarye rights and he’s not quite as mean to Apollo as he was back in Hobomode. So I get a feeling that even with this little runaround, Apollo is probably at least getting paid for chaperoning Trucy around?? Probably?

The actual case is actually a lot more clear cut. It is directly mentioned that Damian Tenma could probably afford lawyers much more prestigious than the WAA, it’s just a matter of the WAA being the only ones crazy enough to take on this ‘doomed’ case. 

Trucy: Apollo! Maybe this is your chance. Apollo: Chance for what? Trucy: To do the right thing and defend Jinxie's dad in court! Apollo: Who, me? Wouldn't a man like Mayor Tenma have access to more experienced lawyers? Jinxie: Umm… You wanna know what the detectives said? They doubted there was a lawyer who could get a not-guilty verdict in this one.

And with Mayor Tenma’s personality being based around being almost overly-generous and grateful…

Tenma: How… incredibly… RUDE! Apollo: Umm, sorry. Did I do something to offend you? Tenma: A visitor when all others shun me like a common criminal! And here I am with nothing to offer! I am the epitome of rude! Apollo: (………Wait, so he wasn't mad at me?)

I feel like it is almost a certainty that Apollo and Athena did get paid for this case! 

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.85

Turnabout Academy

Okay so, it’s Junie again! Or Junie for the first time depending on how you look at it!

So all of the points I already brought up about Juniper from ‘Countdown’ still apply (save for the stuff about Apollo, of course) but ALSO this is right when Athena and Juniper reunited and their whole emotional arc in this case is about Athena feeling Juniper is being Uncharacteristically Cold and Distant towards her. So defending her on a Friend Discount would be a bit strange at this point. Maybe I can see Athena trying to insist she’d do it for free but Juniper refused?

Although I think that IS a bit weird that they had this big whole scene with Professor ScaryStatue taking over Juniper’s case and the issue of payment doesn’t even come up in passing. I mean, yes obviously, the issues of Trust and Truth and Aristotle Means being Sus as Fuck are the important things in this narrative but I’m suprised there’s not even a mention in passing. Like Means accusing Athena and Apollo of wanting this case back for the Money but they refute him???

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.8

The Cosmic Turnabout

Okay, look, I know I keep bringing up the Larry Precedence but it really IS quite relevant. If Actual Overly-Sentimental Human Disaster Phoenix Wright tried to charge a rate for his childhood best friend who was drifting through life doing weird odd jobs at that time. - Then Apollo, who is generally more practical minded, is probably going to charge a rate for his older acquaintance with the stable Astronaut Job. And while Solomon is a bit of a Space Larry, I don’t think he’d try and avoid the payment in quite the same way. Probably.

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7

Turnabout for Tomorrow

This trial has Phoenix defending one of his own employees in a trial forced on by a hostage situation. I feel silly even extending this paragraph any longer. 

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.01

Turnabout Reclaimed

First things first, yes, an Orca cannot pay for an attorney - but I assume that the person who hired Phoenix is officially Sasha Buckler. Who IS a human being with her own funds capable of hiring a lawyer. Especially as we know that other lawyers turned her down specifically because her case is ridiculous (and not for financial reasons). 

Phoenix: What's the real reason you picked me, Sasha? Buckler: …Well, to be honest, I asked a whole slew of lawyers, but they all refused. They said stuff like, "There's no merit to taking your case," or "I'm not sure I can help." They're all as cruel as sharks, with hearts punier than whitebait!

She does mention doing a performance as thanks at the ending of the trial but that’s probably no replacement for Actual Money.

But I think most notable for our analysis about this case, is not actually any of the Orca stuff - it’s this exchange right here.

Blackquill: Today, the orca. Tomorrow, Sasha Buckler. You intend to save them both? Hmph. You say you "believe" in your clients, but isn't money really your true motivation? Why not admit you're only doing this for your own benefit? I could understand that much more readily than your empty, righteous talk. Athena: Our own benefit?! That's not why we're doing it! Phoenix: Now, Athena. Try not to let him get to you.

Yet another rare case of the game Acknowledging Lawyers Are Paid As a General Rule! And notably, when Phoenix and Athena deny it, they don’t deny the fact that they are getting paid - just that it’s not why they’re doing this. This is not exactly an explicit confirmation of Getting Paid to get the score up to a full 1, but it’s probably as close as we’re gonna get. 

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.95

The Foreign Turnabout

Okay, so Phoenix basically just bursted into the Courtroom and bluffed his way onto the empty defense bench despite the protests of his own so-called Client. Said client also only started unlearning his Defense-Attorney-Hate during that same trial. And is ALSO a tiny little child who has to work part time as a tour-guide to make end’s meet. I highly doubt Phoenix asked for anything more than, like, a very token rate or maybe a discount on his next tour. 

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.1

The Magical Turnabout

Considering how this case has a WAA Lawyer defending the actual CEO of the WAA, I highly doubt the WAA got any money from it. But maybe Trucy could give him some of her personal funds as a token of gratitude?

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.2

The Rite of Turnabout

It’s MAYA TIME again! And while some consideration has to go to her bond with Phoenix or the possibility of some sort of Frequent Accused card the WAA issued for her - the fact that she is not currently a Coworker at the law office and has been an Actual Independent Adult for quite some time now means it is actually a lot more likely she’s able to pay Phoenix now than in any case in the Original Trilogy!

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.5

Turnabout Storyteller

This one’s a pretty average case. The Defendant is not a total stranger, but he is more of a friend-of-a-friend (and Simon was originally planning to get Apollo or Phoenix into the courtroom so the connection was even more distant when he contacted the WAA). He seems to be doing alright financially with his own noodle business, and he’s a pretty alright kinda guy. The only possible concern is that he’s too totally slushed to remember he’s supposed to pay his attorney. But then again, Simon might be ‘officially’ the one who hired the lawyer for the case.

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.6

Turnabout Revolution

It’s time for the THREE CASES IN ONE SPECIAL!! Because we don’t just need to consider Dhurke’s trial, I think it’s only appropriate that we take into account both Apollo and Phoenix’s side of the civil case. They are both WAA Lawyers, after all.

On Apollo’s side, he is defending Datz Are'bal, an escaped prisoner/wanted revolutionary criminal in his own country hiding away in an abandoned building and making homemade lizard skewers for food- but Datz did apparently enter Japanifornia legally via legitimate means.

Apollo: What are the charges this time? Datz: Unauthorized entry, or something like that. They think I'm an illegal alien! And I can't prove otherwise ‘cause I lost my passport! Trucy: Is there any way they'd let you go? Datz: Not without my passport… If only I had it! Dhurke, AJ! You gotta find my passport! Apollo: …All right, we'll find it. (One more thing to add to our to-do list. Now, where might Datz's passport be?)

So he presumably has some sort of funds to pay Apollo for his legal services, at least a little bit. 

And with him being Dhurke’s best friend and knowing that he also struggled financially to make end’s meet as a defense attorney at first - I would like to think that’ll incentivise him to support Apollo financially if he can?

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7

Meanwhile on Phoenix’s side, while Phoenix uses the word ‘hire’ when talking about working for Atishon. Phoenix was once again coerced via kidnapping into the position of attorney. 

And THIS time, there is no Assassin with a Code of Honor who might consider paying Phoenix a fair rate. Both Atishon and his ‘benefactor’ are sleazeballs who would not pay Phoenix a dime if they can get away with it. Plus, with this being a civil case, there might actually be a Contingency Basis going on when Phoenix basically quit and then they lose.

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.001

And finally, the grand event of this case - the Trial of Dhurke! 

So… Can a summoned undead spirit pay for an attorney? I suppose it’s probably easier in Khura'in than in other places. And it’ll mostly work the same as if the client died before the case finished, right? It’ll be considered a debt to be carried by their next of kin. Who in this case will be Nahyuta… but also maybe Apollo? Still, considering all of Dhurke’s living family ranges between ‘wealthy and well-respected’ and ‘Literal Royalty’ - I’m going to assume they’d be more than happy then to pay their Weird Brother for his help. 

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.75

Turnabout Time Traveler

And here we are! The last case, and a relatively straightforward one at that - at least compared to the last one lol!

Ellen herself does not have many funds as a housemaid, it seems - but since she literally just married one of the richest inventors in the world, I assume her husband is gonna cover the legal fees. The WAA Legal Team and Also Edgeworth and Ema also got an invite to the Wedding but I assume this is not instead of actual payment?

That is, of course, unless it’s technically Larry who hired Phoenix actually.

Then he’s never getting the goddam money he deserves for his labor.

Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7

Average Probability Score for All Cases (not counting the Zak Bonus Round): 0.51721875

So what have we learned today? I think that while the WAA’s reputation for basically giving away legal services for free is not entirely unearned, it is perhaps somewhat exaggerated. While there’s certainly a lot of Shennanigans and their rates are probably not high (especially not for people they know), they still get paid for a decent amount of high-profile cases. I mean, this Getting Paid Probability Score is over the 50% mark at least....

And… the odd thing is that the First Turnabout really is the only time the subject of the lawyer getting paid is really brought up directly. I get that it might, y’know, ruin the Drama if we acknowledge that our Brave Heroes are getting paid to save people from being convicted of a crime they didn’t commit - or on the other hand of the equation, that they should get paid cause They Need Money to Live. But still…

Is the fact that the only time payment is brought up directly is when Larry isn’t paying Phoenix a bad sign for the general financial situation of our Anime Lawyers? Or is it actually a good sign? Like, that they only mention Larry not paying implying that every time it is not mentioned that means the client did pay them?

[ninyard]

last but most certainly not least. pt 3 of the bonus chapters (TKM)

Aaron's chapter (once again going to be putting like. the whole thing here.)

One of these days Aaron would love to know what about that mouthy liar had people bending over backwards for him [...] He could waste his time being angry, or he could go the tried-and-true Minyard route of infuriating everyone else around him.

i love how much he despises neil fr. and the Minyard route???? i love that

"Hey, Bee," Aaron said.

why did this like. give me such nathaniel neil vibes. hes so cunty for this im obsessed

Andrew looked relaxed where he was tucked into the corner of the couch, one knee hugged loosely to his chest, but Aaron wasn't fooled. They were twins: there was too much of them in each other despite all the years they'd spent apart.

one) andrew is so cosy <333 two) ouch. THERE WAS TOO MUCH OF THEM IN EACH OTHER DESPITE ALL THE YEARS THEY'D SPENT APART????? literally screaming into a pillow at this one

"Did you know Andrew's fucking Neil?" [...] Andrew cut in with a flat, "I'm not." Andrew wouldn't waste his breath lying when Aaron was right here to argue with him, but Aaron knew his accusation wasn't far off the mark. [...] That Andrew hadn't sealed the deal yet was the least important detail, but Aaron was willing to be an ass about it.

I love that andrew is banking on the technicality that like. no he's not. they haven't. and aaron saying andrew hadn't "sealed the deal" has me SCREAMING. thats so funny

"Go slash some tires, or whatever it is you do for fun."

HES SO FUNNYYY

"You made him a priority," Aaron said. "[...] but for the record, I think he's an insufferable asshole. [...] Exy this, Exy that, get a fucking hobby. Oh, but i guess he did?" He sent a pointed look at Andrew.

GET A FUCKING HOBBY. aaron minyard i'd die for you.

"You know, I asked him about you. I asked him if he was taking advantage of you. He tried to punch me out." "You bring out that urge in people," Andrew said.

i'm so glad that we know now that andrew knows about this interaction. like i wonder how he felt hearing that.

"Betsy and I were talking about Monday." [...] Andrew hadn't called her "Betsy" in over a year. He'd never seen Andrew so hard on a back foot, and it was as terrifying as it was thrilling. [...] Andrew didn't want to talk about Neil with Dobson because once he broached that subject he either had to lie to all of them or admit Neil was more important that he wanted him to be.

throwing up, literally no words just throwing up

"I like Neil's promise ring, by the way."

AARONNNNN. HIS PROMISE RING. PLEASE. and also the "Matching set, very cute." why is he so funny

Andrew's smile was all ice, and he wielded honesty like a knife. "They're not decorative, you ignorant little shit. Someone like you wouldn't understand the importance of hiding scars." [...] Aaron would have to figure it out later, but not now. Andrew was trying to pull him off track and [...] he'd never find his way back if he followed it to whatever ugly truth Andrew was hiding. He forced Andrew words aside to haunt him later

this just made me wonder if there's every going to be a moment where aaron figures out what this means. like. my stomach feels sick thinking about it just him having this moment where it clicks and makes sense and he realises what andrew's hiding and will they ever be able to have that conversation?????

"It bother you your pet project is queer?"

AARON

"I'm not always okay with what he is, but these days it's less that he's gay it's that he's [...] weaponized it. It took him so long to come to terms with it that now he lashes out first, pushing as hard as he can to figure out who's safe and who isn't."

nicky baby :(( why does this make me so sad

"I don't care that you're gay, and I don't care that you picked the literal most irritating person on the planet to fall for. I care that you're being a hypocrite."

Aaron Minyard #1 neil josten hater.

Andrew was picking idly at his jeans: an agitated tic that had mostly disappeared once his medicine was out of his system. [...] Maybe he needed a few more moments to come to terms with their easy acceptance. [...] Finding out how important he was to Andrew was an ongoing, eye-opening experience. Finding out just how important Dobson was, that Andrew wouldn't risk her unfavourable opinion by telling her the truth about his sexuality, was equally fascinating. [...] She truly mattered to Andrew when so few people did anymore.

once again andrew :((( my boy :((( why am i crying

"I love Katelyn. I love her more than anything. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, but I am trying so goddamned hard to wait until graduation because you asked me to. So why aren't you doing the same?" "You have abysmal taste in girls," Andrew told him.

KATEAARON YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS TO MEEE

"Neurosurgeon, right?" [...] He and [his mother] had been watching a medical drama with dinner while Andrew hovered silent and distant in the doorway, and Aaron had foolishly said, I want to do that. His mother laughed him out of the room for daring to think he could make anything of himself."

one) andrew talking about aaron to bee two) andrew being the only person who remembered or knew he wanted to be a neurosurgeon three) his mom laughing at him :(( for daring the think he could make anything of himself???? what the fuck and also andrew signing to the team for aaron's sake to get him through college to follow his dreams??? sobbing

"I'm trying, okay? I'm trying. Years too late, I know, but you refused me first. I begged you to come home with me. You can't blame me for not trusting you." "I am capable of multitasking," Andrew said. Aaron heard what he didn't say: I blame us both.

SDHFGAOLFGAJRDHGJDF

"She's just another tiny skirt here to use him up and distract him from what he wants."

