#so she wasn't even part of the war proper at any point

[originalaccountname]

I think that, once again, Teruko's tragedy suffered from being suddenly dropped at the last second. If she'd been clearly introduced as a fucked up child soldier much earlier, we could have had the time to process that, to see how it messed with her head, get all that "war steals childhoods away" metaphor, and when it finally killed her, we could have mourned it. Because it's a tragedy where she never had the opportunity to grow outside of it and it killed her. But instead we are supposed to process all of that in like 3 pages, all in one day.

[shadowqueenjude]

The most disturbing things portrayed in ACOTAR

Victim-blaming: Lucien tries to help Feyre and gets physically abused by Tamlin as a result. Feyre then proceeds to call him a dog despite Lucien doing everything he could in a difficult situation. And we're supposed to...support Feyre on this? And Rhysand throws around words like "can never forgive" man stfu you prick.

Sexual Assault: The most disturbing thing is not that Rhysand sexually assaulted Feyre. It's that he's never held accountable for this and never even apologizes at ANY point in the series. There are so many examples but this is the one that is the most disturbing.

Double Standards: We have Tamlin locking Feyre up for her own good being vilified, yet Rhysand is championed for locking Lucien and Nesta up in houses for their own good. Huh? WTF.

War Crimes: What Feyre did to the Spring Court, manipulating the sentries with the whole Ianthe thing and basically getting them killed, then weakening the Spring Court rulership which resulted in all those villagers in the Spring Court getting killed, then laying the Summer Court bare to Hybern as well, are nothing short of war crimes. And...instead of feeling regret, we have the main characters saying "Hybern's actions are their own." Like bitch what? Hybern wouldn't have been able to do shit if it wasn't for you! Have some damn accountability! And the fact that Tamlin and Tarquin are vilified for this never ceases to irk me.

Grooming: Rhysand groomed Feyre. He made excuses for everything he did with trauma, then sent Feyre out to do tasks for him like she's some kind of weapon he can use. WITHOUT giving her proper information, there is no choice. And everything he does is constantly explained away, until eventually Feyre becomes his trophy wife. Rhysand basically assigns Cassian to do the same for Nesta. I'm holding out hope that Elain will be saved from the Night Court.

The pregnancy debacle: the whole thing with the baby having wings and Rhysand withholding information from Feyre is just...disturbing. Idc if you're not telling her FoR hEr OwN gOoD, it is HER life at stake and she deserves to know. They didn't even try to shapeshift her to try and save her life? Like why is everybody seemingly more concerned about the baby than the mother? Disgusting. And why is Nesta vilified for being the only one to tell Feyre? She said it to hurt her, blah blah blah. She also wanted to show Feyre that their situations are similar. That they're BOTH being shit on by the Night Court. And when she's close to a breaking point...Nesta is forced to hike a mountain? That is physical abuse. Also, Rhysand being extremely territorial putting a shield over her and barely letting Feyre go anywhere is beyond weird.

Suicide baiting: What Rhysand did to Tamlin in ACOFAS is nothing short of suicide baiting. And...only Lucien seems to really be that concerned about it? Like...are you telling me I'm supposed to be supporting Rhysand after he basically told a depressed male to kill himself?

Segregation: Separating the Hewn City from Velaris IS segregation, no matter what excuse you try to come up with. You can't claim they're all shitty people, since your bestie Mor comes from the CoN. So, there are good people stuck in the CoN unable to get out of their torment because Rhysand decided that only certain individuals are allowed in Velaris.

Performance Feminism: Establishing laws to help women and not doing shit to enforce them is performance feminism. If he's as powerful as he says, he can 100% stop wing-cutting and r*pe. But, he's a goddamn virtue signaler so he doesn't fucking care. The thing is, SJM could've handled these topics in a much better way and it would've been fine. But she completely fucked shit up here and it's crazy that some people don't see it. Part of me is still waiting for the final book where she says, psych rhysand was the villain the whole time. If so, I'll take everything back.

[adhd-fandom-hyperfocus]

✧₊⁺ Of Fatherhood And Dreams Not Spoken ✧₊⁺

Pairing: Roboute Guilliman x OC (Astraea)/ Khan is in this. It's mostly him and Roboute talking.

Author's Note: Because I'm terrible at writing a story proper. I rather just write drabbles from the overall plot I have in mind. That being said this overall plot I have named "Wisdom in the Stars". And here are some key things to note for this overarching story:

This is all very self-indulgent and I will not apologize. If the Grimdark can be extra, so can I!

Bobby G's love interest is a xenos of my making, so they are as long-lived as him, but not a perpetual.

Again mad self-indulgent. Oozing copium by the ton

Rowboat Guillotine deserves a happy life and some damn peace

So many Primarchs are going to be back in some drabbles. Again no fucks given

Proofread? Never heard of her

I like saying Roboute's name wrong as a means of affection.

Warnings: Slight nsfw at the end. Talks of pregnancy, children, and kinks of the breeding variety.

18+ ONLY

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

There were oh so many things he's done that made those words that thundered in his head in a cacophonic choir ring true. Tool. Betrayer. Theif. Why did he focus on those? Perhaps deep down he knew them to be true.

He wanted to be a good son, and he was to his parents. But to his creator? The one that called him his last hope? Even now with all that was accomplished, he wasn't so sure. An effective tool? That he was.

Oh, how that was the crux of this all now. Because something was breaking. Had been for so long. The strict need to follow His every word, every teaching to the letter had long started to crumble. To this point, he could justify it. Excuse himself. But this?

Vibrant blue eyes that had started to have a light behind them, a sign of the better times he was in, gazed down at the dataslate. The message he was reading was still open, not that he needed to read it again. The words burned into his mind. Screamed of his selfishness and brought the crippling fear he might fall like the one before him that wanted such heretical things for himself.

The wrestling of what parts of him were human had never been so hard. Basic human needs were beyond him. At least he believed that. But since his revival and she walked into his life...Why hadn't the Emperor made them machines?

His gaze moved again, this time back to the garden in which he sat, relaxing of sorts. Something he was learning to do. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not yet. She was playing with some children of her maidens. The laughter of the little ones made him impossibly light and much larger than he was.

Those sounds filled him with feelings new, but also familiar. He sounded like that when his mother played with him, and cared for him. Yes, he was a child once, despite how quick his mind grew. His mother never let that stop him from being a child in some capacity.

Yet those laughs terrified him and cast a deep shadow of guilt and shame. Not for him, never for him. A Primarch has no need for biological children, any children. He had his Astartes sons. The best of the best are forged through painful surgeries and grueling tests. Mass-produced versions of the tool they were templated from. He was a god of war, a weapon, and weapons do not need things their masters need.

Roboute scowled. When the stirrings rose up, hot and drowning him out.

"You should do it."

Roboute had been so lost in his mind he hadn't noticed Jaghatai had taken a seat next to him.

"Excuse me?" Guilliman asked. His composure not once gave a hint of how chaotic his mind was at the moment.

At first, it was as if Khan wasn't going to answer him, "Horus, would slip from time to time, about how his children would rule the stars after the crusade was done. Even when Malcador with cold words would remind him, that the only reproducing we would have were our gene-sons," Khan sighed, "You are not going to turn into the next Horus because you long for family not us, or your gene-sons. Do the procedure."

Before Roboute could ask how he knew that was on his mind, or even what he was told Jaghatai continued, "You've been watching Astraea and those kids with so much intent like you were trying to manifest something. That and you happen to want to go to the planet in their empire that is known for its advanced DNA work medical procedures on many races? Namely in the areas of conception? Please. Most of our brothers might be blind, but I and Corvus know better. You're the one who took your gene-seed sample, yes?"

Guilliman nodded, "I assume Corax is the one who found that out?"

Khan nodded, "And Cawl, they handled it. So do it. You out of all of us, always thought of a galaxy at peace, or the closest to it. You never lived for the hunt, the fight, but the peace. You fought for peace over thrill and power. So take this. You are not Horus. You are not weaker. I think we are all starting to wake up in a sense. It is...uncomfortable. But perhaps, we are more than the sum of our creation?"

"I hope so." was all Roboute could say.

༺═──────────────═༻

This, out of everything was what he loved now that the galaxy wasn't on the verge of ending. Laying in bed with Astraea while a fire burns gently. Her soft hums lull him into comfort and bliss. Large fingers drew little circles over her belly, as his mind offered him images of her heavy with their children. How, as much as he hated the word, divine she would look. Oh, how he would worship her. A goddess in her own right. a living one who brought life into the world. Life she deemed him worthy of creating with her.

His mind continued with the future it was offering. How she would waddle about and rely on him to help her stand, or lean against when walking took everything. Her trying to ride him when is looks so ready to pop. How he would fuck her like he could put another one in her before the first child is born. Her already beautifully full breasts, engorged and heavy with milk.

Roboute blushed when he felt himself pushing against her. He craved it so bad, despite how much it scared him.

"Roboute?" Astraea hummed looking over her shoulder with an impish grin, "And here I thought you were tired."

She kissed his chin, as she turned to face him, hands roaming over his strong broad chest, before gliding down to his erection.

He could smell it, she was already aroused. Oh, how she melted for him so easily. But he was the same for her. There were some days he had to force himself away from her for a bit, worried all he would do is fuck her until they both were raw and overtaken by the ruinous powers.

"Would you want children?" Roboute asked, between his heated breaths and needy kisses.