ANDREW

"My hands are full with too many idiots," Andrew said. "When she shows her true colors, I will not have the energy to put him together again."

one) liar. i know you'd go to the ends of the earth again and again and again for him. two) TOO MANY IDIOTS

"You can't be brothers while you are each other's jailors."

:D screaming

"Says the man dating a mafioso." "I'm not dating him," Andrew said, with a hint of impatience. Aaron saw right through him, and it was enough to make him smile as he turned his gaze out the window. "Liar."

sobbing. they love each other so much and Andrew is such a liar and i can't deal with them. they kill me

[agentrouka-blog]

This is such a small thing to be mad about, but Ned being all 'oh sansa you can't go to the tourney' in AGOT pissed me off. What do you MEAN you won't 'subject your daughters to this folly???' It's a tourney, fool! A special event that Sansa (as a highborn lady, daughter to the Hand AND the prince's bethrothed to boot!) would've been required to go anyways! It would've been an insult and weird af if she DIDN'T go! Just because you know its a waste of money doesn't mean Sansa has to suffer for it, the tourney's gonna happen no matter what, just let her have fun.

Gah, the more I think about the Sansa Ned stuff in AGOT the more I'm surprised Sansa didn't throw a tantrum especially at that age. Girly has more grace and patience than I ever could have.

It's painful to witness.

It's politically inept, making himself invisible to the public in this way. He's isolated at court. There's already been a violent incident and a rift between him and the king and the Lannisters. He won't attend the tourney in his own name. He's making them all look weak and irrelevant. He gathers no support, and the common people gobble up the idea that he commited treason later on. He made Sansa's life his cover story, he killed her wolf over it, and he's not even taking it seriously for his investigation, let alone its impact on Sansa at any level.

It's also so emotionally myopic, disregarding the one thing Sansa gets excited about since he murdered her wolf. Instead of trying to repair their relationship - instead of realizing it needs repairing! - he keeps taking his general frustration out on her. So slow to let her enjoy something, so quick to yell.

The Hound literally threatens to kill her at the end of the first day of the tourney. The daughter of the Hand of the King. Betrothed of the crown prince. Threatened and manhandled by an alcoholic child killer. Alone outside at night with no witnesses, no protection. Because she had no escort but one unreliable septa. At an event of this scale. And Ned couldn't be bothered to go with her. That's how weak they are.

And she never even tells Ned. Because she already internalized he would find a way to yell at her about it, cut her off from something she cares about, or maybe not do anything at all anyway.

And just look at when she actually does throw a tantrum out of sheer despair of being treated like an object. Does he finally try to talk to her, just once, just for a second? Of course not. He has important business to do walking into a trap.

The man set out to do a thing (solve Jon Arryn's murder), he was so determined that he sacrificed Sansa at the altar of this mission in every way, and he so objectively failed at it, it's almost hard to believe.

People act like Ned choosing to save Sansa's life at the end is somehow this super noble act. As opposed to once again throwing her under the bus? Literally letting her be killed for his honor this time, instead of Lady? Yeah, he chose not to do that. Wow. Dad of the year.

[sophswritingthings]

NVM FIGURED OUT PART 7 LOL

So after reader calmed down by Mizu she opens up about how her childhood was always weighing down on her due to be one of the oldest in he family (she has 3 older brothers and this will probably be important later down in the other parts.) and how it was always expected of her to exceed.

She starts to say how her mom even ran away from her dad due to how demented he is and how controlling and manipulative he is. Then talks about how her only sense of security is her three older brothers who suddenly went missing. (They're alive don't worry).

Then Mizu starts to talk about her childhood and past which made reader cry again. Then reader realizes she needs to leave her home in the mountains because she keeps getting ambushed bro 🤬🤬. So she walks into town and declares she's leaving to al of the townsfolk she's been with for year's.

Then she becomes a travelling doctor with her travelling Samurai wife 😸😸😸

(Honestly not my most creative ask but I'm literally in a restaurant rn)

pairing: mizu x fem!apothecary!reader 

warning(s): swearing, mentions of abuse

a/n: YAYYYY PART 7!! let’s go baby let’s GOOOO

summary: you and your wife have a heart-to-heart talk about your pasts. you decide to finally leave the mountains; leaving behind the memories of your past with them. 

word count: 1,100 words / 5,790 characters 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“come on, my love,” mizu whispered, lifting you up bridal style in her arms. she carries you to your bathhouse stripping down your blood soaked clothes and settling you in the bath.

she does the same with her own clothes, sliding in beside you. she rests your head on her shoulder, brushing her fingers through your now wet hair.

“mizu..?” 

you pipe up, your voice quiet. 

“yes?” she murmurs back, her hand still combing through your hair in an attempt to keep you calm. 

“could I… open up to you, about something? like.. my.. childhood?” you turn your gaze fully on her, gazing up into the beautiful blue eyes.

“of course,” she presses a gentle kiss atop of your head.

“it’s always been such a weight on my chest. as if someone was always lying on my chest, suffocating me,” you take in a deep breath. “I was one of the oldest kids in the family; I have three older brothers and a younger brother and a younger sister.”

you breathe deeply. it’s obviously difficult for you to talk about; mizu can see that. she doesn’t want you to hurt. she rubs the back of your head as you begin to speak again.

“I always had to be perfect; I was the eldest girl, I was to be married off to a high-ranking man, blacken my teeth, and move my family up in the world,” you narrow your eyes. “and when I couldn’t be that; I was beat. the idea of perfection was literally beat into me.”

you chuckle a little; trying to lighten the mood, if only a little.

“my mom ran away when I was about sixteen. she escaped my father, thank fucking god,” you sigh. “my dad was always controlling and manipulative with us; but god, especially her. and I had to just… watch it happen. I couldn’t do anything or I’d be the subject of his anger.”

mizu is staring at you. her eyes are wide as the moon; and she looks terrified. yet she looks empathetic; like she understands you. It looks like she’s never understood you more.

“the only comfort I ever had were my older brothers. they taught me everything I know about medicine!” you smile, gazing at up at her. than your gaze downcasts, back to the water, “they went missing, not too long ago. I went back to try and find them. they were gone.”

she nods, slowly moving her hands about the steaming water. she looked to be… contemplating, something.

“yeah. yeah, I had a pretty shitty childhood, too,” she whispers. “I was always believed to be a monster. an onryō. which is pretty apparent.” she scoffs. 

you place a hand comfortingly on her shoulder, squeezing it a little. you never thought of her as a monster; all you saw was your beautiful, strong wife.

“my mother never let me go outside; she cut off all my hair, and told me I always had to be a boy—that the bad men were looking for a girl—a girl,” she whispered her last two words. “she would hit me when I tried to go outside. I—just wanted to be like the other children.. but I never could be like them. I was a monster; a demon. I—still am.”

“no,” you narrow your eyes. “you are not a monster and you never were, mizu—“ you can feel yourself getting teary eyed, again, sniffling as you look up at your wife. “—you are my wife. the woman I love; I never saw a monster. and I don’t think I ever will.”

she rests her head against your shoulder, nodding as she closed her eyes in your warmth.

“I-I love you,” you whisper, wrapping your arms around your knees.

“I love you too, my love.”

the next morning you awoke, lying naked in bed with mizu wrapped around you. you were safe and warm in her arms; that much was true.

but the mountains—the mountains were not safe.

as you got up and got dressed, you moved about your house. the place you had lived since you had escaped your fathers grasp; the place that had brought you safety in such horrible times.

but you believed it had served its purpose. 

It served as a cover when you were unsafe, when you were at your lowest.. but.. now—

the man who made you so unsafe in this world was dead.

there was no reason for you to hide anymore. you had love, you had light—it was all different now; and this house only held the bad memories of pain and hiding.

it was time you left.

once mizu had woken up, still groggy and half asleep, you brought the idea to her.

“are you sure?” she questioned, her eyes wide under those glasses. “I haven’t yet gotten the information on where I am going.”

“yes,” you were already packing up medicines and food to bring with you. “we can always nestle into a small town, and I could work for a shop for a little; if we need the rest. but I don’t believe it will take that long.”

you were smiling. you were… excited to leave the home you!d known for so long, weirdly.

she lent down and kissed your cheek, “if you're sure,” she nestled her hat onto her head. 

“I’m sure, mizu,” you smile softly.

“than let’s get on with it,” she offers you her hand. 

“I'd like to let the townspeople know first… is that okay? they’re gotten so used to me, and I’ve made so many friends, here..” your voice trails off.

“of course,” she takes you by the hand, and you make your way down the mountain. 

once into the town, you stand atop of a fountain, with the help of mizu who’s holding your hand because she’s too scared you'll fall in.

“um, excuse me? everyone?”

your voice bellows through the small square; catching the townspeople’s attention. it wasn’t a big area; so they all knew you. and you knew all of them.

“I'd like to let you all know that I’ll be leaving the town,” gasps and murmurs surrounded you. “there’s no need to speculate why, it’s nothing scandalous. I simply need to do this; and I will be leaving with my husband,” you gesture to mizu beside you. “my apprentice will be running the shop from now on. I wish all of you well and good fortune for the rest of your time.”

you step off of the fountain, still clasping mizu's hand. you gaze up at her, smiling tenderly.

“ready?”

“ready.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

a/n: that mizu gif she’s like fuck out my way taigen

[acourtofthought]

The Magic of Restoring a Land

While Elain and Lucien both have homes, SJM seems to be hinting that those current homes are a temporary thing:

(not to mention Elain was notably absent in the crossover)

Combine those hints with the following:

and it seems clear to me where Elucien's journey will be taking them.

I am enamoured at the thought of Elucien as High Lord and Lady as Day but I struggle to see it anytime soon because of Helion being such an important character to Rhys, to the LOA, and hopefully Lucien.

I wonder if SJM was being sly with the wording above:

"permanently station him at the Spring Court"

"The Spring Court had been made for someone like her"

What if she literally just told us that Lucien will permanently remain in Spring? In ACOFAS we know he wanted to return to living there but was unable to because of the lies Feyre spread. What if his good name was restored and it could once again be his home? What if he and Elain could turn it into the court he once hoped life in Tamlin’s court would be? I'm sure centuries down the line he'll play his part in Day (he could even travel there as emissary while living in Spring) but until then, Lucien isn't the type to sit and wait around to do something. And even Feyre said, "you enjoyed its pleasures and diversions. But don’t pretend you weren’t made for something more than that.” He's never going to be someone who waits for something to do, he wants purpose.

Also, when something is made for someone, there's a sense of belonging associated with the phrasing.

It wasn’t a guarantee that a High Lord’s firstborn would be his heir. The magic sometimes took a while to decide, and often jumped around the birth order completely. Sometimes it found a cousin instead. Sometimes it abandoned the bloodline entirely. Or chose the heir in that moment of birth, in the echoes of a newborn’s first cries.

“There are no High Ladies.” His brows furrowed, but he shook his head. “We’ll talk about that later, too. But yes, Feyre—there can be High Ladies. And perhaps you aren’t one of them, but … what if you were something similar?

I know some feel Elain can't be chosen as High Lady but why? Rhys tells us there can be High Ladies and just because there hasn't been one prior to the series doesn't mean it can't happen now that the Archeron sisters are having their stories told. Rhys made Feyre his High Lady so she wasn't exactly chosen by the magic but Feyre is still unlike anything that ever existed before. Elain as High Lady does not negate that Rhys and Feyre will most likely remain the most powerful fae in their lands.

Tamlin never wanted to be High Lord, it was never a fitting role for him, what if the magic always knew he was simply a place holder until the "moment of Elain's birth"?

What if Elain is made High Lady of Spring and Lucien stays by her side as interim High King (until the war is over)?

A major problem that Feyre and Nesta have when it comes to Elain is holding her back from doing more, from being unable to imagine her in certain situations. But I wonder if all the things they once doubted will come to pass-

I’d do it mostly to keep Elain from ever going to the Spring Court (a hint that Elain WILL end up in the Spring Court?)

I shook my head, trying not to imagine Elain subject to that … fire. (a hint that Elain WILL end up with Lucien and possibly perform in Fire Night with him?)

"Elain would faint to hear such thoughts." (Fire Night is very voyeuristic event, imagine if she were the main act?)

Being this is the current state of the Spring Court and it's manor -

Distant—because on the estate, nothing bloomed at all. The pink roses that had once climbed the pale stone walls of the sweeping manor house were nothing but tangled webs of thorns. The fountains had gone dry, the hedges untrimmed and shapeless. The house itself had looked better the day after Amarantha’s cronies had trashed it. Not for any visible signs of destruction, but for the general quiet. The lack of life.

A tomb. This place was a tomb.

No whisper of sound behind him. On any acre of this estate. Not even a note of birdsong.

Hunting for dinner—because there were no servants here to make food. Or buy it.

And though he roams these lands, he does not see or care for the neglect he passes, the lawlessness, the vulnerability.

- it seems so fitting that Elain and Lucien, two characters who are full of light and sunshine, who are extremely social, who make friends wherever they go and are able to convince anyone to do anything with their words, would be able to restore Spring with not only their personalities but the magic of their union.

"the magic that we create helps regenerate the land for the year ahead.”

With Elucien, the Spring Court could again be a place of light and happiness, filled with laughter and sound and as a result, a place of strength and an ally for the rest of Prythian.

[ottomanladies]

Hello, how are you, it’s me again!!

I’m sorry but I had to answer to your words

You says:

"I really have no idea where I said this because I looked for posts where I mentioned Theodora but I didn't find anything. This is what I said about her when I was asked to talk about Orhan's consorts"

I am absolutely not mistaken, you are the one who said that Theodora was Orhan's favorite wife, those are your words not mine. When someone asked you about the favorite consort of each consort, you clearly said Theodora for Orhan, I have the screenshot.

"I have no idea what this Mekce document is, I have never used it nor seen it. That Nilüfer was

"most likely" a concubine (words are important) is something that Peirce says in The Imperial Harem"

The mekce document is the "endowment" where Efendi and Melek are mentioned, Leslie and Feridun then deduced that they were Orhan's wives while nothing like that is certified in this document, quite the contrary. Leslie claims that Efendi is identified as Orhan's wife in a grant land, has anyone ever seen this grant land? No. So because Leslie said it, this is immediately true

"Again, I don't understand why you're thinking ** am the one who came up with the theory. I didn't.

I've never studied Orhan's family as it is not a subject I'm particularly interested in."

"All the claims about Efendi, Melek, Bayalun... | know nothing about this. I simply reported what I've found in books written by other people. Just take it up to them"

You post these things. You affirm things and post them making some people believe things that are absolutely not sure, when you post things on a subject that you do not master, you say nothing. You do not study Orhan's family but you post about him and his family? Things absolutely based on no source shown and on, you only use the sources of Leslie and Alderson to confirm such things when nothing is true? Or at least nothing like that has been confirmed. These historians having affirmed such things (without them being sure tho) doesn’t mean it’s right?