Astraea looked at him a bit surprised, and yet like she half expected this, "I thought we had to wait on even marrying, let alone speak of family. But of course I want children. You know this." she replied.

He did. But he still wanted to ask, as if her mind had suddenly changed.

"Good," he smiled rolling on top of her, holding himself up on his knees, which were on each side, "Then we should get some more practice in."

He leaned down and nipped at her ear, as a hand moved over her breasts and down to her hot core, "For once the procedure is done, you are not leaving my side and bed until it sticks."

This might be the single most selfish thing he would do, but he wouldn't regret it. He wanted to feel human, to understand all that he had been fighting to protect for all these long years.

[gffa]

If Kenobi season 2 happens and they bring back Commander Cody, how do you think they should handle Obi-Wan and Cody storywise?

I'm so very on the fence about whether I would even want a second season of the show--the first season was never meant to be anything beyond a mini-series and I think having it be self-contained that way made it so much more satisfying. It wasn't meant to be an ongoing story like The Mandalorian is, and Ewan was just leaving the door open for any potential future stories. On the other hand, I WILL NEVER HAVE ENOUGH OF EWAN'S OBI-WAN. For me, I think any potential second season needs to really feel like it has a point and feel sufficiently tied to Obi-Wan's core story if they're going to the effort of bringing all the actors back again. Which means: Anakin needs to be a central figure in it, even if I'm not sure how well that would work after that unnamed moon wrapped things up pretty well between them and Obi-Wan was where he needed to be for ANH. An Obi-Wan show needs to be centered on Obi-Wan's story. Versus that I think whatever Cody's storyline is, it needs to be about him, and not about someone else story. Which means I'm not sure how good I would feel about him being part of an Obi-Wan show, which would make his issues about Obi-Wan, meanwhile Obi-Wan's been more about Anakin and Luke and the Jedi. (Leia worked because she was about Anakin and Padme and Obi-Wan's connections to the Republic/Bail.) I would prefer Cody's story about what he does after leaving the Empire to be told elsewhere because I think Cody deserves to get that to himself. What I really want is a story that can fully focus on Rex and Cody meeting up again and maybe joining the Rebellion or working together to help other clones. There's some really potentially good, crunchy conflict to be had between Obi-Wan and Cody because of Utapau, and theoretically what I would love is if it could be tied into a story about rescuing Luke and some clones somehow, that they intersect for an episode or two, that it has this undercurrent of how well they worked together--and still do, they fall right back into seamlessly understanding each other and complementing each other's fighting styles--but that they're on different paths now. Obi-Wan has his sacred duty to watch over Anakin's son on Tatooine. Cody has his need to help his clone brothers or fight in the bigger Rebellion. Both important paths, but they part ways as friends again, maybe Obi-Wan can put him in touch with Bail to join the Rebellion proper. I would love to see Cody and Obi-Wan crossing paths again, conflict about what happened on Utapau, maybe that's how Obi-Wan finds out about the chips, Cody gets closure and can go on to fight against the Empire that oppressed him and his brothers, Obi-Wan is watching over Luke to ensure the galaxy has a future, and both of their core stories are respected, but there's resolution here. I'm not against cameos in Star Wars, I just want them to be used for emotional resolution, not because of Rule of Cool. This is why I thought the 501st trooper was perfect for the show, because it was part of the theme of Obi-Wan seeing Anakin's ghosts everywhere, that's why Leia worked so well for me in the show, because it was about Anakin's ghosts again, about the missing part of Obi-Wan as a Jedi who was a teacher, about the loss of Padme in the galaxy, about his duty to help the people of the Republic where he could versus his own crushing depression and trauma. Whatever role Cody would play on the show, I would want it to support the core of those same themes, while also respecting that Cody has his own story to be told. What I picture so clearly in my head is, post-fight scene where they've wiped the floor with whoever was coming after them, is just the two of them nodding at each other in understanding, that there are scars between them but they both can let it go now, Obi-Wan knows it wasn't a betrayal, Cody knows that Obi-Wan doesn't hold it against him, they both know the other has purpose in their life, and they each have regained a friend. The galaxy looks a little brighter after that.

[the-bad-batch-baroness]

Where's Mommy?

Wolffe x Lilith Sestri (OFC)

Part 18

Summary: Wolffe's wife suddenly dies, leaving him a single father in the middle of a war.

Pairing: Wolffe x Lilith Sestri (OFC)

Characters: Wolffe

Tags & Warnings: heavy angst, mention of death, off-screen death, spousal death, grief, hurt/comfort, family fluff, funeral

Word Count: 1.5k

Author's Note: Gonna be honest with y'all, I wrote this chapter this morning before lunch, because the last two weeks have been hectic at work and I haven't had any time. There was an important executive meeting Wednesday and everyone of importance was there, and then there was me 😅 So, yeah, sorry if this isn't up to my usual standards. I'll probably edit it at some point. As always, please enjoy 💚

Beta: @/beating-a-dead-plot

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Wolffe strolled down the streets of Coruscant and followed the coordinates Fox gave him for the nanny service. He was hesitant about hiring a stranger to watch his daughter, but he was more hesitant about leaving her in the sole care of the Jedi in the Temple. Wolffe trusted Plo with his life and his men, but Plo wasn't going to be the one watching Cara, and that was the unsettling part. On the other hand, Fox did mention that he vetted the nanny service, so it seemed safe enough. But it still rolled around in the back of his head like a marble on glass.

Wolffe tilted his head back towards the sky and groaned. He enjoyed life better when he didn't have to make these types of decisions. He was bred to think more outside the box than the average clone, but that was when it came to battle strategies, not babysitting. He knew about war and how to fight one, so he knew how to make those proper decisions, even in a split second on the battlefield under heavy fire, he could make clear and concise choices. However, parenting didn't come with a manual, simulations, target practice, or anything else useful.

Wolffe's comm beeped when he reached the coordinates. He must have been deep in his thoughts to have kept walking and ended up at the location he was headed to without realizing it. Auto-pilot is what everyone called it, but Wolffe called it a death trap. Distractions like that could get him and his entire battalion killed and then Cara would have no one–she'd be a real orphan. The thought made Wolffe shiver. He was going on a simple rescue mission and he'd be right back when it was done. There was no need for him to think those thoughts.

Wolffe looked up at the bright pink and blue neon sign with lines that swirled into odd shapes reminiscent of Galactic Basic letters. He raised an eyebrow at the strange sign and tilted his head to the side to try and read it. Why couldn't people just make signs with normal letters? He squinted in a final effort to read the words, but he shook his head and walked through the door without knowing what it said. If he was at the wrong establishment, he'd turn around, but something about the decor in the lobby told him he was in the right place.

It was a cross between, what Wolffe would consider, a child's play area and a sterile medcenter examination room. It looked and smelled clean, like an exam room, but their decorations were vibrant and colorful, and there were children's toys everywhere. It looked like a controlled clutter and it made Wolffe feel uncomfortable–anxious. He grew up in a sterilized environment with soft white lights, where the only color he ever saw was the dull blue or red of the cadet uniforms. The amount of color in this room made him dizzy.

"Can I help you?" the woman behind the counter asked.

Wolffe snapped out of his daze and approached the counter. The receptionist seemed nice enough–middle-aged, with graying hair, and glasses that reflected the light from the screen she sat behind. "I need a…" he paused. The words felt foreign in his mouth and almost disgusting to say, and he didn't know why. "...a nanny."

The woman grabbed one of the data-pads out of the docking port and handed it to Wolffe. "Start with completing this form."

Wolffe took the data-pad and stared at the woman, waiting for more direction. "Where…"

"You can sit in one of the chairs over there," she said. She stood up and pointed to a row of chairs that lined the far wall.

Wolffe nodded and sat in one of the chairs. It was made of plastic and squeaked under his weight. Even the chairs made Wolffe uncomfortable. Everything about this place made him feel itchy and prickly under his skin. He rapidly tapped his foot on the floor and periodically reminded himself to stop. The clones didn't have nervous tics. Well, at least, clone commanders didn't have nervous tics, and he wasn't sure when he possibly picked one up, but he could guess it had something to do with Cara. He wouldn't even be in this room if it wasn't for her.

Wolffe took a deep breath and started filling out the form. It started with simple information. How many kids–easy, one. Name–also easy, Cara. Date of birth–oh, no. He knew the day Cara was born, didn't he? Wolffe tapped his foot harder. What kind of father was he if he couldn't remember his only child's birthday? Maker, he wished his wife could help him. Then a light bulb turned on. The recording of Cara's birthday had a time stamp. Luckily, he had a good memory, and he input the date and month, and with a little math, he added the year.

Wolffe continued to work on the form. Much of it was simple, but there were more difficult parts, mostly to do with him. It asked for his last name–he didn't have one. It asked for his identification number–he didn't have one. It asked for his occupation–what was he supposed to put? War? Clone? Commander? He decided to leave it blank and move on. It was a dumb question anyway. This was about Cara, not him. Everything else about Cara and his wife was easy to input. It did ask for allergy and pediatrician information, but he didn't have any of that.

Once he completed the form to his best abilities, he brought the data-pad back to the woman at the counter. She took it and started importing the data into their system while Wolffe stood and waited for her to finish.

The woman frowned. "This form is incomplete."

Maker, he just wanted to get out of here. "I put in what I could."

"Your last name?" she asked. She stared at him like he was stupid or something.

"I don't have one," he said. "I'm a clone."

"Hm," she huffed with surprise. "I didn't know clones could have children."

Wolffe huffed. "We're not exactly sterile."

The woman ignored the comment. "I'll just put 'clone' as your last name. It won't let me submit the form without it."

Wolffe sighed. "Whatever works."

"And your daughter is…" she began. "Cara Dalott?" She paused, looking confused. "Wait, as in the Dalott's? The aristocratic Dalott family on the upper level? That Dalott?"

Wolffe gritted his teeth. "Yes, that Dalott."

"I didn't know the Dalott's had a granddaughter," she said while scanning through the rest of the information.

Now, he was getting annoyed. "It wasn't advertised."

"Such a shame about their daughter, Maria, though," she said, not looking up from her screen. "She had so much potential. What a waste."

"Please," Wolffe said. "Don't talk to me about my dead wife."

The woman peered up at him from behind her glasses, then went back to looking at her screen. "There's still some mis–"

Wolffe flattened his palms against the counter and took a deep breath. "Listen, all I need is for someone to live in the Jedi Temple and take care of my daughter while I'm halfway across the galaxy fighting a war! Can you help me or not?"

The woman sighed and placed the data-pad down. "Mr. Wolffe, do you need a live-in, full-time, or part-time nanny?"

"Live-in," he said.

"Species preference?"

"Human."

"Gender preference?"

"Female."

"Age preference?"

"Don't care."

"And when do you need the nanny?"

"Tomorrow, before sunset."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "You just want everything, don't you?"

"Do you have someone or not?" he asked.

The woman pulled out her comm. "I might have one that fits your needs. I'll send her a message and see if she's available to start tomorrow, but no guarantees."

"Thank you," he said. "How much?"

"How long do you need her for?" she asked.

Wolffe shrugged. He could try to guess, but it wouldn't be accurate. "Maybe two or three months?"

"Rates for live-in nannies are 2,500 credits a month," she said. "You want to pay for two or three?"

Wolffe's jaw dropped. Where was he going to get that many credits before tomorrow? This was way more expensive than he thought it was going to be. He hadn't counted, but he probably only had about 500 credits to his name. He could ask around the battalion, but credits were sparse among the clones and to ask his men to fund a nanny for his daughter sounded dumb. He'd have to find another way–some way. Once deployed, he could scavenge up more credits for the next time he needed the nanny. He'd never drink again, but it was a small price.

"Two months, and if I'm gone longer, I'll have it transferred," Wolffe said.

"Perfect," she said, then gave the data-pad back to Wolffe with a stylus. "Sign at the bottom."

Wolffe signed the agreement and gave the data-pad and stylus back to the woman.

The woman's comm dinged and she read the message. "Good news, Mr. Wolffe. I have your nanny. She'll be here tomorrow morning. Your payment is due then."

"Thank you," Wolffe said, and he turned to leave. Now he only had one thing to focus on, where he was going to get 5,000 credits before the morning.

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[sameschmidtdiffname]

If anything were to ever be released from Peeta's POV during the series, I think what I would be most interested in is what was going through his head during The Mockingjay Trial.

Peeta's thoughts during Mockingjay as a whole would be interesting. Peeta is ultimately cunning. We all joke about how Peeta would've ran 13 if he'd been the one that was saved, but I can't imagine Snow was having a particularly fun time with him either. Peeta knows how to communicate with the Capitol. I wonder if part of the reason Peeta was abused so horribly was not to torture Katniss, but because it's very possible there was a real possibility Peeta could've won the war from the inside by turning Snow's people against him with his own personal showmanship. "If it weren't for the baby" is a perfect example of how capable Peeta could be of doing just that.

I imagine once Peeta begins to regain his mind, it doesn't take long for him to realize the multiple problems that exist within president Coin. The problems Gale decided not to acknowledge in the proper manner.

Gale and Katniss are incredibly close. Now, I know we all like to poke our fun at Gale, (I'm definitely guilty of it,) but Gale is a genuinely complex character. He was a kid too. That doesn't take away from how he still did wrong, but you cannot look at him from a black and white lense when legitimately viewing his character. He does have depth.

Gale and Katniss are close because they are similar. They lose their fathers in the same accident, they learn to survive the same way. Katniss speaks throughout the series of how similar they are. It would not at all be impossible for Peeta to assume Katniss was radicalized the same way Gale was since he remembers their relationship despite the hijacking.

I think this is what hurts Peeta the most during the voting for the final Hunger Games. Peeta is at a severe disadvantage to reading Katniss still. His mind is better, and most likely he had already begun therapy in seriousness and was already improving mentally. But he and Katniss have not begun to grow back together yet. He no longer has access to her obvious tells. And yes, Katniss's thoughts are obvious to her inner circle. To everyone else, she is a mystery. Katniss loves him, but he is no longer in her inner circle at this point.

I don't think Peeta would realize the truth of Katniss's vote until she shoots Coin instead of Snow, which I think is the point for many to realize the amount of deep set problems there truly were with Coin. Most of the time it takes someone doing something extreme to make people pause and think.

Peeta is already having to put the pieces back together in his mind about Katniss. I think The Mockingjay Trial would probably be the tipping point of Peeta's recovery due to the testimonies, the evaluations. Something I've wondered is if Peeta was even allowed to testify since he had been hijacked. Honestly, I would assume that he wasn't. Leaving him off to the sidelines, forced to watch as someone he knows he used to be close to be examined live for the nation to see, to be picked and torn apart. I imagine that maybe the general public was not allowed to see any footage, but based off of Plutarchs offer for Katniss to be on a new singing program during their final conversation in 'Mockingjay,' it seems Katniss was correct in thinking there was most likely a live broadcast of her in the Training Center available to watch. Most likely Haymitch was allowed a peak. And through Haymitch, probably Peeta. I don't think it would be until the entire nation is forced to learn the "truth" about The Mockingjay that Peeta has the same moment as Katniss has in 'The Hunger Games,' when suddenly he realizes just how much he does know about her.

I would think this time would be when Peeta and Haymitch also make peace with their relationship as well. Most likely there were probably a few, very hard to have conversations between the two of them during the trial. About Katniss, about Haymitch's promise to both of them during 'Catching Fire,' about being unable to save him.

Peeta returns to District 12 at the earliest opportunity allowed. Probably for a few reasons. It's his home, it is ultimately where he belongs. But I also think there's probably a very large part of him that wants confirmation for what he's sure he already knew. Her thoughts when shooting Coin. When she voted yes. I think The Mockingjay Trial is probably when Peeta decided he wanted to be her friend again. That it was when he finally remembered her. And I'd just really like to see that, even as a short story.

[starlightshadowsworld]

Percy and Annabeth are trying to bench the others.

They try to steer them clear from major fights and take the heavy hitters themselves.

Not because they think lowly of their new friends or highly of their own skills.

But because they are afraid.

The second titan war ended not too long ago and both are still reeling.

They've lost a lot, too much.

And are afraid to lose the fragile bit of peace they've found.

Percy not even midway through his quest with Frank and Hazel knew he'd kill and die for them both.

Annabeth saw Jason, saw another part of her family that she could so easily loose.

If extends to every one of them.

Their terrified, so they control what they can.

The rest get tired off it quickly, because they can see what's going on.

And are both frustrated and concerned with the older terms actions.

Knowing this needs to end.

So the next fetch quest they get, Frank interrupts Annabeth mid speech, turning to the others and seperating them into groups.

Annabeth and Percy remain togrther.

But now Jason has joined them.

The two are about to disagree with the plan but everyone leaves before either can get a word out.

Jason stands as calm as ever, gesturing for them to follow.

He waits a bit, walking infront of them.

"I know what you guys are doing, and maybe if this was some run of the mill adventure I'd appreciate it. But what you're doing is putting us all in danger."

He hears them stop in place but keeps his back to them both.

As quick as his bluntness came, it melted into softness.

Because Jason knows this isn't out of arrogance.

"I get it, you know? Trust me if I had it my way, you'd all be back on the ship."

He smiles sadly "But that's not how this works, and you know that as well as I do."

He remembers the exhaustion in Annabeth's frame, the nightmares lingering in Percy's eyes.

"I lost 49 new recruits, they hadn't had a dash of experience between them. Never been on a quest, some of them hadn't even fought in the arena yet."

The horrified gasp they make is not something Jason takes any pleasure in.

But they need to hear it. Even as it pains him to tell it.

"I buried them, it wasn't proper for a Praetor to do but I didn't care. I didn't even know them but they mattered.

My friends were buried with them, friends I'd known in passing and those I'd known my whole life. Hopes and dreams, shattered in an instant."

Their were tears in his eyes but he didn't stop.

"But they did not go down with a fight, they knew the odds and they still rose to the occasion.

And for that they have my undying respect. I wouldn't be here without them and I hate that more than anything. But it was their choice and I have to respect that."

Jason took a deep breathe in, turning around to face his new friends.

"I know you've lost people in this war. I know having us here fighting with you, knowing you could lose us is the last thing either of you want."

He flips his coin in his hand.

"But I heard that prophecy same as you and I made my choice. So did Piper, so did Frank, so did Leo, so did Hazel. Whether you like it or not. And if you continue to bench us and take the brunt of these fights yourselves..."

The coin turns into Jason's gladius, and in an instant Percy is blocking him back with Riptide.

And while it was successful, Percy's reaction time was slower than usual.