If you want to post things about Orhan's family, you should consider all possibilities and post them so that all theories are known to everyone.

There are books literally approved by Ottoman sultans where it is clearly stated that Nilüfer, Asporça and Theodora were Orhan’s only wives. Nilüfer is clearly stated as the daughter of the Yarhisar's tekfur and the first wife of Orhan, I suggest you the book "Kitab í çihannuna" Sultan Bayezid II himself approved this book or even "Camiud duvel" Sultan Murad III approved this book and asked for a copy.

Then out of all the books you found alderson’s book and immediately used it as a source and the way you didn’t even bothered reading ibn batuta’s book of travels before making assumptions about his visit to beylun hatun says a lot

Even if the historians you are quoting believe that aşikpaşazade isn’t a reliable source there are still uncountable ottoman hierarchy books that ottoman descendants themselves published. One of the latest source from Osmanoglu family is the book that Şehzade Orhan posts on his X acc.

Finally you weren’t forced to write about Orhan’s family and now that you were writing about him on a platform that you know many people will see and most ignorant ones will also believe in all that, you should have at least done a proper research instead of just using 2 historians who have already said numerous things that are completely false and aren’t even sure of what they are saying.

I'm not really familiar with the app, I could send you hundreds of books/ works of historians talking about Orhan's three wives and in which it is clearly, black on white stated that Nilüfer was noble and that besides Nilufer, Orhan had only two other wives. I also have the screen of Orhan Osmanoglu's post that I can send you when I figure out how to do it 😅

Sorry if I seem mean, have a nice day!!

I’m answering only because I realised there’s been a misunderstanding (maybe on my part). I think you’re referring to this ask

which I answered saying MY favourite consort of each sultan, not their favourite consort. I guess this caused a misunderstanding because you’re not the first person to talk about this ask iirc.

As for the rest, I’m not arguing with you about the historical research of a tumblr blog. I made this blog because I loved making historical gifsets and I used the books I had to gather material; of course there’s gonna be mistakes, there are mistakes in academic papers too.

If you want to correct my mistakes write your own post about Orhan’s family or publish an academic paper about it.

P.S. it’s kinda disrespectful how you talked about my work here, when you don’t know how much effort I put into this blog (from which i don’t earn anything btw, it was done for fun). I guess you have never made mistakes in your life.

[inkstheticbkwrm]

Never Convenient

Short Kaider banter.

Cinder was getting really sick of this conversation.

Granted, she was talking to Kai, who was her favorite person to talk to, and granted, it was giving her the free time she really needed--but he was so frustrating sometimes.

It would've been cute if it wasn't also so annoying.

"I told you," Cinder admonished, "I can't come to Earth right now. It isn't convenient. I literally just reclaimed my throne, and Luna is in ruins and some Earthens still think I'm a tyrant and-"

"It's never convenient," the annoyingly persistent emperor said, interrupting her tangent. "It isn't for me, either. I can't leave here and... I never get to see you anymore."

Cinder gestured to herself and then back to him. "You're seeing me right now."

"That's different and you know it."

Cinder sighed. It wasn't that she didn't miss Kai; she did, with every fiber of her being. But she just wasn't ready to leave right now. She didn't know if she'd ever be ready. "Look, I love you and all, but don't you have some really important emperor stuff to be doing right now?" Her chest constricted in panic as she realized what she'd just admitted. Three of the words locked up in her throat while he'd been here had broken out of their cage at the most inopportune moment.

Thankfully, he hadn't seemed to register her words fully.

Kai huffed out a breath. "You're not very good at changing the subject-"

"Neither are you."

"Well, fine, I do—but I'm putting it on hold for now. And the sooner you say yes, the sooner I can get back to it and everyone's happy."

She rubbed her temples. She'd almost forgotten how hard it was to get him to give up on something.

Almost.

"I'll see you in a few months," she reminded him softly.

"Months," he whined in response.

Cinder rolled her eyes. "You're way too persistent sometimes. Actually, all the time."

"You've known that for, like, a year at this point. Before you even knew me properly!"

Cinder could only smile at the memory of him begging her to go to the ball with him. She'd been quite flattered albeit a little irritated, but looking back on it, it just warmed her to her core.

"You were quite persuasive," she agreed. "I ended up going, didn't I?"

"You did. In all your coronation finery."

Cinder swatted at the screen playfully. "I'm a mechanic."

Kai's expression softened. "You are. I always liked that about you."

Cinder felt the room's temperature increase. If she could, she knew she would be blushing right now.

She cleared her throat, somewhat reluctantly breaking the comfortable silence they'd fallen into. "I should get going. I'm expecting a report on how the Lunar emigration to Earth is going and..." She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave the comfort, the safe place that was him.

Kai nodded sadly. "I guess I will see you in a few months."

She pressed her lips and nodded. "Can't wait."

But as she was turning to leave, he said her name again. "Cinder?"

She turned. His expression had softened into something more intimate--something just for her.

"I love you too."

[my-castles-crumbling]

Impressive Anon again!

I don’t remember what I said exactly but it was something like this:

Is it wrong to lie about pronouns?

Everytime I’m asked about my pronouns I try to avoid responding and if I can’t change the subject I lie and say she/her. I am not ready for people to interrogate me about why I don’t use she/her so I just say that’s what I use to make them happy.

This week I start my placement. I’ve been really stressed about them calling me Miss or Ms as that’s how I’ll be perceived. I’ve told my mum about this (not exactly, I kind of just said I don’t want to be ms/miss ‘last name’ bc it makes me feel old 😭) but still kind of the same thing. Anyway she said something along the lines of “this is your time and you should be referred to how you want to be (thinking I prefer ms (then my first name instead of last name)). But what she said made me think about introducing myself at this school as the real me. Like I’ll use my real pronouns and get called what I want to be called. But this also makes me anxious bc as I said before I’m really scared of judgement and don’t want many questions asked.

When I lie it makes me feel shitty bc I want to be able to express who I am but society makes it hard to do so.

I’ll probably just go to the school and be called ms and use she/her. But is it normal to feel like a liar when I lie about this even tho it’s to protect myself?

Ok this is a ramble and probably makes no sense but is it normal to lie about pronouns bc I’m not ready or am I doing the wrong thing by myself?

Do you have any experience with this that could make me feel less alone :(

Is there anything the students call you that feels right? Do students know you are non-binary?

(You don’t have to answer those if you don’t want to)

Thank you so much again Cas for being the most supportive, kind, friendly, amazing and helpful human in the world! <3

Hi! <3

I am so glad you asked this because it's such an important topic.

It is ABSOLUTELY okay to lie about your pronouns.

Here's the thing. Saying your pronouns is basically coming out, right? And you should NEVER come out before you're ready. EVER. You would do so much more damage to yourself if you outed yourself when you weren't ready.

And I'm going to be honest, I lie about my pronouns all the time- either by omission or flat out. Why? Because I literally don't feel safe in some situations. Is it ideal? No. Does it feel great? Absolutely not. But in new situations with people you don't know, It's okay to put your safety and your needs first. you're not hurting anyone by doing so.

As far as school, I am currently called Mrs.(lastname) and I hate it. I started working at my school before I came out to anyone, so at the time, going by that made the most sense. Now? Not so much. But funnily enough, I have a few students with speech issues that just call me (lastname) and it's super affirming. So, at my next school, I'll probably go with that. As far as why I haven't changed it? Honestly, I'm scared. I DO wear a pin with my pronouns, and I have them in my signature of my e-mail, but only one person in the entire school uses them (and calls me (lastname)), so it doesn't feel like a safe place to really push it, you know? And like you, sometimes I feel bad about that, but it's like...is it more detrimental to my mental health to be she/her-d all day or to possibly be made fun of for my identity all day? Right now, it's the first one. It might change later.

Only YOU can decide what feels right and safe for you, and I support you 1000% on whatever you choose. Anyone who doesn't isn't looking out for you.

Also if you ever want to chat about this more, I'd absolutely love to- there are so few educators (or upcoming educators) that struggle with this that it would be so cool to talk!

<3 <3 <3

[likeafairytale]

"... Did you have friends before? Outside of your siblings? Because you say we're best friends, but what we have is a typical princess-servant relationship. I don't mind at all. Actually I quite like it. You're better than what I'm used to. But I feel like I owe you the truth and what we have isn't friendship." - Yasmeen to Calypso

The least we could say is that Calypso was taken aback by Yasmeen's words. Frowning, the princess stopped walking and turned around to look at Yasmeen, and it was visible that she did not quite understand what she was saying. Not that the mermaid was dumb, but she genuinely thought she was right when she was calling her servant her “best friend”.

For a few minutes, Calypso was thinking hard to Yasmeen's questions. Did she have friends? Of course, she had! Well... not really. Outside of Nathaniel, and Malachai, she could not name any other child she was playing with when she was younger, or even now. When Nathaniel was training with Malachai, she was alone, or with Blossom, who was... a tropical fish. Her only friend growing up, outside of her brothers, was a tropical fish, and now she was thinking of it, it was quite embarrassing that she had no children friends, but just a fish one, and this thought was enough to make her blush. Even her own sisters weren't close to her, which explained probably why Calypso had such a hard time to connect with any woman here at the Seelie Court.

❛... What do you mean, we're not friends? I thought we were...❜

❛Maybe in your mind we are. But friends are equals. We can't be friends if you never listen and always bring the subject back to yourself.❜

❛I do not do that!❜ Calypso almost yelled, not realizing that she was literally cutting short Yasmeen and, therefore, proving her right. ❛You make me sound like a spoiled, selfish brat, which I'm not!!❜

❛It's okay, really. I know you're used to people giving you all their attention and energy, and I know you used to believed they did it because they care, not because they feared your father. But that's not true. That's what the reality check is so brutal since you came in here.❜

❛How could you say that?...❜

❛Like I said, I like our relationship a lot. But I can't let you fool yourself with illusions again and let you call yourself my friend.❜

The little mermaid was out of words. She felt sad and almost crushed by her maid's words, maybe because it was, once again, a new reality check. She had too much of them since she was there, and she hated that. Not only that, but she did not know why everyone wanted to show her how much she was wrong, but this habit of people here was annoying as hell to her.

❛But we are friends! You eat with my brothers and I, and you call me by my name, which I'll never let a regular person do.❜

❛Really? Let's see... I know pretty much all of your important childhood memories, including what places you liked to run away to the most. I could rightfully name at least 75% of all the human items that are hidden if your secret cave, since you talk about them all the time. I know your favorite game you used to play with Nate and how sad you were when he had to go train with Kai and you weren't invited. I know you held on to every bit of details you had of Ursula and had this image in your head of how you'd meet her, and she'd be your perfect sister, and I know you've been heartbroken ever since you actually met her. I know about your time in the aquarium and how you dislike and try to hide your feelings for Aeron. I know you miss Nessie and the Caribbean Sea the most. What do you know about my life?❜

Calypso took a deep breath and was ready to answer but, once again, nothing came to her mind. She could not answer to Yasmeen. She realized that she truly was self-centred, and barely knew about Yasmeen's life. She did know things, obviously, but things that, maybe, she wished she did not know, and Yasmeen did not have to live either. Calypso felt tears coming to her eyes –which was happening so much lately, she felt as if being out of the sea means her wants to cry was more apparent. Taking a deep breath again, she clenched her fists, and it was obvious she was more angry than sad now.

❛You did not have to humiliate me this way.❜

❛This wasn't my intention. I was just stating point. The fact that you're now angry shows that I am right.❜

❛Well, this isn't my fault if you do not talk about you. This isn't my fault if I have to fill the gap in our conversation, because you do not talk to me about you!❜

❛Your majesty is right. I forget myself.❜ Yasmeen said with the most honourable tone she could have before curtseyed.

❛Stop don't do that! You know what, perhaps you're right, maybe we're not friends after all. Maybe I have mistaken our relationship I gave you too many liberties, and maybe I should stop.❜

❛If this is what you're thinking, then it will be.❜

❛... Maybe I should have another maid, so you'll be my friend for real without feeling obligated to be. Perhaps that's the solution we need... I don't know which one it is, for now, I just want you to leave me alone!❜

On those last words, Calypso, who was frustrated, turned around and walked straight to the lake she was headed previously, hoping to clear her mind and that Yasmeen did follow her wish to stay alone.

[aropride]

NO SERIOUSLY hp fans will hear "jk rowling is bad and theres a lot of racism in the series" and then go and defend that its not racist because of the blood purity aspect and how it "deconstructs that" when it literally never does and do you HEAR YOURSELF YOURE TALKING ABOUT BLOOD PURITY. POINT A AND POINT B ARE RIGHT THERE AND YOURE NOT CONNECTING THEM.

sorry as a former fan of the series and a trans person with reading comprehension ive had to have way too many conversations about hp recently and its driving me up a wall. merry christmas ^_^

hi im late answering this sorry i went 2 eat dinner and then forgot to respond BUT LITERALLY!!! i watched shaun's harry potter video last night and there is SO much racism in that series- way more than i remembered and i remembered a LOT. like. the fucking house elves just in general and how hermione is treated as an annoyance for saying "hey maybe we should not keep a certain race as slaves and treat them as inferior and say they like being slaves" and how the slavery and bigotry and general shittiness of the system of the wizarding world isnt resolved at all but it "ends happily ever after" like NO IT DOESNT? not for anyone but the white main characters who become cops and shit because those systems of oppression are still in place after the series ends and that's. framed as a good thing? because jkr is like, incapable of realizing that sometimes The Whole System needs to change rather than just the people in charge. and you'd think it'd be pretty easy to figure that out when the system is literally built on slavery and racism, but. well she's racist and just an idiot, so.

it's like she knows "racism is wrong" and "bigotry is wrong" as statements and tries to show that in her work by having, like, a muggle-born wizard do well in classes, or a strong woman who's still feminine or whatever, or having the wizard racists be the bad guys, but she doesn't understand WHY racism and bigotry are wrong and awful so she ends up supporting those things in every other aspect of the narrative that isn't a direct intentional allegory for those things and half the time also when it is!

like idk i read the books the first time when i was 10 or so and even then i was like. "hey why is slave labor glamorized in this kid's book i'm reading? that's kinda fucked up!" or like "it's kinda weird that sometimes the Good Guys do fucked up stuff but it's fine because they're Good, isn't doing a bad thing still bad if you're on the good side?" or "why are characters being fat treated as something that makes them a Bad Person / a signifier that they are Bad People" or again: Why is there slavery in the wizard books! why is it rationalized with "they like being slaves" and "they're sad if they can't be slaves!" or "tricking them into not being slaves would be more cruel than enslaving them in the first place" (<- real thing that was on the pottermore website !)