"You're only going to end up hurt or worse, and I don't... I don't want to lose anyone else either." Finishes Jason, turning his gladius back into a coin.

Percy looks at Annabeth, a conversation in just a few looks that Jason isn't privy to.

But knows he's made his point.

"I can't promise I won't run headfirst into danger, but I'll try not to do it alone." Says Percy.

"And I won't make plans without a discussion, and we'll need to see everyone's strnghts and weaknesses so we can cover for each other." Says Annabeth.

Jason smiles, "thanks." He let's out a loud sigh of relief and his posture visibly relaxes.

"Sorry for worrying you." Says Annabeth, sheepishly. "Yeah, not our best idea." Says Percy, also sheepish.

"I get it." Says Jason simply "just remember that we're a team. I've got your back, we all have your back. And we trust you have ours."

"Man" says Percy, nodding his head thoughtfully "no wonder they made you Praetor."

Jason rolls his eyes fondly, swatting him "if we were back at Camp I'd have you sent to patchwork duty for that. "

"Patchwork duty?" Asks Percy.

"You'd have to repair and replace all of Octavian's stuffed animals and teddy's. Follow him on duty as he picks new ones to sacrifice." Replies Jason, Percy blinks before looking horrified.

"That's not a real punishment...that can't be real."

"Oh it's real, and it's for a whole month." Says Jason.

Percy shakes his head, "And here I thought cleaning Camp Half-bloods kitchens was bad."

Annabeth wrinkles her nose in remembrance. Jason chuckles "that one I gotta hear. Percy grins, "maybe later? Get everyone together and trade stories?"

Even though he looks carefree, Jason can see his nerves and nods encouragingly. "Yeah, maybe we can get steal some marshmallows. Have a mini campfire." Says Annabeth.

Jason sighs fondly at the campfires at Camp Half-blood "that would be great."

Percy grins, whether it's because Annabeth agreed with him or because he really wanted to steal marshmallows, Jason wasn't sure.

Probably a bit off both.

Their missions would end in success, and a bunch of apologises, reassurances and a big bag of marshmallows ended their day.

It wasn't as simple as said, sometimes arguments broke out. But as time went on they all became closer, and Annabeth and Percy found themselves more at ease.

And not just with Jason.

Friendships bloomed and bonds were made.

It was this memory and more Annabeth and Percy would hang onto in Tartarus.

Reminding themselves that their friends would be on the otherside waiting for them.

Being back on the Argo II, being patched up by gentle hands and calming familiar voices.

Was the first bit of peace they had gotten in a long time.

"Their anything you need?" Asks Jason.

"Stay, please. Don't go, please don't go..." Says Annabeth, her hand is wrapped in Percy's and the other outstretched towards him.

Jason feels his heart break for the hundred time that day. He takes her hand gently but firmly.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere. Team remember, I've got you, both of you."

Frank's holding Percy's hand, Hazel's beside them while Jason and Piper are by Annabeth.

Close-by somehow without overcrowding them.

Jason had them.

They all did.

Annabeth smiles, it's small but it's their and from the way Percy relaxes a bit seeing it, it's enough for now.

"Can you tell us about what you guys have been up too?" Asks Percy.

They decend into their tales, taking turns and interjecting details. Elaborating on the fights and it gets so ridiculous.

That they almost miss that Percy and Annabeth fall asleep during it.

They all stay, quietly whispering and getting their pillows and blankets to Camp put when it gets late.

Sowhen Annabeth and Percy wake up even if they're afraid they'll know their safe.

Because they aren't alone, not anymore.

[thefandomwritersblog]

Ghost of the Ten Horizon: Forbidden West Hekarro x Fem!OldOne OC Action/Adventure/Romance/Hurt/Comfort Chapter 22

Part 3: Ghost of the Ten

~~

“Give yourself some credit. You’ve come pretty far.” —Unknown

~~

The evening was unbearably hot. Even in the cool enclosure of the mess hall there was still a layer of sweat that clung to Victoria’s skin. She sat across from Dekka, hunched over the Strike board and chewing on her bottom lip in intense focus. Their matches had become a regular occurrence, almost daily now, either during breakfast or dinner. Dekka was a tough teacher, quick to point out and punish Victoria's tactical errors without showing any mercy. Yet, she was also fair, taking the time to highlight where Victoria went wrong and proud when she saw improvement in her skills.

“I think I’ve got you on the run, Chaplain.” Victoria smirked as she moved her Leaplasher and Grazer into place.

Dekka hummed amusedly, “We shall see.”

As predicted, Dekka moved her Plowhorn towards the right edge of the board. With each move, Victoria's heart raced faster, victory within her grasp as she tried to remain composed.

"We never finished discussing the Red Raids," Victoria remarked, scowling as Dekka pulled her Plowhorn back towards her side of the board. The chaplain hummed thoughtfully and nodded in agreement,

"True. Where were we again?"

"Towards the end, I believe. Barren Light?"

“Ah yes, now I remember. It was one of the greatest victories in Tenakth history, but it wasn't just our people who fought in that battle. The Utaru joined us as well, proving that we are stronger together than apart."

Though she would never admit it aloud, Victoria enjoyed these discussions with Dekka. She loved learning about Tenakth history, culture, and battles - their unwavering determination that embodied human will at its finest. Despite how her own pain and trauma, especially from Anne, had shaped their lives, she couldn't help but admire how they had thrived because of it. That maybe something good did come out of it.

“So you tore the place down,” Victoria chased after Dekka’s Plowhorn, eying the Bellowback she kept just out of range, “If you were so against the Carja, and rightfully so, why not chase them all the way back to their capital?”

“Hekarro considered it,” Dekka admitted, deftly maneuvering around Victoria’s Grazer and Leaplasher. “But he ultimately decided it was a foolish notion. We had many injured and despite our victories, there were still villages in our territory suffering. Not everyone agreed with his decision.”

“Was there someone in particular?”

For once, Dekka fell silent and stared at the Strike board for a long moment before sighing. “One person, more than others: Regalla. She was one of our Marshals and perhaps one of the fiercest warriors we ever had, aside from Hekarro himself. He respected her greatly, and she him.” Dekka shook her head sadly. “She lost so much during the Red Raids and her grief turned into an insatiable thirst for revenge, even if it meant betraying her own people.”

“What happened to her?”

"After or before her civil war?" Dekka scoffed, her voice dripping with bitterness. "She tried to challenge the chief for leadership, but lost. He showed mercy by sparing her life, but she saw it as an insult rather than a gesture of compassion. Years later, she returned from self-imposed exile and attempted once again to divide the Tenakth in a petty civil war. If not for Aloy, Marshal Kotallo, and the united strength of our people, she would have succeeded. Now she lies buried within the Grove; despite all she did against him, Hekarro made sure she received proper honors and lay next to her loved ones."

Their game forgotten, a heavy silence hung between them before Victoria spoke up again, “Her loss must have been devastating for her to turn against her own people.”

“We all lost someone during the Raids,” Dekka replied, “We were all angry, but Regalla's anger was not justified in betraying us.”

Victoria's brow furrowed. “Did Hekarro lose someone too?”

Dekka nodded.

“Was their name Tarrik?”

Victoria took a risk, driven by her curiosity. The look Dekka gave her wasn't angry or upset, but rather a deep sadness that spoke volumes. It confirmed what she had suspected - that Tarrik was someone important to Hekarro, even though she didn't know why.

“How did you come to know that name?”

Shrugging, Victoria replied, “Hekarro talks in his sleep.”

Dekka nodded and looked away at the group of Tenakth behind Victoria. They were laughing and chatting happily, a stark contrast to the grief on Dekka's face. "Tarrik," she whispered, her voice heavy with emotion, "is a wound that I am all too familiar with. Many who fought in the raids can attest to the same. Victoria, I do not say this as Hekarro's advisor or Chaplain, but as his friend. Please refrain from mentioning that name to him. Even after all these years, the guilt still weighs heavily on his heart.”

A silent nod felt like the only appropriate gesture. Victoria’s attention returned to the Strike board, but she no longer felt that her heart was in the game anymore. The pain and suffering experienced by Dekka, Hekarro, and the Tenakth as a whole became more apparent to her with each passing day. They had all lost something precious, just like she had. And she was slowly beginning to realize that there was no distinction between them and her. They were all survivors in one way or another, struggling to move forward despite loss. It scared Victoria to think that she could be like them - brave enough to keep moving forward despite the pain.

Selfish

Victoria blinked back the tears.

You don’t deserve to live.

As expected, Victoria lost the match. She grumbled as she pushed her hair out of her face with a scowl and slumped back in her seat, feeling frustrated. Dekka couldn't help but laugh at her, "One day, you'll earn your victory, Victoria." After a moment of thought, she tilted her head and smiled gently, "It's odd, I never realized how close your name sounds to 'victory' until now."

Victoria nodded, "Yeah. My father chose it for me. It was supposed to be a final 'fuck you' to the struggles he and Anne faced, a sign that they finally made it in life." She scoffed bitterly, "But my father didn't even live long enough to see me born. Some victory, I guess."

"I'm not so sure about that." Dekka said, still smiling. "You're here now, living and breathing, learning and surviving. That is no small feat. And as you live and breathe, you carry on his story. He doesn't die when you are the vessel through which he continues to exist in this world."

A scoff escaped Victoria's lips before she could stop it. "Forgive me if I find that hard to believe right now."