side note, but why was jkr trynig to talk about things like slavery and racism and blood purity and nazi ideology in a fantasy series meant for children anyway. that feels.. incredibly unnecessary and weird. <- leaving this in for transparency but someone sent me an ask that made me rethink this & i do think it's important for those subjects to be addressed in fiction, even fiction meant for children, as they're already experiencing those things & sheltering them does them a disservice. jkr approached it very badly and the story would have been better off without her attempt at exploring it but in general it's not a bad things to address those things in fiction

and not to mention the way most of the characters who weren't white and british were stereotypical caricatures and even their fucking names-- kingsely shacklebolt, anthony goldstein, and cho chang come to mind-- that speaks for itself, really

and the antisemitism that's present through all of the books. the blood purity and the fucking goblins.. jkr why are your goblins identical to antisemitic caricatures and why do they run the underground banks, answer quick and then kill yourself please! like maybe it wasn't intentional but it's still incredibly fucked up and to my knowledge she hasn't spoken about it or apologized at all.

and that's not even to mention the transphobia. which is only slightly present in the books (Bad People who are women are depicted with masculine traits fairly frequently) but as we all know jkr is a raging transphobe with far too much influence over trans legislation in britain and believes everyone who supports her work supports her transphobia. also she allies with far-right activists and people who ally with the far-right far too frequently like literally any of that should cause people to want to drop her and harry potter in general

though even if that weren't a factor at all. personally i wouldn't want to support or engage with hp at all because of All The Racism. and fatphobia and abuse apologism and ableism and misogyny and antisemitism and homophobia and queer baiting and Oh Yeah, the racism again! like i'm embarassed to have ever been a fan of it and supported it like genuinely idk why i was comfortable engaging with it despite All Of That. granted i didnt pick up on everything when i was 10-12 but even the stuff i did understand as a kid was gross and i wish i'd stopped reading it and engaging with it the second i realized that

sorry for writing an entire essay there is a lot to hate abt that damn series !and merry christmas LOL may you never have to hear about hp ever again 🙏

(ID: two dark red banners with black text meant to look like it's dripping. the first reads "harry potter fans fuck off" and the second reads "ter-fs fuck off too". end ID)

[bonesandthebees]

do you have an opinion on The Host movie? (asking bc ik you've read the book and I just watched the movie again)

you know those jokes about how if you ask someone with adhd or autism about a subject they're fixated on you gotta be prepared for a wall of text

yeah that's me right now though idk if i'm gonna type a whole wall of text I just have the kill bill sirens going off in my head rn because oh BOY I have opinions on The Host movie.

I'm gonna put it under a read more but just be warned my opinion is not a positive one

okay full disclosure I have not seen the movie in roughly 7 years or so because after I saw it once or twice I refused to watch it ever again

anyway I fucking hated the movie

I think the biggest issue I had with the movie was the way they framed it as being more about Melanie than Wanda. the entire POINT of the book was Wanda's journey into finding herself and her home with humanity. Wanda was the main character of the book and this was essential to the theme of the entire thing. but the movie made it about Melanie. and the thing is, in the book, Melanie is not a good person. and this is okay! she's a flawed human and that's why it's so impactful that Wanda comes to love her so much. because Melanie is impulsive, bratty, jealous, and has next to no self-control. this is not me criticizing her character. I love Melanie as a character. she's so intrinsically human and that's why she makes such a great juxtaposition to Wanda. but the movie didn't seem to get this. it was so focused on Melanie's side and not Wanda when Wanda is the driving force and the most important character in the story.

also I didn't appreciate the unnecessary added drama. like the Seeker was almost comically evil in the movie to a point where she didn't even feel like a soul. I know in the book she was described as being very different from most souls anyway but there were still traits of souls recognizable to her, whereas the Seeker in the movie felt very different. again it's been 7 or so years so I could be misremembering, so sorry if I am, but yeah. that felt weird too.

also iirc the movie didn't talk about any of Wanda's previous lives at all? or any of the other planets the souls took over?? which was a huge chunk of interesting worldbuilding lost. also the souls in general were just framed as being wholly bad and evil when in the book it really emphasizes that they DO care. they genuinely think they're helping other species by taking them over and keeping them from self-destructing. is it murder? yes, but not to the souls. the souls don't do this out of malice because they're incapable of even feeling malicious towards others. and the movie really just missed that.

I would say Jared felt like a flat piece of bread in the movie because he did but also he literally felt like that in the book too so. guess they got that right. Ian though... they flattened my boy he was so much more interesting in the book gahhhh so much lost potential there.

I said I wasn't sure if I was gonna write a wall of text and here I am. I could probably say more but I'm gonna cut myself off there. I think part of the issue is that the book is really big and a lot of it is the slow shift in dynamics Wanda has with everyone and it hinges so much on her internal thought process which is difficult to get across on screen. But also it just sucked. even if I hadn't read the book it was still a bad movie overall imo. I'm just gonna keep rereading the book every few years and pretend the movie never happened.

[theggning]

Hello! I was the anon who asked Sapphire-Weapon about how RE6 was originally recieved. You offered to tell me about your own opinions on the subject, if you remember. If you like, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I rewatched some scenes and I still... hate it. The script and overall story were awful imo. It's cringey but without the RE charm, lol. And I'm still mad about how watered down and silly they've made Ada in that game. It was cool to play as her, but the whole "everyone important is just in love with her or wants to be her" was so blaringly stupid and lazy. I felt it really took away from her character, tbh. She should've zipped up and thrown a bomb down. Just explode the lot of 'em and go home to a girlfriend. Would've highfived her for that. (All jokes, lol!!). And Jake... his arc really lacked effort and it's a pity because I really enjoyed him as a character. He could've had a great opportunity with his development but... nah. A little insight as an OG fan about what you loved and hated would be great!

/rolls up sleeves

I consider RE6 one of (no longer #1 but one of) the greatest disappointments I've ever had in a video game that I was otherwise really, really hype for. So BOY am I down to unload talk about it.

Honestly the thing I hated the most about RE6 is the level design. It's really a shame, because the gameplay/controls are actually really fun. I love the increased focus on melee. Mercenaries mode in that game is a blast. But unfortunately, the campaign design is so fucking miserable and such a slog you could not pay me to play through the whole thing again.

The average level design in RE6 goes like this:

Hallway full of enemies

Telegraphed set piece w/ QTEs

Hallway full of enemies

Explosion

Hallway full of enemies

Telegraphed set piece w/ QTEs

The boss monster you defeated 7 times already STILL ISN'T DEAD and pops out to chase you some more

Explosion, launching our heroes into:

a hallway full of enemies!!!!!

I remember this being particularly bad in Chris' campaign, but it's a problem in ALL of them. There's no atmosphere, very few moments of quiet, no interesting rooms or details to look at. You know how in REmake/RE0 and the more recent remakes and especially in RE4R you can look around the environment and see fun little details, objects? How the rooms look lived in and like this was a real place once? There's almost none of this in RE6. The places you walk through don't look real. That marketplace doesn't look like anyone's ever done business in it. The spa level doesn't look like a real spa. It's a hallway full of enemies that leads you to your next explosion.

To add to the problem here, the chapters are goddamn ALMOST AN HOUR LONG EACH. Unlike RE5, where the subchapters were around 10-30 minutes if you knew what you were doing, when you sit down to play a chapter in RE6 it's gonna take you an entire hour. Even if there were some little fun moments in the levels, I can't remember them and I'm not gonna go back to play them when that fun moment is sandwiched by 45 minutes of awful bullshit.

The story also does absolutely suck. I have never before played a game plot that felt more like two 12-year-olds hopped up on Mountain Dew enthusiastically spitballing fanfic ideas and jamming every single one of them into a story. What's frustrating is that there are glimmers of good ideas all over the place, but they end up falling flat or getting stupid.

I could probably rant and rave about the plot of RE6 for another 4000 words, but since it's been a literal decade since I played the game and I'm fuzzy on the details, I don't want to go too in depth. So I think I'll just throw out some things I liked and disliked for each campaign. That I remember. From when the game came out.

It is also worth mentioning that my friend and I, foolishly, played the campaigns in reverse order because that was shown to be chronologically correct. This was a very bad idea. By the time I got to what most people consider the "best" campaign, I was 80% of the way to my sinking realization that I hated the game.

Jake's Campaign:

THE GOOD:

Sherry! I love grownup Sherry. I like her silly G-virus healing factor. I like the bit where she tells Jake to stop fucking whining about the evil daddy he never met, because Sherry fucking Birkin doesn't need to hear your "woe is me"ing about your evil parents fucking up your life.

The snow level was kind of unique and interesting-looking.

The spa level was kind of unique and interesting-looking.

THE BAD:

Ustanak. I realize we're trying to recapture the magic of Nemesis for the 4th or 5th time here, but when every other goddamn boss in this fucking game comes back 50 times before you kill it, it kind of takes away from the one enemy whose entire gimmick is that exactly. I cannot remember what he looks like at all. Nemesis is iconic, this guy is just big and ugly. The fact that Jake punches him to death with his bare hands is really silly but in kind of the good stupid RE way that I enjoy. It's what this loser deserves.

I'm honestly not a huge fan of Jake in general? He has a good character arc, which is more than I can say for basically anybody else in this game, but he slots right into this godawful edgelord teenage boy catnip character archetype that was absolutely everywhere in the early 2010s in gaming.

The idea of Wesker having a son could be really interesting (even if it makes me think about Wesker fucking, which. ugh) but it's integrated in a really strange way. I frankly do not believe Jake's mother when he says she genuinely loved Wesker and that he was a "good man," a thing that has literally never been demonstrated, ever, in the entire history of this canon. It's really incongruous given everything we know about Wesker, so I'm not sure why they went with that instead of the, honestly, more sensible idea of having Jake be an unauthorized experiment using Wesker's sperm or something.

The bit where Jake, who vocally despises his absent father the entire length of time we know him, suddenly decides to get pissy with Chris for killing him, is incredibly contrived. It feels like it's in there just because they felt like they needed an excuse for Jake to be in conflict with Chris, even when it makes no sense with what we know of Jake's personality.

Chris' Campaign

THE GOOD:

Piers is the best character in this game. He's charming, he's appealing, we can sympathize with him, he and Chris have wonderful chemistry together (platonically or not- I do love me some Nivanfield.) I love what they do with him as a "successor" to Chris, and how he helps Chris through his spiral. I will never stop being furious that they killed him off. Piers deserved better.

I like the broad strokes of Chris' character arc here. Chris becoming an alcoholic and suffering real, visible PTSD from the deaths of his men is both appropriate and a sensible step for his character at this point in the series.

Carla is definitely the best villain in this game. I have some beef with her that I'll discuss in the Ada section but in terms of campaign-specific antagonists, she's both the most compelling and the most dangerous.

THE BAD:

The execution of Chris' arc is possibly the stupidest fucking writing in this entire game. So you're telling me that Chris Redfield, Superstar BSAA Founder and Golden Boy, is somehow able to just disappear from the hospital where he's laid up with head trauma and amnesia? He just, wanders the fuck away and nobody notices? Chris is gone for SIX FUCKING MONTHS and nobody is able to find him in that length of time? Where the hell are Claire or Jill in this scenario? Claire spends 2/3 of her starring games moving heaven and earth to search for her brother. In Revelations, Jill disobeys orders and goes looking for him when he's missing for 12 hours. And neither of them bother looking for him when he goes missing for half a year? If you have ever wondered why Jill or Claire aren't in this game, it's because there's no fucking way to make this stupid plot work if either of them have anything to say about it. So they're apparently just blipped out of existence for the duration of RE6. Oh hey, we found Chris. In Edonia. The same place he went missing six months ago. Guess we were too busy to really look for him that hard. Hey Piers, go drag him kicking and screaming out of the bar. There's some shit going down in China and we need our top guy on the job. What's that? He's still suffering the effects of massive head trauma? He can't remember who the fuck he is? He has no idea who we are or what he's doing? Ehhhhhhhhhhh don't worry about it, stick a uniform on him and throw him into the thick, that oughta jog his memory a bit. This bit is so stupid and irresponsible that I will never again respect the BSAA as anything but cartoonishly incompetent. Head Trauma Amnesiac Chris gets his memory jogged midway through proceedings, and flies off into a frothing, mindless vengeance rage against Ada. In the process he personally gets an entire team of BSAA operatives killed. Again. Two in one game! That's pretty bad even for Chris! It's only via being screamed at by Piers that Chris snaps out of it and goes back to being the respected leader that he's supposed to be just in time to save the world. Chris decides, then and there, that maybe he's no longer in a position to keep doing this. That he should step aside and give a new generation of fighters a chance to fight for what's right. That Piers, who's been levelheaded and focused and brave through all of this turmoil, deserves to be Chris' successor and that he's the hero the world needs now. And then Piers dies horribly, tragically, traumatically, so uh. Never mind that I guess. Making Chris an alcoholic and forcing him to reckon with the deaths of his men is a great idea for a story arc for him. But this contrived-ass prolonged soap opera amnesia drama ain't it, chief. EDIT: Tumblr, in its infinite wisdom, just linked me to a blog post I made in 2013 COMPLETE WITH PICTURES I DREW making fun of this plot point. Please enjoy!

Everybody says this is the campaign with the worst, grindiest, bullet spongiest, Gears of Wariest gameplay and they are correct.

I think we are supposed to take the ending of the campaign as inspirational. Chris goes back to the BSAA with renewed determination, and we're supposed to find this as noble or heroic. I actually find this ending incredibly fucking sad and tragic. Piers' death is haunting Chris, and he's now taking Piers' faith in him as a mandate. Piers' hero worship and respect for Chris is now being interpreted as "you can't give up-- ever." Chris has resigned himself to fighting this battle for the rest of his life. He can never hand off the reins to a younger generation. He can never retire. He can never heal. He can never stop, and he's now doomed to do this until he dies/Capcom stops dragging his now 50-year-old ass out to star in every single game.

Leon's Campaign

THE GOOD:

The first 20 minutes or so of Leon's campaign is genuinely the best part of the entire game. By the time I got to this point I was already heavily fatigued from the above horseshit so I don't think it hit me like it should have, but the Tall Oaks University section is pretty great.

I like Leon being a mentor of sorts for Helena. It's a role we haven't seen him in before and it's interesting.

THE BAD:

I find the exploitation of Deborah Harper to be really gross. Helena gets blackmailed into starting an outbreak that kills the president for the sake of her sister. By the time we reach Deborah she's already been infected. Which is FINE... but making her a moaning, writhing, voluptuous monster vamping nude around the boss arena in a clear attempt to be sexually appealing to the (presumed male) player feels really icky to me. She could have just been a regular monster? Helena would still have every reason to want revenge on Simmons?