Dekka chuckled, her eyes twinkling in the dim light of the fire. "Someone else said something similar to me a long time ago. And seeing where they are now? I still believe I was right. We are never the same, but how we emerge from our struggles can still be beautiful."

For the second time, Dekka managed to leave Victoria speechless with her words. She ran her fingers through her sweat-dampened hair and grimaced as she felt the tangles catch under her nails. "I don't know how you all can tolerate this heat." She grumbled, attempting to change the subject. Dekka hummed in response but allowed the change with a small chuckle of her own.

“Its of no consequence to a Lowlander, like Hekarro and I, we thrive in this kind of heat. But when the Sky Clan guards come here, they act like we're inflicting torture on them."

Victoria couldn't help but snicker at that, "I have to agree with them. Dry heat is something I can handle, but this humidity is suffocating. And I feel like I'm just stewing in my own sweat."

“That sounds like a bath is in much needed order, then.”

She perked up at the idea and looked at Dekka expectantly as the older woman contented herself with clearing the table. "Wait, you have baths here? With running water? Are you holding out on me, Chaplain?"

“I think it might be easier to show you. Come.”

Dekka led her through the bustling Maw and down into an underground passageway. The heat inside was starkly different from the sweltering heat outside, and the air was thick with the scent of herbs. They walked through the winding tunnels, passing by collapsed entrances, until they reached a small antechamber adorned with wooden stalls, each one covered by a heavy curtain. On the other side of the room, Victoria caught a glimpse of an open door shrouded in steam. Dekka motioned towards an empty stall and took the one next to it as Victoria stepped inside. There was a stone basin filled with clear water and a cloth hanging off the edge.

“Undress and wipe down,” Dekka called from the next stall over. Victoria furrowed her brow as she looked for some sort of coverup.

"No towels?"

"I do not understand what you mean, Victoria."

"To wrap myself in," Victoria clarified, trying not to sound exasperated. "Please tell me you don't expect me to walk out of here naked."

"Not unless you want to ruin your clothes. Were Old Ones so modest about their bodies?"

"Well…I suppose we were to some extent," Victoria admitted as she removed her tank top and struggled out of her flight suit and pants after kicking off her boots. She frowned at the scars that littered her body, tracing them with her fingertips. She wasn't necessarily ashamed of her own skin, but only a handful of people had ever seen her naked before. And here she was just about to walk out and show everything she was working with. Embarrassment flushed her cheeks as she grumbled, quickly grabbing a washcloth to wipe away the sweat and grime from her body. By the time she finished, Dekka was waiting for her, standing confidently in all her naked glory with no shame or hesitation. Victoria tried not to feel self-conscious as she followed Dekka to the door on the other side of the room.

As they stepped through the door, it felt like walking into a sauna, with dimly flickering candles providing the only light. Victoria couldn't help but forget about her embarrassment as she took in the sights around her. "You turned the old boiler room into a communal bath," she said incredulously, a mixture of amusement and admiration in her voice.

Dekka hummed as she led Victoria over to the bath, a man-made pool with stone walls that reached up to their knees and filled with steaming water. Despite the old boiler's worn appearance, Victoria could feel the warmth radiating from its belly, its flames casting an inviting glow. A Tenakth woman tended to it silently, half-hidden in the steam and water. In the pool, small groups of Tenakth chatted in hushed tones.

"Is this what this used to be?" Dekka whispered softly - careful not to disturb anyone else - as she stepped over the low wall and sank into the hot water with a contented sigh. "We discovered this room after the Tenakth united. It took some effort to clear out the flooding and get the cauldron going again, but it's much safer than bathing in the river, don't you think?"

“You really were holding out on me, Chaplain.” Victoria teased with a smile as she swung her leg over the pool wall and dipped her feet into the warm water. She moved closer to sit on the edge of the pool, savoring the sensation of clean and heated water against her skin. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply and let the steam encompass her. Tilting her head back, she let out a soft groan, imagining each droplet of water condensing on her skin and sliding down in a soothing cascade. There were no words that could accurately convey just how relaxing this experience was for her.

Victoria's mind snapped back to reality as she heard a disturbance in the pool. She slowly lifted her heavy eyes and watched Hekarro emerge gracefully from the rippling water opposite her. A wave of unexplainable warmth washed over her as she took in his presence. Though she had always acknowledged his attractiveness in passing, this encounter left no room for doubt. His physique was beyond impressive, sculpted with precision like a work of art in motion. Every scar on his skin added depth and richness to his already broad form. The soft candle light bathed him in an ethereal glow, accentuating every muscle and contour. Water droplets clung to him like jewels, enhancing the play of light as they cascaded down his glistening body. Victoria's heart raced uncontrollably in her chest at the sight, causing her cheeks to flush with embarrassment as she realized she had been staring. Thankfully, Dekka remained peacefully submerged in the water while Hekarro was engrossed in wringing the water from his long, silky black hair, oblivious to her admiring eyes.

A feeling of unease coiled in Victoria's throat, making it hard to swallow. She felt exposed. Vulnerable. Without hesitation, she sank into the welcoming embrace of the water, submerging herself until only her head and neck were above the surface. As she joined Dekka, Victoria desperately hoped that the flush on her cheeks could be attributed to the warmth of the bathhouse. She closed her eyes and focused on the comforting heat surrounding her body, trying to push thoughts of Hekarro out of her mind. But when he moved closer to Dekka, a surge of awareness washed over Victoria. She could sense his presence near her like an invisible wall. Trying to control her trembling, she prayed that he didn’t notice how deeply his presence affected her.

She couldn’t help but feel stupid, like a silly teenager with a stupid crush. Why was she so flustered by this? It's not like she had never seen a naked man before. She wasn't some naive girl who had never been kissed by a boy.

None of them were as handsome as Hekarro is, though.

Oh, how she despised that traitorous little voice inside her head.

"You fret too much," Dekka’s teasing voice cut through the fog in Victoria’s mind, “The Grove has survived countless storms and your preparations will ensure it endures many more. Now go rest. Or I’ll tie you to your bed myself.”

Hekarro's laughter pulled a small smirk from Victoria, though she feigned disinterest, her eyes closed as he quipped back. "It would amuse me greatly to see you try.”

He departed, the sound of water swishing as he exited the pool, his footsteps fading until only the low hum of the boiler filled the room. Dekka sighed, her playful scowl evident even though Victoria couldn't see it.

"That boy is so stubborn," she muttered, "Even after all these years, he still refuses to listen to wise counsel." Victoria felt a gentle nudge on her arm and she opened her eyes and looked over to see Dekka smiling at her, “How are you feeling?”

“I needed this.” Victoria admitted, stretching her arms up.

“You can always come down here when you need to. The evenings are usually peaceful. Do you want to wash your hair? I can show you how.” Before Victoria could object, Dekka moved through the water and guided her until she was facing away from the Chaplain. Her gentle fingers worked through the tangles in Victoria’s hair, picking them apart with care. “Mirella? Can I have some soapstone?”

A stern, older woman handed a pungent bar to Dekka, who began to work it into Victoria's damp tresses, the air around them becoming thick with the aroma of sea salt and blooming orchids. As Dekka's fingers threaded through Victoria's hair, a tension seemed to uncoil within her.

And for an instant, just a fleeting instant.

She didn’t feel quite as lonely as she once had.

[imperial-nuisance-rudje]

giant vent about how people are talking about dt you've been warned

"i don't like the focus on wuk lamat" good for you! she's a leader and will likely be shelved before the end of 7.x! i still cannot escape the scions after they fucking disbanded despite being on a new continent, so you don't get to whine abt this if you're also going to crawl up my ass every time i say the scions never fucking off made ew worse and impaired my ability to give a fuck about shb! ew had two non-twins characters i deeply cared about at all going in, and it killed off both!

i am so. fucking. tired. of most of the scions. the one scion i did not think needed a break due to overexposure got a proper break (it was a funny break so i didn't mind at all and it keeps him from getting overexposed too, but it's notable that he was the only one besides the twins I wasn't ready to see the back of by the end of 6.55), and the one i most needed to not fucking see for at least one major patch got a fully voiced cutscene focusing entirely on him and the wol. the scions are part of the weakest part of this expac, which is the fear to let new shit stand on its own.

like, even the twins have been around long enough that they could stand a long-term break, which would even give an excuse for them to elongthen them.

maybe if they actually give them proper arcs or ever let the writing acknowledge that g'raha is a fucking asshole (and still is in dt bc jesus fucking christ that is not a question you ask the fucking wol and he should fucking know that, he had to have at least read about the bloody banquet, the waking sands attack by livia, the entry of azys lla, or the raid on the vault at minimum, even my uncanonical levels of cold bastard main had people he cared about die at those events it is ABSURD what the writing lets the cat get away with saying without even a "dude what the fuck" option) i might accept them having major screentime again, but until then they can piss off and we can have more newbies or heavily underserved oldbies

like. to go back to the first point. think about how often characters show up after they become leaders. Lyse and Aymeric both almost completely vanish after their respective x.3 (hell, lyse vanishes before then). wuk lamat has been chained to tural, even with the doubleking situation she's going to be wanted at home--aymeric isn't sole leader either, remember, and lyse isn't even the one in charge of the entire nation and she's still heavily restricted. dealing with her for not even a full patch cycle is not going to kill you any more than me having to see g'raha and emet constantly trotted out as my wol's narrator-enforced besties killed me. she showed up in the second half for the same reason aymeric, raubahn, and lyse show up after they are removed from focus: because there's a FUCKING WAR involving HER COUNTRY.

they aren't even setting her up as the major focus for the patches! they set her up for a fucking GOODBYE. erenville has gotten more teasing hints at having long-term focus! you weirdos!

i would be less annoyed about this if some of these same people hadn't crawled up my ass over not liking the scions focus of shb and ew. yeah, trial of a silent protag is we need people to talk for us! sometimes that means we get stuck with people we don't like! but at least yours WILL GO AWAY. the characters i actively dislike are hanging around like a pre-antibiotics tuberculosis infection and it only makes me like them less because i'm not allowed to ever express dislike of them even when they're being shitty or i should generally be allowed to express distaste, while at the same time characters i liked don't even get neutral options, it's all two mostly-identical ways of saying "boo i hate your pussy".

idk. i feel like people are only noticing flaws that have been there since the beginning bc we have fun spunky girl and her tragic foil who is also a girl in front instead of the scions and a moody guy, assuming they're making their case in good faith at all (which many are very obviously not, since they're somehow unable to perceive character development that is incredibly obvious).

insert meme about the illusion of choice leading to two more years of stb discourse for some reason

(it is. incredibly frustrating. to have actual complaints. like the return of world-ending threat stakes, the hamhanded way callbacks were done, and the reluctance to actually grapple with the implications of [finalzone]. and then see absolutely nobody else having them bc anyone willing to talk just wants to bash wuk lamat and sphene.)

just. god. if you don't see your wol as an auron, fine, but don't pretend they were less vital to how this expac played out than any other expac, or that they were sidelined compared to elsewhen. the wol is a vital pillar for how wuk lamat turns out over the expac and wuk lamat taking the spotlight in a few scenes doesn't negate that the wol is still at worst the second-most important person in the room. and given the cultural context of the new zones? the writing would have been WAY WORSE if they were the one doing everything.

or like. just the general expectation i've seen repeatedly that something doing setup will pay the same emotional dividends as something using that setup as a launch point. which, you can crit it as-is just fine god knows i'm willing to bitch about stuff that's probably getting more focus in the future, but if you're going into something where the constant refrain from devs and ads and even the game itself going in was "beach vacation (gone wrong)" and "please temper expectations" and expecting it to blow your mind uhhhhh i don't think it's the writer's fault? they were upfront that this was not going to be huge in terms of like... massive recontextualization and targeted emotional blows like shb was.

i really do think a lot of the hate of dt (rather than dislike) is just. bigotry. there is nothing major done poorly here that the rest of the game hasn't handled poorly and usually worse before (if you try to tell me the ff9 stuff was done worse than the nonsense ff4 shit in ew i will slap you, as someone who has gone in with about the same level of familiarity with both and zero nostalgia for either). the one exception i can think of is, like, Erenville's name and the aforementioned turning a blind eye to the deeper implications of [finalzone], and nobody bitching about dt as a whole mentions those as reasons to hate the entire expac. it's all wuk lamat and the wol not being in the spotlight!

[theinsanecrayonbox]

Sabretooth War part 8 time

and again, doing it from tower so we can have panels, so that also means a cut to save dash space

bwahahaha idk but that over the top warning box just had me burst out laughing. i sure hope some karen complained that this storyline was too over the top pointlessly graphic (ok i din't really, because again i do enjoy bloody fights, but this is all just edgelordy nonsense for the sake of being unpleasant)

anywhos, onto our story in progress proper

i already mentioned the preview pages, and commented that i liked the parallels in the storytelling, and the Holly Bright/Bonnie Hale things. but the fact that Victor's admitting that he's a victim...has that ever happened before?

aw crap, Savage is dead-dead. i was hoping maybe she wasn't, like how Capt wasn't for an issue, since she wasn't decapitated. but nope, we can't have fun here.

Laura tauntsGraydona nd jumps out a window. he says screw it all.

Logan's getting patched up by Oya and monologing internally about how it;s so great to have no powers and could die at any moment...didn't we do this song and dance years ago before you died dude? also, you're not gonna be able to move very easily with that super heavy metal skeleton that your body won't compensate for properly without your healing factor. you know the adamantium poisoning is gonna get you. we've done this before; stop being so blasé about it.

Nekra thinks Logan's plans are dumb. Mr OC tries a psychic tap and freaks out because Graydon is so much worse than Victor? uh...wut. wiener boi, even in new shiny tinfoil mode, is not as large scale of a threat as you're making him seem. i'm sorry, but no. you cannot excuse taking the spotlight off of a main character because the wieners secondary (tertiary even) character is now the big bad and final threat. i'm just...uhg. Graydon is a wiener, and he has his purposes, but this isn't one of them. "extra dimensional tech will make this easy' yeah, uhhu, sure. you know what would've made this make sense; us seeing HOW we got this cool maybe. because you give the wiener a shiny gun doesn't mean we will immediately think he's cool and capable; it just makes him look like a wiener with a gun and make we should duck because he's probably doing to accidentally shoot himself with it.

and how do you know about that! you weren't part of the Pit Gang conversations. bad writing!!

so Logan takes the Pit Gang (trio really at this point) to his apocalypse bunker. and they fight bears. this is padding.

no it wasn't, stop lying Logan

cut to teh Greenhouse...

THE BOI IS BACK!!!!! where was he? what's he been doing? IDK AND IDC!! he's not dead, he's still here, he's in a panel. i'm not even paying attention to the rest of the page, what's going on...

Black Tom is making them a vegetable plane to go help Laura cause the them got her help texts. mk. and Cuckoo is getting a text from Quint-head that Vic is breaking out of the Audrey Two

and cut back to Logan and friends, and he's in adamantium armor with a Muramasa blade. yeah...lame. if this was to sell action figures maybe, but we don't do that anymore these days. so this is just uhg. also, didn't Laura have one of these getups? are we now repeating the OTHER Wolverine because we don't have enough new ideas???

whelp, this one wasn't so bad (why'd it warrant such a comedic warning idk lol). we progressed a bit, we got some flashbacks, we got a lot of dumb padding/stretching. but Arkady is confirmed still here, and in part 8, so i'll take it. (still not convinced my conspiracy theory that he was originally supposed to be dead in part 1 and it was changed last second isn't true...he has no lines in these 2 pages and could've been added in after the fact...he still isn't in the opening lineups yet Aurora and Northstar are and they haven't appeared in a couple issues)

[effira]

i don't know how on earth this happened but i just. suddenly understood painting. idk

my sillies. they are okay (only one of them will stay alive no matter what happens)

i should've never gone "oh what if i made lamb characters for some of the different cotl saves at my disposal" because now i'm attached and i gotta deal with the fact that these three can only exist and be happy together far far far in the past.

bonus doodles and a bunch of infodumping under the cut.

right so here in this image theyre all happy and wholesome right (yay) but at some point one of them has to be the last lamb to be sacrificed, which splits their universe up into three timelines, one for each of them being the vessel for the red crown. war and hate on planet earth.

alright let's get to the infodumping

Capri, based on my first playthrough and main save, starts off with the intention of doing as little harm as possible, going with the "good" doctrine options, feeding their followers well, etcetera, but over the years, out of both curiosity and the steady erosion of their moral code that comes with slaughtering hundreds just to get resources, they sink down on the alignment chart, coming to the point where they kill followers to switch their necklaces and cook up minced follower meat just because it gives them some diseased hearts for their crusades. They take pride in feeding their followers well, they married all the bishops (some of them only so they'd give more health if sacrificed to revive, but they will Never tell you which ones) and spend most of their time doing follower quests and getting enough meat, fish and veg to make the best possible meals for their following. sometimes they fall face first into the tarot cards when running into Clauneck. They make all their followers' clothes themselves, and stitch little bells into them to remind them of their family. Their cult sounds like a windchime.

^ virgo doodles from before i actually sat down to give her a proper design

Virgo, based on my mom's playthrough, probably wouldn't have it in her to be any good of a vessel if she had anything at all to lose anymore. She's a bit clumsy and has died on the battlefield many a time, sometimes even forgetting she's capable of dodging. What she lacks in hand-eye coordination, she more than makes up for in the way she takes care of her following. She only refuses follower requests if it's for their own good, like sacrificing another follower or asking for a bowl of poop. She puts a lot of thought into which follower to sacrifice on a crusade, and will often resurrect them right after she gets back. She hates Narinder. Absolutely cannot stand him at all. If she wasn't forced to do his bidding she wouldn't want ANYTHING to do with him. On the other hand, she has a great deal of respect for Heket, on the grounds of her being a strong-willed, self assured woman. She loves placing camelias all over her cult grounds and enjoys fishing a normal amount. She's very attached to Ratau and will often spend the night playing Knucklebones with him. She's also very enthusiastic whenever she meets Chemach during a crusade -- She doesn't attack Chemach's "followers," either out of germaphobia or out of pity. She's haunted by the restless spirit of Alfie, her first sacrifice (that's me! she didn't revive me. I'm haunting her now and making the commentary i give while watching my mom play a part of Virgo's character). She is very unimpressed by most threats. She should probably be impressed by most threats