Due to the shitty pacing and structure, Leon and Helena both come off as super incompetent. Helena won't say shit about what's going on, leading us blindly into situation after situation and promising to explain "later." Leon's inability to drive reaches parody status as he crashes like 6 different vehicles in the course of this campaign. Leon and Helena's mere presence is a deathknell for every single person in the vicinity-- every time they encounter a group of civilians, every single one of them dies horribly. If this all happened once or twice then it wouldn't be so egregious, but this whole campaign feels like these two bumblefucks fucking up and getting innocents killed.

What in the FUCK was with the underground Skyrim dungeon section? Why is this area here? Aren't we in fucking Massachusetts???

Derek Simmons is Diet Wesker and he's terrible at it. He's not scary, he's not sinister, he's not even campy fun like Wesker was. He's supposed to be this grand evil mastermind, but he's doing all of this because Ada broke up with him or put in her two weeks notice or whatever? What a fucking loser.

The whole "oh no, a secret illuminati is running the world behind the scenes" plotline. I've been calling these guys the "Failluminati' for so long I can't even remember their real name. Having an omg secret evil organization running everything in your plot is not a plot twist, it's a fucking copout. This is so stupid Capcom has never again mentioned it, with good reason.

Ada's Campaign

THE GOOD:

The one and only actually scary part of the game, the Carla boss fight. Oh my god, is that some psychological horror? In THIS shitshow?

This is my favorite Ada character design. That open jacket is really stylish.

For about 2/3 of the previous campaigns, it looks like they have finally, actually done something interesting with Ada. Oh my god, is Ada an outright villain this time? What's her motivation? Are we finally going to learn who Ada works for and what her goals are? Why is she doing this? Chris has very good reason to be angry at Ada, but Leon's going to defend her just going by his gut? That's juicy! Wow! The boys are fighting!

I think it's extremely funny that Leon never technically finds out about the existence of Carla, so he watches a video of "Ada" hatching out of a fucking egg and assumes that's really her. He never gets corrected on this notion. As far as we know, OG Leon still thinks Ada hatched out of an egg. That's hilarious.

THE BAD;

They didn't do anything with Ada at all actually! The Ada/Carla switcheroo is really obvious once you realize it's happening, and would have been a cool opportunity to actually define something about Ada. Oh no, this evil scientist releasing the C virus on the world is claiming to be Ada? We all know the real Ada would never... um.... well... To me, the frustrating thing about OG Ada is that she isn't really a character. She shows up from time to time to save Leon or be mysterious or be a pair of boobs to look at, but she has no goals. No motivation. We don't know what she's really thinking or why she does things. She's taking orders from... SOMEONE? But we never find out who, and even when we think we know who, it turns out she's betraying them. Ada deals in bioweapons for cash, while also having an apparent soft spot for Leon. She's morally gray, but to no actual end. We can't say that she would or wouldn't do this or that, because nobody knows who Ada is or what she's trying to accomplish, and the script just has her coyly alluding to her alleged "goals" without ever explaining what those are. So yeah, imagine my disappointment when it finally looked like we were going to really get a look at Ada, only to find out that everything she does in this game isn't really her, it's an angry evil scientist who's been cloned to look like her. They have this whole fucking plot set up to do something, ANYTHING with Ada, and she ends exactly where she starts because none of it was her at all. The bit at the end where Ada winks at the camera about her "true employer" and her "real goals" made me literally fucking scream at my TV.

Hey sorry Capcom, I don't actually feel sorry for Carla at all. When you fuck around with bioweapons and cruelly torture people for the sake of your experiments, I don't really shed a tear for you when you get fed into the proverbial woodchipper of your own hubris. Carla is a great villain but I don't feel any sympathy for her whatsoever, and I really don't see why Ada ought to, either. If anything I'd think Ada should be more grossed out and offended that Simmons is THAT obsessed with her.

Okay so my last complaint is actually something that ONLY could have happened in the weeks immediately following the game. You know how AGENT is just, a stupid blank slate character who feels really out of place? That's because he didn't originally exist. He was patched into the game a few weeks after release, I think about the same time they added the ability to play Ada's campaign without finishing the other three first. Originally, you played Ada's campaign solo, as ONLY Ada. It made the psychological horror-y segments around the Carla boss fight a lot scarier and more impactful. There was, however, a slight problem in that RE6 was designed to be co-op from the ground up. Which means the very mechanics of the game are not designed for a solo character. Because recovering from near-death requires a second character to revive you. So for the first few weeks after release, when you played as Ada and got badly injured, you were forced to just sit there and watch her limp around for 20 seconds and die. Get hit by an enemy? Limp around and die. Injured by a trap? Limp around and die. Fail a QTE? Limp around and die. No recourse. No revival. Fall into the red and Ada suffers a slow, prolonged, unskippable death that you cannot escape from. At this point I had spent 40something hours playing the rest of the game, getting increasingly angry at the bad pacing and the worse story, so the extra frustration of Ada's literally broken gameplay in her campaign absolutely drove me over the edge. I managed to beat her campaign before the Agent patch that would have fixed this problem, but by that point I had come to terms with the fact that I absolutely hated RE6 and was deep in my mourning period for my prior anticipation.

Anyway, that's my tragic beef with RE6. Is it as bad as people say? Oh yeah. I think so. Is it as bad as I remember? Probably.... maybe? Does it deserve a second look from my initial impressions at launch? Yeah, probably. But the sting of that first playthrough still haunts me and I don't know that I'm ever going to sit through it again. I'd rather just take the lore notes and the little plot details that I did enjoy and run with those than force myself through the rest of the slog again.

I like how I said I was gonna be brief but then I ended up probably typing 4000 words about the plot anyway. AH WELL.

[peakyswritings]

SHARK I REALISED JUST NOW I NEVER LEFT A COMMENT ON THIS????? The way my brain works will always be a mystery to me🙄

First of all, the way you describe the setting is always so detailed and so poetic that it never fails to immediately bring me into the story. You caught Luca’s mannerism so well, as well as his general behaviour and way of speaking. The way you conveyed his elegance and composure with the underlying creepiness was mind-blowing. And before go on to the specific scenes, I have to tell you how much I loved the “dance” between them, both metaphorical and literal. Or, to say it in better words, first metaphorical and then literal. Because before they physically danced together, they did it with their minds, by studying each other, by trying to have the other figured out, by compromising. And I also really liked how both of them, despite keeping their firm facade, were actually taken aback by each other, cause they were expecting to be confronted with someone entirely different. It made their confrontation even more fascinating.

Now about some specific scenes.

I really liked how Heaven got straight to the point, instead of dancing around the subject. It really made a difference between Luca taking his time with everything, almost unnervingly I might say, and her straightforwardness.

It was an albino ferret, the most beautiful animal I've ever encountered. […] "Should have known it though, this fucking sausage rat had a twisted something in its red eyes. The same vile and twisted something as you, Amore."

I was eating apple slices and I bet looked just like this during this monologue.

The way you have of creating suspence is so amazing. And then the dance part completely enthralled me. Again, your way of setting the scene, of describing all the small details is so perfect.

Now I’m gonna hide to say that there’s a bit of chemistry there, I can’t lie about it🫣

From the way he moved to how he behaved, from the luxurious place to the languid melody of the piano, everything was bringing you years ago, back in the comforting arms of your first fiance.

Just a few moments before I was thinking about something. I wonder if Heaven sees a bit of Amos in Luca? Even outside this setting that reminds her of something she already lived, I mean.

Heaven’s slowly descent into anger had me at the edge of my seat. The way her irritation progressed into a murderous frenzy was so well paced, and for a moment I really thought she’d kill him. I mean, who could blame her?

“If I had been him I would have rather locked you in the house than let you flee."

Luca, love, I have the feeling if you ever tried something like that, you’d be lying cold on the floor before you could even realise what’s happening. But it’s just a feeling. Definitely just a feeling.

Except that it wasn't in the heart you suffered, but in the belly. The baby.

Why do I sense that this is gonna be a problem in the future?🫠

" And don't forget to send my regards to your wife Aurora, who seems to be exactly a woman like me."

Omg AURORA my love.

Of course Tommy would fuck things up. Doing it Heaven’s way would’ve spared them lots of trouble.

That scene between Heaven and Arthur made me melt, I love them so much. HE’S SO CUTE HE BROUGHT HER A FLOWER I WANNA SQUISH HIM.

“I know Tommy will ask you to stay near him and I'd rather avoid your boring brother, who can't crack a fucking smile for the life of his."

Well if this ain’t Tommy😂

I loved how Arthur seemed to have learned from his mistakes and talked to her about taking snow, and also how she understood it was what he needed in that moment. It was a little moment of communication, but so important.

"So yes, you can take snow tonight... But you'll have to lick it from my lips so that when you kiss me you think I'm God."

WHAT’S THAT ENDING? WHAT’S THAT ENDING AHEHEHRBRNDKDK.

Shark, this chapter was awesome. You have this thing of outdoing yourself every chapter, it’s truly amazing. And I’m sorry I was so late with this comment!

Heaven in Your Eyes || Arthur Shelby x Reader!OC

Summary: When starting the vendetta with the Peaky Blinders, Luca Changretta didn't expect you, Arthur's wife, to be the one meeting him. Now that you're facing him, he's determined to make you understand who leads the dance. It's a man's world after all! || Featuring Luca Changretta x Reader

Words: 6.7k

TW: alteration of canon events, canonical violence, drug use, slight allusions to sex, canonical misogyny, quick allusions to domestic abuse, witchcraft (canonical since PB flirts with it sometimes), fluff, Arthur is as fucked up as cute, depictions of slaughter and body horror. The last part of this chapter is a flash forward. What happened will be described in the next chapter.

Notes:

✞ The mentioned character of Aurora, Luca's wife, belonged to @zablife.

✞ The bold sentence Heaven says comes from Lana Del Rey.

✞ This is chapter 15 of the Arthur Shelby x You series Heaven in Your Eyes. Usually, each chapter can be read as stand-alones but reading the whole series will make the experience far more intense.

PREVIOUS || Masterlist || NEXT PART

The dim glow of luxuriant chandeliers cast their orange light over the bar, their warm hue sublimating the rich notes of aged oak from which the counter had been sculpted. Standing alone on a barstool with your crystal gaze fixed on the swirling depths of your glass of red wine, you relished how the liquid gracefully danced and caught the light in a hypnotizing display of crimson elegance. Smooth as silk, its robe was deprived of lees and hugged your throat at each sip. It had been a while since you hadn't drunk such fine alcohol, and this experiment was almost enough to make you forget the curious glances of some noisy clients. As rare as it was to see a woman drinking by herself at the bar without the company of a gentleman due to the prohibited nature of such actions, no one had dared confront you about the matter yet. The waiter had thought of doing so because it didn't feel right to him but one look at the deadly frost of your eyes had been efficient enough for him to swallow his words and mind his own business. Wise decision, you weren't in the mood to be polite. There had been something off in the way you had stared at him, like a wild cat waiting for its prey to come just a little bit closer to pounce on it. He quickly lowered his gaze and went on with wiping down his glass, definitely not taking the risk of causing a scene. Bringing the expensive glass to your plump lips, you froze mid-movement at the sudden feeling of someone's presence behind your back. So, he came. Your mouth slowly curled in a cold, sardonic smirk. Your special guest didn't bother to greet you. Instead, he simply put his fedora hat on the bar counter right where the corner of your eyes you could see it.

"Isn't it the lady who should play hard to get?" You stated before drowning your sarcasm with a gulp of wine, its complex and refined taste displaying all its flavors on your tongue. So far, it has been one of the few places in which the wine was exquisite. And French, of course.

Swiftly slipping between two barstools, the man sat next to you — all his movements, measured and confident, denoted an indescribable elegance.

"So?" A collected and alluring voice inquired, wasting no time in futile courtesy nor in answering your taunt. He would have been surprised if his men hadn't warned him that you were the kind of woman to never be at a loss for words. Just like the two other harpies of the Shelby clan though.

"So, you spare my husband." You finished your glass and put it back on the wooden counter with a movement that translated both your firmness and determination. If there was one thing he had learned throughout his gangster life it was to pay attention to details. Since the very beginning of his criminal activities, Luca always focused on the way someone moved, especially because body language often said much more about people than words themselves. Contrary to prose, the body never lied, and concerning yours the signals were rather clear: you wouldn't cave in. "Oh, and you also spare Finn but it stands to reason. He's just a kid after all." Your request, spoken with a measured yet Artic calmness, snatched an amused snort from the threatening man. How did you dare bargain with him about who would die and who would live while your place wasn't in men's business? Luca slightly shook his head, disconcerted by the fact that the random wife of an enemy could behave so insolently with him while he could easily end her life with the gun he was hiding under his four-digit price jacket.

"In return for what?" His sharp eyes fixed intently on your dainty frame as he spoke. His expression, usually veiled in stoic composure, betrayed a keen attentiveness that mirrored his interest. Making himself comfortable on the barstool, he withdrew a matchbox from his pocket, its metallic surface catching the muted light. With languid grace, he extracted a match, the small stick cradled between his fingers, and brought it to his lips.

"Tommy Shelby." Your voice resounded like a chilling death knell when you pronounced these syllables nonchalantly as if selling one of your in-laws was nothing but one of the many formalities to retrieve your peaceful life. Such apathy was a bit chilling he reckoned. A ghost of a smile played on his lips as he held the match delicately between his teeth. After a while, you eventually condescended to look at the man, your iris meeting the splendid green of his. The same green eyes that squinted a little bit now that they had a clear sight of your doll face, whose cold beauty made him wonder what the hell such a delicate thing like you was doing here, involving herself in the middle of intricating gang wars.

"Well, interesting." He mused, a part of him genuinely excited at the thought of butchering Tommy, the other still intrigued by you and how you contrasted with everything else around. No, how you contrasted with everything he had ever seen in his life. Changretta's features, chiseled and unyielding, remained an inscrutable mask, but beneath the surface, a calculated mind sought to see right through you. His posture exuded a quiet confidence despite your unsettling aura and ghostly appearance, a testament to the years of navigating the treacherous underworld of crimes.

"And why should I trust you?" He asked, going on with his observation of every tiny detail of your face. To be honest, Luca didn't imagine you like this. All he had been told about you was that you were the French harlot Arthur Shelby had married, some kind of bratty young girl who came from nowhere. At first, he was convinced that you would be nothing but boring at worst, or entertaining in your way of begging for your husband's life at best but you were none of these. Now that he was sitting next to you at the bar, discussing as if he hadn't murdered one of the most important people in your life, he found himself enthralled by the pure snow-white color of your long hair. More than your unusual hair color, what had surprised him the most was how your coldness cut with the softness of your physical traits. You felt like a walking paradox to him, your appearance conveying a message at the antithesis of what you truly were.

"Because it's all in my interest to see him dead and cold." You replied with a little shrug. Admittedly, you didn't imagine him like this. Quite the contrary, your mind had created the picture of a rat-faced gangster marked with ugly scars and vicious black eyes by dint of hearing how Arthur talked about him. Yet, here you were, facing a rather attractive gentleman with such atypical traits and a charismatic aura that your eternal coldness was slightly shaken. Men of these kinds were always the most dangerous, you thought with full knowledge of the facts. Luca Changretta was something: as slim as Arthur yet standing taller, his face was adorned with a seductive charm and an aquiline nose which rendered his features even more unique.

"Principessa" He started, sneering. Luca pushed the match to the other corner of his mouth with his tongue one last time before his sly fingers grabbed it to put it in the nearest ashtray. Then, his hand reached for the whisky glass the waiter had just put in front of him, "Allow me to doubt that. You are a Shelby, and I've heard your clan is tightly knitted together. Don't think of me fool enough to believe that a Shelby would want to kill another one." Luca concluded his accusation with a little head tilt as he swallowed his whisky in one go. A small grunt of pleasure escaped from his mouth at the pleasant burn the alcohol left in his trail.

"The only reason I bear the name Shelby is for my husband, not for anyone else. If you aren't aware of it may I suggest that your informants only did half of the job otherwise you should have known that Thomas had been nothing but a bane to my existence from the first day we met."

"A bane? That's not a trivial world to use when talking about your brother-in-law." Changretta's fingers, adorned with sleek rings, tapped against the wooden counter as a clear manifestation of his suspicions.

"Well, he had tried to strangle me, then blamed me for his son's abduction, and also for his brother's death and now he is actively seeking to ruin my marriage. I think "bane" is an appropriate way to call him. Now," You said with a little wave of the hand, "if my offer doesn't stir your interest I'd rather leave." When you shifted your body to stand up, Luca's immense hand gently rested on yours to invite you to sit back. The striking temperature difference between his warm flesh and the iciness of your skin gave him sudden goosebumps. Once you did sit back, his unimpressed mask cracked and moved on to an amused and fascinated smile that danced on his thin lips. It was a heavily murderous speech for such a little thing. If it wasn't for the frost you were made of, you would have made him think of his own more fire-coded wife.

"Let me tell you something. My mother was a very patient woman you know?" He said out of the blue with a softer voice, "I've never heard her raise her voice during all my childhood except once. That was one of the many reasons she was a teacher every kid loved. When she did yell at me I was a kid and I just saw a magnificent creature in my nonna's garden. It was an albino ferret, the most beautiful animal I've ever encountered. Straight out of a fairy tale with fur as pure as freshly fallen snow and little beady eyes as red as precious rubies. Usually, wild animals are skippish but that little fella didn't move away when I approached it. It seemed so quiet and docile that I decided to pet it. And do you know what the ferret did?" Luca leaned over you at his question, his face closer to yours and his smirk stretching in an evil grin, "It bit me. That fucking vermin sunk its sharp teeth into my skin and gave me one nasty bite. I still have the scar carved deep in my flesh up to this day. A bite scar among the gunshots and stab wounds." He paused for a while, his green eyes momentarily dropping to your swollen lips and lingering on the white pearly fangs he could glimpse at when you "tsk" at him. The air suddenly crackled with a palpable tension that thickened with every second flying by. Each of his silences loudly echoed the rising intensity of the moment one of you would snap at the other. But it never happened, and the only thing Luca did was grin even more, his squinted eyes meeting yours again. "Should have known it though, this fucking sausage rat had a twisted something in its red eyes. The same vile and twisted something as you, Amore."

His words, coated with honey but cutting like razor blades, made the corner of your plum lips subtlety curl in a dangerous but brief smirk too at the realization that all the rumors surrounding the Italian were true: he was devilishly clever. Maybe that was why you didn't manage to completely hate him despite his horrible actions. While your dainty body, your small size, and the far-too-seraphic complexions of your face often misled people about the brutality that was coursing through your cursed veins and the sickening void of your coal-black pupils, Luca didn't fall for any of them. Not even the glittery makeup and your big round eyes could make him ignore the creepy murmurs of the underlying Devil living in you. After a brief and uncomfortable silence that seemed to last one awful eternity, you finally parted your lips.

"Let me tell you something too," Your voice was a gentle melody, "Arthur and John should have killed your mother." Each word flowed like a soft breeze, carrying a subtle allure that only enhanced the cruelty of their meaning. Your lack of consideration for potentially hurting his feelings had taken him aback. " But they decided to spare her despite Little King Shelby's ruthless order. They genuinely wanted to do it out of sheer compassion" You pursed your lips and backed up from Luca, rolling your eyes. "Fuckin' idiots, they should have killed her when they had the chance." The mobster quickly moistened his lips, the faint surprised expression on his face vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

"His ruthlessness was right." He agreed, "They should have." Luca concluded, yet elaborating an arrangement with you didn’t seem to be his top priority suddenly. The mobster already knew he would grant you your wishes, the idea of having direct access to Tommy was too alluring to resist after all. What he wanted at his precise moment was… Different.   "You know, I don't fear being bitten anymore — the danger is a deliciously wicked part of the job I learned to accept and love. Considering this, Mrs, Shelby" He let his sentence hanged as he offered you the palm of his hand, long and bony fingers waiting for yours. "May I ask for a dance?" His eyes sparkled with an amusement that hinted at a hidden game, a dance of power between you and him. The seductive charm with which he invited you blurred the lines between rivalry and fascination.

"Do we have a deal?" You inquired with one brow raised, just to make sure he had taken notes of your terms.

"A deal for a dance." He slightly wiggled the fingers of his inviting hand. "Plus, you're already dancing with me in your own way."

A discreet and longer inhale escaped from your nostrils as you weighed the pros and cons but still you slipped your hand into his, which enveloped your skin with a tender strength. A little dance couldn't hurt anyone, you thought. Without further ado, Luca led the way to the dance floor as you both snaked in and out through the crowd until you reached a more spacious corner. It was the mafioso who initiated the dance. First, his grip strengthened around you: not to the extent of hurting you of course but definitely enough to make you understand that you were trapped. Then, his arm wrapped around your waist firmly like a snake. "Closer," He instructed and you obliged, taking a step toward him and placing your free upon his shoulder. After he set the rhythm, you started to move to the slow melody the orchestra was playing across the room. As the haunting music enveloped you, you moved in synchronized steps, your bodies entwined in a waltz that displayed outside tenderness while your eyes held a sharp glint of adversaries locked in an unspoken battle.

Come now, dance with me as the song plays.

With each twirl and turn, the odd and gripping tension you shared thickened, just like an intricate tango of conflicting emotions. As soft as the dance had started, it was gradually turning into a visceral yet elegant battlefield where intimidation and seduction engaged in a delicate but fierce fight.

Down down, dance with me stuck on replay.

Your heart leaped in your tight ribcage at a sudden dip, your hair hanging down like a silver cascade, and your gaze set on the golden sculpted ceiling that quickly flashed in front of your eyes before disappearing, replaced by Luca's intense green eyes again.

Down down, dance with me stuck on replay.

"Don't be shy Amore," He cooed with a charming wink before pulling you even closer to him until your body collided with his. You stopped breathing for a short moment, shutting your eyes when you realized that your face was almost nuzzled in the crook of his neck. In that fleeting moment, you relinquished a fraction of your resistance, swept away by the remote yet familiar feeling of letting someone guide you without any need to think— or maybe that was the sweet fragrance of his cologne which pleasantly tingled your nostrils that woke up memories anchored deep within your mind. From the way he moved to how he behaved, from the luxurious place to the languid melody of the piano, everything was bringing you years ago, back in the comforting arms of your first fiance.

And you hated how pleasant it felt. You viscerally hated it.

Both the song's tempo and Luca's steps fastened as he noticed the subtle change in your facial expression, slowly turning your graceful dance into a dizzying and confusing round. His piercing gaze bore into your soul, daring it to reveal its vulnerability. The room seemed to spin around you and yet, you clenched your jaw and forced yourself to maintain an unmoved facade. No. You wouldn't sink into melancholia. Gathering all your willpower, you chased away the panic that crept within you and felt a rush of anger toward Luca for daring to reopen an old wound you tried to heal every day of your life since you left France. And with anger came the end of your self-control.

To hell with Tommy's plan, you could put an end to this exhausting vendetta yourself by killing the infamous Luca Changretta right here, right now.

Guided by your murderous nature, you started to focus on his heartbeat as soon as you regained control of the dance, forcing him to slow down the pace. In a thorough study of his pulse, you could clearly hear the rhythmic thud of his heartbeat resounding in his chest, and even counted how many times it beat in one minute. And the more you listened to it, the more music faded away in the background.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Killing him would be a piece of cake considering the horrific magic that was coursing through your veins, the magic of blood and flesh. All you would have to do was accelerate his pulse until it became too much for his body to bear. In a minute, Luca would drop to the ground, limp and dead. No blood, no fight, just the sudden and inevitable consequences of a heart attack. Quite different from the gruesome and slow death you had wished to inflict upon Tommy the day he had crossed the line.

"You're a great dancer, Miss Shelby." The mobster stated, having no choice but to follow your slower pace. Now you were the one leading the dance, "Did your husband teach you? I must admit that I have all the trouble of the world imagining Arthur Shelby being good at waltzing." He had already trouble imagining how the most rabid of these Gypsy bastards could have pulled you, to be honest. His tastes regarding women might not encompass you but, God, he thought that your place wasn't beside a man like Arthur Shelby since you could easily be a trophy wife for a classy and far more powerful criminal. Or some blue blood, but these were the same except the latter legally robbed people.

"Arthur is far better at dancing than what he seems but it wasn't him who taught me." Your reply was sharper than intended.

Another dip, smoother this time.

"Another man?"

"Yes."

"So you've been married before." It wasn't a question, it was a statement for the mafioso had easily decypher your micro-expressions despite your best efforts to hide them.

"Engaged. We didn't make it to the actual wedding."

Kill him. Kill him now.

The fingers that were resting on his shoulder dug deeper into his jacket as you channeled the gift your mother had passed you the day of your birth. It could have gone unnoticed if you hadn't paid attention but Luca's eyebrows slightly frowned, not understanding why his heart had started racing like that all of sudden.

"That's a shame. And how does one lose a woman like you? If I had been him I would have rather locked you in the house than let you flee." Luca grinned, his charming voice steady but the way he clenched his jaw betrayed the building pain he was feeling in his chest. Men were all the same: too much ego to show that they were in distress.

"Well, that's how he lost a woman like me." No matter the exact nature of the impact your words had on him it did trigger something within his soul. On top of a literal ache in his heart, his wedding ring became suddenly heavier. In the dance's rhythmic embrace, your witchcraft went on with poisoning Luca's very core. Yet, as the enchantment unfolded, an unforeseen consequence took hold. The more you delved into your mystical powers, the more the mobster's pain echoed within your own body in an unexpected symbiosis. Except that it wasn't in the heart you suffered, but in the belly.

The baby.

You backed up from Luca with a movement so quick it looked like you had touched hot-red metal, hence putting an abrupt end to the dance. A discreet growl fell from the man's lips for when the physical contact broke his heart resumed to a normal pace and the pain mysteriously disappeared. As well as yours.

"Enough fun for tonight." You said with hast, and Luca hadn't the quick thinking to keep you from doing so — the odd and unpredictable behavior of his heart was too concerning for him to carry on with this odd meeting.

"Hm. Yeah, don't forget about our deal." He replied, smoothing the fold of his tailored suit before slowly and discreetly pressing the left side of his chest with the palm of his hand.

" And don't forget to send my regards to your wife Aurora, who seems to be exactly a woman like me." You spat one last taunt with the most polite smile you could make before turning your heels and leaving this damn room.

What the hell had just happened?

According to Tommy, everything went perfectly. Satisfied with the outcome of your mission — and genuinely surprised you hadn't fucked up everything by your rebellious attitude or just for the sheer satisfaction of getting under his skin —, the lead pack dog of the Peaky Blinders went on with the Vendetta. Actually, the one who fucked up the whole plan hadn't been you, but rather Tommy himself following the failure of his surprise attack against Luca. He might have killed a few Italians in the process, but his initial target was still alive and in very good health conditions. A flash of anger and frustration coursed through your body when he told the family about it: here you were back to the start, with Luca not willing to give you a second chance and being more enraged than he already was when he came to England. None of it would have happened if you had listened to your instincts and killed him yourself. Served you right for trusting Tommy's plan for once. And for being reluctant to use the monstrous magic nature gave you. But there had also been... Something else. That weird and unplanned pain in your belly when you had used your magic. With all of this, the cherry on the top was probably Tommy's decision to carry on with today's boxing fight despite it being an obviously awful idea but of course, no one listened to you. Why would they? Tommy always knew better. Tommy always won. Tommy this. Tommy that.

You sighed loudly as you walked through the empty corridor, the cacophony of the crowd turning into a hushed noise when you reached the huge squared mirror that was hanging from the wall. There were so many people gathered in the building that accessing the bathroom would have taken both your precious time and your thin tolerance to social events. That was why you decided to look for a mirror or a window further away to add a few late touches to your makeup as well as to rearrange your hair. You had just finished putting another layer of mascara on your Bambi lashes and grabbed your lip gloss when a gravelly and familiar voice resounded in the hallway.

“I went looking for you.” The voice made you instantly relax, its baritone lilt holding the unique power of blowing your troubles away, both the past and the present ones. With one small yet graceful spin, you turned around to meet Arthur’s slim silhouette that was standing in the doorway. His sharp face, usually displaying a strict look, soon turned soft at the sight of you about to apply gloss on your tantalizing lips, “I thought you’d be in here.”

"And you thought right." You replied with an enamored smile. Arthur was quite delighted by the boxing fight, so there was no need to impede his joy with your concerns. Moreover, he was surely the only thing that kept you anchored during this confusing and stressful period.

The gangster approached you with slow steps and his steel blue eyes shone brighter the more he closed the distance between you and him. “I knew it, always seeking quiet places before a party to doll you up and take a deep breath...” He concluded, visibly proud to display his infinite knowledge about his beloved wife, which made you melt. Then, he stopped right in front of you, "Got a lil' something for me angel." Arthur didn't leave you the time to wonder what it was all about for one of his large hands slipped from behind his back and pulled a white Azalea from it, “Look what I’ve found. Almost as beautiful as you, eh?”  The way his face enlightened with the happiest and most genuine smile ever was something you never got bored of. Quite the contrary, it breathed life back into you each time. The ice of your eyes melted at such an endearing gift, turning your frozen traits into a child-like expression with your plump lips forming a silent ‘o’.