Taurus, based on the most bloodthirsty speedrun I have ever witnessed live on the family switch, does not care for his followers. He's out for revenge, and that's it. He doesn't care for anything other than giving the bishops a taste of their own medicine after they ruthlessly slaughtered his entire species. He holds the same level of contempt for Narinder, as evidenced by the fact that he put him in jail Forever, only allowing him out to eat once a day. He has a soft spot for rabbit followers (except alfie. because in-game sibling violence overrides all characterization), but will Never tell you this. He's friends with Helob, if only because he brings him cooked follower meat. Originally a gentle soul, this immense thirst for violence and revenge was formed the day he came back to his village after a day of fishing and found it halfway through burning to the ground, with the heads of everyone he knew and loved (among which are the other two mentioned above) stacked in the centre of town. He has never truly cared for anything since. His fleece was made by Capri way back in the day (haha it would be so funny if this was the main image of this post) and it only acquired this status as a certified Golden Fleece upon obtaining the red crown. Taurus loves hammers and axes. If it hits hard, he'll enjoy using it for its intended purpose. He nearly always wears the same slightly off-putting beady-eyed smile on his face. To calm down after his long crusades, he likes to sit down and sing some songs, accompanied by his not-great-but-absolutely-not-bad guitar skills. He often does this right in front of his temple, and it's one of the only nice things his followers ever get to have.

alternate color version as a treat. thanks for reading through my massive walls of text.

cya! <3

[wc-wild-rewrite]

The Lake Journey vs The Ocean Journey

i wanted to make a post detailing the differences between the two journeys, the first in Arc 2 and the second in Arc 4.5

The Lake Journey

the journey to the lake is a hard, but optimistic event. the adults, who have spent their entire lives in the forest, are obviously traumatised from having to leave their birth homes, and some having to leave their parents behind, while the apprentices and kits are excited for a journey. there's bonding, sharing of cultures, many apprentices are made warriors during this, and some of them begin life long friendships with the other clans.

When they get to the lake, their amazed and fascinated by the sheer difference in the wildlife, discovering dozens of prey- mostly birds- that they've never seen before. It was particularly exciting for the Queens, who got a whole ton of new prefixes to use for their kits. Adjusting to their new territories wasn't as hard as they expected, except for Shadowclan, who went from a starving marshland to a prey-filled pine forest. Prey was plentiful when they arrived, and aside from the Mudclaw Civil War Incident, there was more peace than the clans had seen in a long time.

Of course, tragedy did strike, with the death of Cinderspark and Sootfur during the Badger Attack, but for the most part, things were good.

The Ocean Journey

The journey to the Ocean, on the other hand, was a desperate, tiring experience. They had even less choice with where they were going this time, not having the time to send a group ahead to scout for a proper territory. They initially went back to the Forest- but that was completely destroyed, and only made the older warriors and elders more upset about losing yet another home. Sorrowful, quiet stories were shared about the forest, before they had to continue onwards, pick a direction, and keep walking.

Starclan had left them by that point, too injured by the battle with the Dark Forest to contact them. Jayfeather and Hollyleaf were the ones to lead the journey, the rest of them too tired or injured to lead. Brackenstar couldn't risk his health, as with no starclan, he never got the other 8 lives, and he hadn't picked a deputy in moons. It's not as if the stars could approve.

Grief was a heavy thing during this journey, dozens of cats had died during and in the moon after the fight. litters of kits were born stillborn, the first cases of such in Jayfeather's lifetime, and a barrage of predator attacks and water poisonings had killed off some of their best warriors. Most of the clans were injured, in one way or another, but they couldn't afford to stay at the Lake for any longer, so they walked, or were carried, or were dragged on sleds. There was bonding, in a way, but not the light hearted bonding that came with the Lake Journey, this was a bonding over trauma, over the horror they had witnessed. They had only been at the Lake for 4 generations, maybe less, it was a jarring experience to still have living cats who remembered being apprenticed in the Forest.

Except for Firestar, of course. He had been one of the casulaties of the initial fight, he hadn't lived to see the aftermath. Thunderclan missed him deeply, but none of them wanted him to bear witness to such a tragedy. But he wasn't gone, not entirely, as Sandstorm was carrying his kits. She only found out after he was gone.

Settling into the ocean territory was far more of an adjustment, Shadowclan was now back in a marshland, but those that remembered living in the Forest knew they'd starve far before anything else could kill them, so they went inwards, they claimed a cave system as most of their territory, the marshland only a mouth to it. a true Shadow now.

Riverclan went from grassland and rivers to a beach with rockpools, a jarring and completely new habitat that had animals the clans had never witnessed before. They had to completely change their hunting techniques, as ocean hunting was nothing like the rivers they were used to.

Thunderclan went from mostly oak to mostly birch, not a huge difference, but it was just similar enough to the Forest camp that the senior warriors were unable to settle for a long while. the remaining Frostthree kept swearing they could see their sister relearning how to walk in the clearing, Sandstorm couldn't shake the image of her father's body at the entrance, and Greystripe held back tears as he told stories of training alongside Firepaw and Ravenpaw. Dovewing left for Shadowclan, causing yet another reminder of the Forest.

Windclan was now in a human-planted flower field, compared to their dry heath and moorland. It was certainly a brighter enviroment, but they too adjusted to an underground camp, in the weaving tunnels under their territory. There were no cats left who remembered the days of Heatherstar and the original Tunnelers, though Onestar had tried valiantly to bring them back, as per Tallstar's last wish. Harestar had to work even harder to prove herself as a trustworthy cat, after her training in the Dark Forest.

Although the clans found a spot where the moon was well reflected in the puddles of a small cave, Starclan was unresponsive, and so nobody really went to it. Only Hollyleaf did.

But then, things got worse, as the Six lost their powers, at the same time, on the same day, with no warning. Dovewing was listening in on an apprentice ceremony in Windclan when everything went silent, and she realised she couldn't hear anything. Breezepelt was in the middle of a rant to Heathertail when his throat closed up. Lionblaze was helping with some heavy items when he suddenly collapsed to the ground, barely able to pick himself up. Raven and Bracken were finishing their nests in the abandoned twolegplace when they both fell severely ill, in opposite ways. Bracken ran burning hot, as Raven froze to the bone. It was only because Hollyleaf was on her way to check on them that they survived.

Hollyleaf herself didn't notice it, initially, as her powers are based on being around people, so travelling to the abandoned twolegplace on her own hid the loss of her powers until she found Raven and Bracken. And when she realised her powers were not responding, and neither were theirs, thats when she found out. Jayfeather also struggled to notice, until Lionblaze tried to tell him that he was okay after his collapse, and Jayfeather's lie detection didn't go off. It was only then did he realise he could only feel his own emotions, nobody else's were smothering him like normal. He hated that he didn't feel relieved.

Now, i havent decided if Ivypool gets powers too, or from the same place, but if she does, she is sleeping when it happens. When she is woken up in a panic by her clanmates- because of Jay and Lion's powers vanishing- she does not recognise them. she does not remember them. her power was a perfect memory, so without it, she develops some version of amnesia. Perhaps not permenant, but long-lasting enough that it seriously alters her life. She also exhausts far easier, her enhanced speed completely gone, replaced with bone-deep exhaustion most of the time.

The clans found this to be the worst part of it. Their star-given heroes, the prophecy cats that just saved the clans, were powerless. To say the clans panicked would be an understatement. They knew the stars were gone, but to revoke the powers of a prophecy already fufilled? the stars were not just gone, they had abandoned them. Night fell on that fateful day, and the sky was pitch black. the stars were gone.

And thats where Flamespring's story begins, born three dark, starless nights after.

[sillyromance]

Good day everyone!

I’d like to reveal some more information about the character Nyx mentioned in my story about count Dooku (which is partially different from my original headcanons) since I’m preparing some content about these two, but it won’t make any sense without proper explanation. This woman is my OC for Star Wars AU – she is Dooku’s padawan, later his wife and a queen of Serenno. Here I will talk only about the part of her life which is connected with original trilogy and the prequels, but I should assure you there is a second part which, however, will be told only if it’s needed.

Main events of the original SW story are kept as they are, though there are some important changes: the accents are made on the story of Serenno, Nyx and Dooku’s past, Obi-Wan doesn’t die in Episode IV, Anakin survives as well and his body is regenerated, after the end of the Empire Far-Far-Away Galaxy is ruled by a senate almost equal to the one described in prequels – and Luke is the leader of the senate, meanwhile his friends are in charge over the planets aka Naboo (Leia and Han), Tatooine (Anakin Skywalker), Coruscant (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Bespin (Lando Calrissian). It’s difficult to tell everything about Nyx in one post since her story is big and complicated, but there are some main points:

In the very beginning of the story, Nyx, or Amanda Cooper (which is her real name), was a normal girl living in the same universe with Sara Branton. She had always had force abilities, but they didn’t really have any practical use in her original world (she managed to master telekinesis and telepathy by herself, though).  Her parents participated in the war as well as Sara, but never returned home. When the girl got news about their death, her dark hair immediately turned grey and stayed like that for the rest of her life. Nyx was bullied by her classmates because of the strange appearance and quiet, shy character. Due to the trauma and desocialization, she started smoking and drinking alcohol, hang out with people of questionable reputation, turned mean and aggressive. Her parents were Sara’s close friends; she tried to help Nyx, but Amanda was too mad at her: she thought it wasn’t fair that Sara returned home, and her mom and dad did not (unfortunately, sometimes hurt people tend to blame others for what they can’t control).