“For me? Really? Arthur, you shouldn't have!” You said with an excited but still quieter voice than his booming one. You couldn't believe he found the time to look for you in the middle of tonight's chaos.

"I wanted you to keep a little something with you in case you start panicking eh." He purred, low and gruff voice making his chest rumble. "Are you sure ya don't want me to stay with you?" You preyed the flower from his rough fingers delicately, actively trying not to break its fragile petals, and slipped it in your long silvery mane under your Arthur's tender gaze — he couldn’t help but smirk, enthralled by your beauty just like the first time he had met you, three years ago.

"We already talked about it. Go have fun alright? I'll stay with the women. Moreover, I know Tommy will ask you to stay near him and I'd rather avoid your boring brother, who can't crack a fucking smile for the life of his." You lift yourself on your tip toes to press a kiss on Arthur's jaw. His eyes half-closed at the silky sensation of your lips against his face.

"A very clever move that is. D'ya like the flower? The florist helped me, bet she took pity on me 'cos I looked very lost but she just made me even more confused with all the info she was dumping ay."

A sincere chuckle escaped from your throat at the thought of the lanky and rude gangster standing in the middle of a flower shop with a confused look on his face. Yup, it definitely sounded like something Arthur would do. “So how did you choose the Azalea?” You pondered with innocent curiosity.

“Well, I don't know jackshit about that flower language stuff. I only know roses and you hate ‘em.” He admitted with a smile, cupping your face with his two hands to lay a peck on your nose.  As trivial as this detail was he still remembered it and the mix of attention paired with the significance behind your loathing for roses made you swell with love for him. It came even more surprising considering that you only told him about your dislike for roses once during one of the nightly walks you took around the church days after your first encounter.  "So I just picked the one that made me think about ya the most, love." He admitted, his hands leaving your face to grip you by the hips bluntly as he peppered you with kisses. Another chuckle fell from your mouth at the tickle of his mustache against your skin.

"No, no, you'll ruin my makeup!" You playfully exclaimed. Trying to flee from his mouth, you tilted your head to the side and gave his stubbled cheek a gentle bite.

“Hey! I bring ye a flower and you thank me with a bite? Ye feral little thing!”

You gave him a second one without waiting for him to finish his sentence, "You're the one to blame. You’re so cute I just want to nibble you.” You replied, completely obliterating the remote noise as well as all the concerns you have been mulling over these past few days. Instead of anxiety, you were now possessed by joy and cuteness aggression, “I swear you look stupidly handsome.” You added with a pout, the target of your small bites shifting from his cheek to his sharp jaw. Arthur hummed, his lips sewn shut in a peaceful smile — he didn't even bother to flee from your teeth, "Alright, go find Tommy before I tear your suit apart."

"Wouldn't mind that, little one." His voice became raspier with anticipation. It seemed like your suggestion had already planted the seed of desire in his mind, for he already started pawing at your body. Nevertheless, your hands caught his wrists to keep him from doing so.

"No, no, no. My makeup is perfect and my dress too expensive for you to ruin it now." You reminded him with a soft laugh.

"Fuck me." The gangster complained but still obliged, keeping his hands to himself. However, the light mood was soon eroded by the question he didn't dare to ask you earlier. Caught in the weight of his demand, his smile dropped a little, "Eeer... Before I leave" He paused, "I wanted to ask you somethin'."

"Hm?"

Arthur let out a long sigh and looked for something inside the pocket of his trousers all the while rambling, "That's a rare occasion tonight. I mean, a good boxing fight with the new Gold lad I coach and an upcoming party that might last all night long y'know. A really great program that is. Exhausting too." His fingers nervously fidgeted with something inside his pocket. His usually relaxed demeanor was replaced by tense shoulders and furrowed brows. Despite his efforts to appear composed, the strain was palpable, lingering in the air as he gathered all his courage. It was after a long hesitation that he finally took a tiny blue vial out and the simple view of it turned your joyful face into deadly ice again.

"Are you serious?" Your voice, a freezing breeze, cut through the air with a stern cadence, "Are you fucking serious, Arthur William Shelby Jr?" Your grip around the small lip gloss you were holding strengthened so much that the skin of your knuckles whitened.

"Hey, that's okay love." Arthur leaned in close. With gentle eyes that mirrored his sincerity, he spoke softly, trying to convey reassurance in each word as your anger simmered. "I didn't take any of it."

"Oh yeah?"

"Nah. Told ya I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice." The gangster lowered his head just like a terrorizing but gentle mutt would do to show his submission, "I wanted to ask if ya allowed me to take some tonight? Ya told me I could if it remained occasional. Wasn't going to take it in your back, I swear." Wrapping yourself in threatening silence, you stood like a tempest in the quiet aftermath, your posture rigid with the echoes of anger. The storm in your eyes gradually subsided, replaced by a contemplative gaze that softened the hard expression of your seraphic face. As the storm clouds of your fury dispersed, a calm determination settled upon you instead. Arthur bit his lips, mustache twitching as he did so, for time seemed suspended as you collected your thoughts and tried to regain control over your fury. You breathed deep and slow while Arthur held his, awaiting your reply and wondering if your reaction would be born from the storm or from the calm eye at its center.

"Give." You said, your melodious and quiet voice breaking the silence, then you snatched the bottle from his hand. Quickly looking to your left and then to your right to make sure no one could interrupt you, you first opened the lipgloss and proceeded to pour the white powder inside your makeup vial. Once this was done, you handed back the empty blue bottle to Arthur and mixed the cocaine with your lipgloss with the help of the small brush, "I have to admit that you're making a great deal of effort. Thank you for asking, I really... Appreciate it." The gangster stood silent and dumbstruck, wondering what the hell you could be doing. "And I did say you could take some snow occasionally." You brought the brush to your lips and carefully applied a great amount of the glistening liquid on your flesh. "So yes, you can take snow tonight... But you'll have to lick it from my lips so that when you kiss me you think I'm God." You smooched your lips together and then smiled, a wicked and tantalizing smirk that sent a sudden wave of fever through his whole being. Arthur swallowed, his gaze fixed upon the enticing curve of your lips. In the stillness of the moment, desire stirred within him, a smoldering ember ignited by the mere sight of you mixed with the sinful words you just spoke. His breath caught in his throat as he watched the subtle movements of your mouth, each gesture a silent invitation that beckoned him closer.

"I already do." He breathed with a low growl, his fervid passion turning his lean body into a shaky mess. With each passing second, the intensity of his longing grew, consuming him in a fiery embrace. His heart pounded in his chest, every fiber of his being yearned to bridge the distance between you, to taste the sweet and spice that lingered on your lips. With no more persuading needed, Arthur grabbed your face rough and let his mouth collide with yours, the kiss as brutal as a car crash. His scorching and rapid breath fanned over your skin as he licked your lips from the right corner to the left, the caress of his warm tongue making you moan against his wet flesh. Caught in the fire of desire — and definitely aroused by his carelessness— your trembling hands found rest upon his back, your nails digging into the expensive fabric of his jacket. An immediate wave of euphoria unfurled in his brain when the cocaine saturated his synapses. As needful moans raised in the corridor, Arthur couldn't tell if that was the drug or you that kickstarted his heart and dilated his pupils, but in any case, he was experiencing the most exquisite high he had ever had.

"Fuck." Arthur grunted with pleasure and gave several other licks until none of your gloss remained, then his tongue forced its way between your lips, not minding whether you had time to catch your breath or not because you were the real drug in the end. His deepest and most maddening addiction. "A fookin" Goddess you are hm."

"Arthur, Tommy's looking for—" Johnny Dog didn't finish his sentence, eyes wide open. " I just interrupted something right?" He finally blurted out, the initial shock of walking into such a steamy scene turning into the most annoying smile ever.

"Yeah, yeah Tommy. Alright." He repeated as he tried to break from the haziness. Arthur grunted, his lips still a few inches away from yours and your erratic breath melting together. Giving him one last peck —far more delicate than what you were doing one minute ago— you mouthed a silent "go" and forced yourself to resist the attraction of the invisible magnet that was inevitably pulling you towards the lanky criminal. "Alright!" Arthur roared when he turned back to you, clasping his hands together and walking to Johnny Dog with a carnivorous grin and dilated pupils. The Lee man slapped the eldest Shelby brother's back and, right before he go, shot you a little wink.

Their voices could still be heard when they walked away.

"Gonna wait a bit longer before getting your dick wet, boy."

"Shut the fuck up you fookin' cunt ay and let's watch the fight. I'm feeling bloodthirsty eh."

Three bodies lay strewn like discarded puppets, their lifeless forms twisted and broken on the blood-flown concrete floor. The once clean backroom had transformed into a nightmare realm of gore and horror that made Tommy's stomach turn upside-down.

"Oh my God. Oh my fucking God — Arthur!"

Amidst the chaos, where the air hung heavy with the acrid and disgusting scent of blood, Tommy's screams echoed far away in the distance as you knelt there, eyes wide open and silent tears streaming down your cheeks, mixed with dark trails of ruined mascara.

"Arthur!"

You let out a muffled whimper, or at least you thought you did as your senses drowned in a deafening symphony of tinnitus, a relentless ringing that echoed in the hollow caverns of your mind. With each pulse of your heart, the sound intensified, threatening to consume the last remnant of sanity you had left. The world around you had seemed to fade into obscurity, your sight blurry and reduced to only one color: red. Vibrant red splattered everywhere, on the walls, and yourself but most of it was on the floor. In fact, the ground itself seemed to writhe beneath the weight of the corpses, as crimson rivers flowed freely, painting the concrete in shades of crimson that gleamed like freshly spilled paint.

"Oh lord please help us, oh Lord, oh Lord..." Polly cried, horrified by the bloodbath as well as by the sight of you clinging to Arthur's limp body. She had already lost one of her nephews and couldn't bear the weight of losing another one. Not her sweet Arthur. Not him, "Heaven!" She called, grabbing your shoulder and shaking you but all you did was scream. A haunting and otherworldly scream which pierced the darkness. A sound so agonizing and inhumane that it seemed to tear at the very fabric of existence. It echoed across the building, carrying with it the weight indescribable of sorrow and despair as your arms tightened your grip around your dying husband.

The tall Italian man twitching on the ground, choking in his own blood, should have been proud of his successful attack on the eldest Shelby brother. And yet, all he could do was stare at you horrified, his eyes reflecting the terror of his soul.

"D— Diàvulu..." He mouthed, as death came like the most wonderful relief, bringing his sinner soul far away from you, for even in Hell he'd feel safer.

Anywhere, as long as you weren't there.

✞ Any comment, review, reblog, or constructive criticism is welcome. Your reactions really motivate me and keep me alive, so please don't be shy. English is not my first language. gif by the wonderful @alicent-targaryen.

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[tehuti88-art]

10/4/24: r/SketchDaily theme, "Free Draw Friday." This week's characters from my anthro WWII storyline are Oma (Granny) Jäger, Frau Jäger, and Herr Jäger (first names never given). They're the paternal grandmother and parents of Ludolf Jäger; they aren't from the character list, but they're starting to develop an important role in Jäger's backstory as I'm writing up his full bio, so I figured I'd draw them. (Jäger also has six older sisters but I don't know that I'll draw them yet.) Young Ludolf is especially close to his Oma, who teaches him the old ways (rather to his mother's dismay). There'll be more about them later in my art Tumblr and Toyhou.se.

Regarding their design, they're late Victorian/Edwardian; Oma falls more under the former while Frau Jäger's big hair gives her away as Edwardian. They're all leucistic, not albino (white fur with blue eyes, not red).

TUMBLR EDIT: All righty! Having finished Dobermann's official profile (you can find it HERE), I decided on Major Jäger's next. Jäger's backstory first started to really reveal itself in his son Lars's entry. These art entries are based on what's been revealed so far in the in-progress bio, which is still in his childhood and subject to change. I suggest keeping an eye on HIS PAGE for future updates, though it takes me quite a while to finish them! These entries will be individualized to avoid repetition, though I have less info for Herr Jäger so far.

Please see Oma Jäger's entry for a bit of background and links.

I haven't much info on Frau Jäger yet; most of it pertains to her temperament. She's described as nervous and borderline hysterical, if we're talking about the old-timey psychological description--i. e., overly emotional in that particular feminine way, prone to fainting spells, wringing her hands and fretting a lot, often taking to her bed for "reasons." Granted, it probably doesn't help that she's rather younger than her husband, he's often away on business leaving her behind at home, and similar to her son Ludolf and his wife Magda later on, the two of them are...really quite active on the home front whenever Herr Jäger is available...so Frau Jäger spends a good deal of her time pregnant.

Her physical constitution isn't the best, especially after having given birth to a bunch of girls. Herr Jäger longs for a son yet they haven't been blessed yet. Oh, right...Frau Jäger is a pious, devoted Catholic. Which raises some complications when she and Herr Jäger meet and fall in love, because Herr Jäger ISN'T a pious Catholic, he's...a follower of the old gods. A literal heathen. And along with him comes his mother, a package deal, and she's a literal heathen too. Herr Jäger loves Frau Jäger (to be) enough to convert; this doesn't sit very well with the MIL, yet she accepts her son's choice, and moves in with them. Ever since, she does prove helpful, by caring for the gaggle of rambunctious girls whenever Frau Jäger can't handle them, so the two women live in grudging tolerance of each other.

All six daughters are born in relatively quick succession, yet a period of time then goes by in which the Jägers have no success conceiving any children at all. Frau Jäger grows fretful and despondent; Herr Jäger would never get upset with her over such a thing, yet she knows he's disappointed too. And his mother as well seems not too pleased about it, although Frau Jäger doesn't know why. ("She'd like a male heir to carry on the family name too, Liebe," Herr Jäger tells her one night when she asks. "For some reason it means a lot to her.") So, when Frau Jäger finally has to take to her bed again--nauseated and swollen and weepy and altogether miserable--she's also cautiously hopeful, as she felt just as f**king miserable the other six times she was with child. Her belly starts growing, and she prays for a boy.

Frau Jäger delivers two boys, Ludolf and Luitpold. Both boys are sick. She begs Oma Jäger for help. Oma does so...one son dies, yet one son lives...and the surviving, younger son, Luitpold, takes the older's name, and the Jägers welcome their first and only son, Ludolf. Ludolf is healthy...and starts following Oma's ways. Frau Jäger isn't thrilled about that, but she'd agreed to this if Oma would save him, so she bites her tongue.

As Ludolf's sisters are all rather older than he is, due to the gap in time in which Frau Jäger had no children, they fuss and fawn constantly over him, declaring him their little doll, dressing him up and playing with and cuddling him. Ludolf is a sedate, well-behaved baby and puts up with his sisters' adoration with no fuss of his own; they fortunately grow out of their interest in dolling him up like a toy, and as he enters toddlerhood Frau Jäger makes sure to order him the best suits from the tailor. Older sisters then take turns dressing him in his little sailor outfits, tying the ribbons in big perfect bows, smoothing the tallies over his shoulder, cooing and posing with him in their midst for the photographer, everyone keeping still, big smiles frozen on their faces until they're told they can relax. Ludolf doesn't mind. In fact he seems to relish being the center of attention, surrounded by and fussed over by young women.

He develops a fascination for the opera Der Ring Des Nibelungen, which feeds directly into the stories Oma teaches him ("That Herr Wagner," Oma sniffs, "he knows hardly half the story! Fantasies and makeup and stage props. Take it with a grain of salt, mein Liebchen!"--yet Ludolf adores the opera anyway, and likes running around the house and its environs, play-acting his favorite parts). Overall, his childhood is happy and loving and quite privileged.

Frau Jäger finds her son enjoying opera to be a far better and more appropriate pastime than traipsing off into the woods to get painted up and try to talk to heathen gods, so she doesn't complain about his interests, odd as they are for such a young boy. She spoils him the most of all her children; following the difficult birth, she doesn't conceive again, and she and Herr Jäger rather sadly conclude that Ludolf is likely to be their last. She's glad that at least she gave her husband a son to carry on the name, and it's fortunate that he's so well behaved because she would likely let him get away with anything. He always comes running in and hopping in the bed to say good morning when she's ill, and although she usually prefers to be left alone aside from her husband when keeping to her bed, she always greets Ludolf back with a tight hug. He's her perfect little prince who can do no wrong.

And given how often Herr Jäger is away from home, Ludolf spends most of his time around all girls--sisters, mother, grandmother--and I guess you really could call him a mother's boy. He becomes quite skilled at reading women's moods, figuring out what they want, learning how to interact with them...and especially, learning how to manipulate them without them even knowing. The only one who catches on is Oma...who gives him tips on how to do it, while advising him to be cautious how he uses this skill: "You can build up or you can tear down, mein Liebchen, so it's up to you to decide which you wish to be--a creator or a destroyer? Would you rather forge a bond or break it? Both are useful, both can be overdone--moderation in everything--just remember that teaching from your mother's church: 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.' Every woman you raise up is your sister, your mother, me; and every woman you might choose to use and cast down, the same. Good or bad, you do it to us all. Act wisely." Ludolf promises to be careful with how he uses his skills. He'll do the right thing.

Ludolf is the model child, son, student, teenager; always well behaved, polite, intelligent, genteel. Frau Jäger is hopeful he'll go places as he's good at everything he chooses to do. She doesn't expect him to take the path of soldier, but then again, she doesn't believe, until it actually happens, that Germany will go to war again so soon. Ludolf comes to his parents one day with the news that he's applied to join the Waffen-SS; he missed the first war but he's old enough now to do his part. Frau Jäger bursts into tears; why, why, why does he need to "do his part," he owes no one anything, why can't he just stay home and start a family? Herr Jäger has different questions; why this "Waffen-SS," why not the army? Something about it feels off. Ludolf unsuccessfully tries to console his mother, then explains that he's looked into the SS's principles and they seem to align with his; it just feels right, he can't explain otherwise. His father bites down the rest of his protests, knowing he can't change his mind, though Ludolf's sisters fall upon him, weeping their eyes out and begging him to reconsider.

Oma waits until the girls have cried themselves out and moved on to speak to him. She asks him about this Waffen-SS, who they are, if they truly stand for what they say. What does he really know about them? Are they genuine? Ludolf mentions their lightning bolt symbol, reminiscent of the god Donar--"It's like a sign, Oma, don't you see?"--then rattles off a list of their beliefs and principles. Oma's expression grows a bit more sour with each comment; she finally interjects: "That all looks nice on the page, mein Liebchen, but how is it in practice? Remember what I told you about Herr Wagner's opera--fantasies and makeup and stage props. Anyone can put on a fancy suit and carry a sword and call himself a knight. Doesn't make him one. How do you know these men mean what they teach?--or that they even understand the old ways they claim they follow? Something just feels odd about this, Liebchen...twisted around...and I think you should look deeper before you act." (NOTE that this account I'm giving here contradicts details in Lars Jäger's entry about Oma's reaction. That's just how a developing story goes. I can still imagine her urging him to follow his souls, though.)

Then, wonder of wonders--"Ja, ja, Liebe!" Frau Jäger exclaims, drawing both Ludolf's and Oma's attention. She steps forward, wringing her hands earnestly. "Listen to your Oma! Who are these people, even?--how do you know they're all they say? An army that's not the army? What is this? The Heer is perfectly respectable if you absolutely must join, why choose...whoever these people are? How do you know they're for real...?"

Oma actually blinks--it's a rare occasion indeed when Frau Jäger agrees with her. Yet Ludolf does something rather out of character for him: He pulls himself up with a rather offended expression, and slices his hand through the air--"Enough!" he says, in a dismissive tone of finality--"I've made up my mind. I love you both, I do, and I treasure your opinions, yet you're wrong here. That's it, that's final--I won't discuss it further. If you won't accept my decision I guess we just have to disagree."

Both women are left rather nonplussed...Ludolf's never stood up to them before, he's always let them have their way, yet here we are. He pretty much grows up in that instant, no longer their baby boy Ludolf, but adult Jäger, heading off to training and then the front soon. Frau Jäger tries to appeal to her husband to reason with him but Herr Jäger, like Oma, knows there'll be no convincing him, they have to let him go. Frau Jäger heads to her bed to weep. Someone comes in a while later and sits on the bed, placing a hand on her arm; thinking it's her husband, she touches his hand, only to realize it's actually Oma. She's too surprised, and grief stricken over Ludolf's decision, to react with dismay. She slowly pushes herself up. "Why won't he listen to me?" she cries. Oma replies, "Little boys grow up, and suddenly think they don't need us women anymore. All we can do is see them off with love. And pray for the best." Frau Jäger's eyes fill up; "I know we don't..." she starts to say, falters, then says, "Would you...would you pray with me? For him? Even though it's not the same." Oma says, "The words all go to the same place," and holds open her hand; Frau Jäger clasps it and they bow their heads in silence.

The Jägers uneasily watch the war unfold. Jäger is accepted into the Waffen-SS--his pedigree is immaculate--and completes his training; he returns home to see his family again before he has to head off to the Eastern Front, where the Reich is fighting their erstwhile allies, the Soviets. A photographer the Jägers hired for the occasion takes some shots of the family. His sisters fawn over his dapper new uniform yet quickly grow teary eyed; the youngest hugs him tight and begs him to be careful around those treacherous communists. Herr Jäger and Oma are stoic in their farewells, his father wishing him well, his grandmother urging him to remember "the true old ways, not these contrived stage directions for a bunch of actors" (Herr Jäger gently squeezes her arm to quiet her when spotting the sour look that flits across Jäger's face). Frau Jäger hugs him long and tight; "Come home to us," she whispers in his ear, "that's all I have left to ask of you, dear Ludolf, I already almost lost you once, please just come home to us," and at a touch from her husband has to let him go, wiping tears from her eyes. Jäger says his goodbyes to everyone before departing, promising to keep in touch.

Not long after, Herr Jäger calls the family together: The war, and the current political atmosphere, are simply too dangerous for them to remain where they are. He's secured passports for everyone, and has been negotiating for a home outside Germany. He can't ensure that it'll be their final stop, as the Reich is seizing new territory left and right, what's outside the bounds of the German Empire might be a part of it the next day; he'd like to keep ahead of the Reichsadler's reach. While Oma and Frau Jäger don't care for the Reich's principles too much themselves, Herr Jäger's extreme decision perplexes them, yet, like Jäger, he refuses to be swayed to stay; "They aren't coming for us, nein," he says, "yet who's to say that someday they won't?" He says he'll write to their son, make sure he knows where they're headed, so he can choose to follow them at some future point or at least be able to remain in communication with them; he waits until receiving a return letter, Jäger letting them know he understands their desire to leave, yet he's staying where he is. He wishes them the best, and tells them he loves them.

Frau Jäger covers her face and cries. She cries the entire time they pack their belongings and shutter the big mountain house; a groundskeeper will look after it for now, in case Jäger decides to return to it or else sell it. Neither her daughters nor her husband can console her, and Oma is just about as gloomy to say goodbye to their old home, complaining that the land and the rocks and trees will be different where they go, it'll be like talking to strangers. They book passage on the best train available, the girls ooh'ing and ahh'ing over all the sights they pass by, though Frau Jäger spends most of the trip in her sleeping bunk, bundled up in thick blankets and shut off from the world. Her heart is broken for her homeland and her son...she weeps and prays the entire trip, hoping so much they'll all be a family again someday.

Jäger stays in touch throughout the war, though his letters are sporadic. His parents are overjoyed when he mentions finding a wife and settling down to start his own family. Their hopes of him joining them someday start to fade, however, when the war takes a bad turn for Germany. The tone of the letters grows erratic and strange, and finally furtive--almost paranoid--Herr Jäger privately expresses concern about their son's mental wellbeing. He'd always read or summarized the letters for his wife; she gets hold of them one day while he's away and reads them for herself. She's appalled by just how unhinged Jäger has been sounding in his more recent messages; when she shows the letters to Oma, begging to know if she's the only one sho sees it, Oma purses her lips. "Fantasies and makeup and stage props," she murmurs disapprovingly; "I warned the boy not to fall for a bunch of actors, but who am I to him, now...? Just a silly old woman." She obviously has more thoughts on the matter, but refrains from sharing them; yet it's clear to Frau Jäger that she's worried.

Jäger's cryptic final letter toward the end of the war, in which he mentions needing to leave with his family yet doesn't say where--"I know they'll be looking for us"--just tries to reassure them he'll be all right--"Don't worry for me, meine Lieben, we'll be fine, the great glorious new world is coming! Heil Wotan! Heil Donar!"--seems to confirm their fears that something is amiss...and then come the scattered rumors of the Alpine Fortress and what exactly happened there. Jäger doesn't end up a casualty of the war, as Frau Jäger had feared he would...he ends up a casualty of his own deluded beliefs, and takes his entire family with him. In the blink of an eye, there go the hopes and aspirations of the family line.

Frau Jäger's heart is broken. "My son, my sweet son," she sobs, curled up in her bed; "He was supposed to live. Why? Why...?" She dozes off and has a dream of little Ludolf in his sailor suit hopping into the bed to give her a big hug--"Love you, Mama!"--and her heart breaks anew when she snaps awake and realizes he's never coming back. Herr Jäger isn't much good at consoling her; he has to keep tending to his business, and when he sits beside her in the evenings he's at a loss for things to say. Their daughters are all lost in their own sad worlds, mourning their baby brother, their little doll.

Time goes on, life goes on. One by one the Jäger daughters find husbands, start families. Frau Jäger pulls herself from her bed and forces herself through the motions of tending to the house, greeting the new grandchildren, welcoming new family members under the roof. She loves all the new babies, coddles all the new children...yet in the back of her head is always a deep sadness...none of them are Jägers, none of them are her son's children who died with him, none of them are her perfect little prince. Her eyes fill with tears yet again. If only it had been true, that he could do no wrong.

See also Oma Jäger's entry and Herr Jäger's entry.

[Frau Jäger [‎Friday, ‎October ‎4, ‎2024, ‏‎12:02:17 AM]]

[prismaticmuses]

"... So. You gonna tell us what's going on, or do we just get to sit here and wait for you to get randomly kidnapped again?"

Puck grimaced and, even though he could see again, turned his eyes away. "Like I said, long story."

Night shrugged. "I mean, we're here now. You know I'm just gonna keep bugging you until you tell me."

Finally, Puck turned to look at Night with a pitying smile. "Aww, you care about me~. That's so sweet~. Have I ever told you your ears are really cute?"

Night flushed and growled, "Stop changing the subject! Why the fuck were you getting kidnapped?!"

"Uuuugh," Puck threw his head back and slid down in his seat exasperatedly. "Fiiiiine. I'll try to stick to the relevant shit. So, obviously, you know I'm from Fae, right? I honestly don't remember if I told you or Sunil any of this. I probably did at some point. Maybe. ... The point is, I fucking hated it there. Wait, first, probably pretty important- did I mention that I used to be the Prince of Fae? I guess, Prince Regent? What do you call someone who was a ward of the Queen?"

"I don't know, but Prince sounds pretty close. Holy shit, you're royalty?! No wonder you're such a prick sometimes."

Puck grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment. But seriously, though, I felt like one of those fairy-tale princesses stuck in their towers. That was pretty much my life for a looong time. I was like, Titania's fucking prized possession. She couldn't have kids- supposedly- and so I guess she... adopted me? I was really fucking young, I don't actually remember anything about my life before Fae.

"Regardless, she was a bitch to me, fucking took my fucking eyes outta my head when I was like eight or some shit to 'teach me a lesson' and 'be an example to others' because I did one stupid thing for the King. It was a fucking prank, dude. Note to whoever it concerns: Do not fuck around with a powerful-ass woman who can literally have you executed for whatever the fuck she feels like.

"Aaaanyway. I was only allowed outside the castle if I had an escort. Like a fucking dog on a leash. I came with my only friend at the time, Koko Yukon-"

"Wait, like the hotel lady?"

"-Right, that was kinda the reason for the trip. She wanted- I mean, her dad was in charge- 'In Charge,'" he emphasized with air-quotes, "at the time, but they were hoping to expand out of Fae and whatever, blah blah blah, I came to Apricus with Koko, and we made a plan together to fake my disappearance and/or death so I could live free here in Apricus, away from all the shit back at the castle."

"Long story short-?"

"Too late. So anyway, I get to Apricus, meet up with some shady-ass dude in some underground place, he offers me a deal that would make it so I never existed. I did it to start fresh, right?" Puck's face fell again and he looked down at his feet. "... The worst of it was... Koko. I tried to talk to her at the Hotel's Grand Opening in Apricus, and... she didn't know me. It hurt. A lot more than I thought it would...."

"Regardless," Puck shook his head, "most everyone did forget me who had known me from Fae. But I always had this gut feeling that Titania wouldn't forget that easily. Now, I don't know if she completely remembers who I am.... I don't think she does, otherwise I would've probably been kidnapped way before now. But she knows someone is missing that she 'owns' and wants it back. ... Does that answer your questions?"

Night frowned. "... Not completely.... How the hell did you find someone who could literally erase you from history?! Like, that's fucking wild. Was that his Awakened Power?"

Puck shrugged. "I don't know, maybe? He gave me a coin that I can't get rid of...." He pulled the coin out of his coat pocket and turned it over in his fingers to catch the light. "But yeah, that's my story."

"... Well that sucks."

"Yup. It really fucking does...."