My AU includes a theory, that almost each movie, videogame and book actually describes a parallel universe existing aside from ours. The only people who can “sense” alternative universes are the people of art. And, when someone creates anything, a portal to the particular universe openes for a short time. Nyx lived in the 1970-80-s. And she was one of those who witnessed Episode IV release (though, she has never seen the movie). So, she accidentally went from her world to Star Wars’ world when they got connected. At that moment she was 17 yers old.

Despite the fact it was Episode IV which was created first, she ended up in pre-Clone Wars times (timelines in different universes don’t synchronize). There she found herself in count Dooku’s domain. He sensed great potential in her, so the man decided to train her to make the girl a valuable tool for himself. However, since she didn’t know practically anything about that universe (and the count knew she wasn't lying when Nyx told him that), Dooku was bound to teach Nyx not only participating in combat, but reading, writing and more. They grew attached to one another, and as the time went by, their attitude to each other turned into something much more intimate than teacher-student relationships, especially since they had much in common and saw things in similar ways. They had gone though a lot together; there was even an incident when during a fight with some Jedies Nyx ran into by accident one of them blinded her – and Dooku refused to kill Nyx, though she thought he would do exactly that as a Sith. Instead, he taught her how to fight without her eyes and, when he got an opportunity, paid for the implants which would return the girl an ability to see. After the surgery, Nyx could fight in any situation and sometimes preferred doing it with her eyes closed because it was more efficient. This feature had given her a nick name “The Blind Warrior”.

Dooku was murdered when Nyx was 25. After his death, fate of Serenno happened to be lying on her shoulders. She took his place as a queen, but lived outside the planet since her presence there would put her and her plans at risk she couldn’t afford. Nyx convinced her people to fake their loyalty to Palpatine (who she hated as well as Anakin Skywalker), but, in reality, they would create an army under her command and destroy occupants in the future. To accomplish that, Nyx flew over the Galaxy, searching for Jedies who survived Order 66 – and tried to hire them as teachers. Also she and her agents provided Serennians with reliable information about everything that was happening in the Empire.

Twenty years had passed. While travelling, Nyx met her old rival she had never actually seen – Obi-Wan Kenobi – and Anakin’s son Luke on Tatooine (Episode IV). They worked together since then, so Nyx participated in many events of original trilogy and even made the story go differently (she saved Kenobi from Darth Vader and helped Anakin Skywalker, though it wasn’t for his sake, but for his son’s because she subconsciously treated Luke as her own child).

After that, Nyx returned home and announced her reign officially. Also she met with Dooku’s force ghost for the first time after he died. The thing was, the man was suffering on the other side without her and blaming himself for leaving her alone; he didn’t want to submit to his fate, so other spirits chained him up and held captive until his old padawan Qui-Gon helped him run away.

Dooku was determined to stay with Nyx; all that long years without one another only made their feelings stronger, and simple sympathy turned into love. Therefore, they started ruling Serenno as husband and wife.

Additional facts about Nyx and AU's lore:

Nyx is neither Jedi nor Sith. Dooku gave her a chance to choose any of the schools, but Nyx found both of them too narrow-minded. So, she just calls herself a separatist.

Nyx is a nickname Amanda came up with when she was a child after reading some Greek mythology. It referres to Nyx, the Goddes of the Night. When Amanda met Dooku, she didn't want to tell him who she really was, so she used the nickname - and didn't use her real name ever again.

As a duelist, Nyx practices Form II - Makashi.

Nyx has had heterochromia since her birth. Despite being bullied because of this in the childhood, when she was asked about the color of her eye implants, Nyx chose to keep this feature for she saw it as a part of her individuality.

Nyx’s lightsaber color is pink. It represents wisdom and balance between Light and Dark sides of the Force as well as purple color.

With her eyes closed, Nyx sees people and items as they will look like some seconds after the present moment. It gives her an advantage in battles; however, it also requires a lot of energy to stay like this for long. That puts Nyx in danger since, in such cases, she has to use her negative emotions (another words, she gives in to the Dark Side of the Force). That’s why she uses this ability only in critical situations.

Other Nyx’s Force abilities: force choke, force lightning, healing/reviving powers (in my AU they have side effects for a force user aka running out of their own life energy or even their death), future gazing, telekinesis, telepathy.

Nyx violently blames herself for her master’s death. Nyx saw a prophetic dream at the night before he left and tried to warn Dooku about Anakin, but he “didn’t listen” and went for the fight anyway (the count kept Nyx’s existence in secret from everyone, so he decided to engage in battle with Anakin because the man wanted to keep the girl safe from any danger that might occur if he didn’t answer Palpatine’s call; Dooku thought he was able to win over his less experienced opponent, furthermore, Palpatine insistet on the duel being just a test for Skywalker).

Dooku had plans about finishing the line of monarchs at his planet and creating a republic. So, as Dooku's enthusiastic follower, aside from preparing the army, Nyx secretly provided education materials for Serennian children, so they would become a generation which would be ready for such changes.

When Nyx was a padawan, she made friends with a palace gardener’s son Nicolas who was considerably younger than her. Later that boy became a capitan of her army and one of the most important people in the government. Nyx has chosen him as her heir (the ruler of the new Serennian republic). Aside from Nicolas and Dooku, Nyx is quite close with a palace butler Favian and a chef cook Penny who have been serving Serenno family for their entire lives. These two are her advisors and confidants. Also Nyx has many acquaintances among the locals; civilians of the capital know her very well.

Serenno family's crest includes a silver unicorn (reference to The Last Unicorn cartoon) surrounded by four figures: two silver swords on the left and on the right, an open book beneath and a crown above. Everything is on an azure field. Nyx often wears gloves with unicorns painted on them.

Serenno is home for many wonderful creatures which we know by fairytales: unicorns, dragons, phoenixes etc. However, there are some specific species: giant spiders, purple bears (bears with violet fur, six eyes, eight legs, and transparent blood), and leavies. The latter are half-animal and half-plant creatures looking like formless bushes of various colors. They make strange noises, move quite fast and shapeshift. Leavies are herbivore, they can be successfully tamed and taught to keep themselves in one particular form. These creatures are used by Serennians as equivalents for horses. Dooku has a cyan leavy called Blizzard and Nyx has a lavender one called Star.

Count Dooku is Serenno's national hero. When Dooku was young, he saved the planet from his evil elder brother Ramil who treated Serennians as slaves and had very low morals in general. Besides, Dooku had an elder sister Jenza who was killed by Ramil during his and Dooku's confrontation. Jenza was the only one who ever treated Dooku nicely in Serenno family, so he mourned her death more than anyone. Lady Jenza is one of Serenno's saints.

[kariachi]

Okay, who wants some Rad headcanons?

As we know 'Rad Profit Danger Trouble Dudesman is his real name, but it is also the one his mother gave him

Well, mostly. His first and middle names are direct translation as a result of her using actual proper 'in use' words, his last name was treated similarly despite this not being the case. It's a pretty good translation into English though. Originally, way back in the olden days, it denoted somebody who was a farmhand by trade and as a result is fairly common within his culture. Sort've their equivalent of having the last name 'Smith'

He's the only child of a single mother, which is very much a particular cultural choice, not a bad one but a specific one

Rad grew up on an old, rather rundown station orbiting his species' homeworld that wasn't exactly considered a great place to raise a family, but wasn't so bad you could point to it and go 'well of course he turned out how he did, look at all that'. Bad neighborhood, but not 'he turned to mercenary work to survive' levels

Really he grew up rather middle of the road for the area as far as circumstances- not especially poor, not especially well-off, wasn't part of any gangs or anything but had himself a record, mom's work was all above board... Very middleground for the station. He wasn't pushed into going into the blackmarket-and-violence business

Though his mother would have preferred he not go into that business in the first place (he could've been a mechanic, he could've been a freight driver, he could've been tester for a weapons manufacturer, but no, he needed adventure in his life) she is very proud of his accomplishments. About as soon as he hit sixteen her baby grabbed up the money she'd saved to maybe get him some extra schooling, bought a rundown ship, and became the best mercenary in their chunk of the galaxy. She brags about him at work

They're very close, actually, and he makes sure to both visit her and call regularly, alongside sending presents

He's always been more of a loner type, didn't have many friends as a child and as an adult still has primarily associates, something not helped by his temper and aggressive tendencies. He prefers to work alone, and is easily burned out by 'coworkers'

All of that also has not helped his love life over the years, though he's not especially fussed about it

The Lovely Duck is not his first ship, it is his third. Pyxi, though, originally came with his second ship. He stripped her out when he upgraded, having gotten attached and very used to having her.

First ship was purchased then sold as scrap, second ship was... commandeered while on a job before selling the now unneeded first ship, the Lovely Duck was purchased on a whim because he liked the bow, with the earnings from his most famous job.

That job also resulted in Rad gaining his rank. Our not-duck, while not the only mercenary- both lone wolf and as part of companies- hired as extra muscle, was the premiere player in a civil war in which he personally took out the opposing 'ruler' and their court with extreme prejudice, alongside their security detail, while having the sense to ensure they would still be readily identifiable. The new king was very grateful, and granted him a high rank in his army as a 'please don't take another job in this system' bonus. Rad was 19 at the time

Technically he could still go out there and push for the benefits that come with said rank, but he's not fool enough to push his luck and also really just doesn't care. He got to destroy some shit, paid, and a title his mom can flaunt to her coworkers, that's enough for him

Passenger accommodations on the Lovely Duck are relatively bare bones (helps to keep people from wanting to hang around) but Rad's own quarters are relatively comfortable. Not particularly large in and of themselves, but better than what other folks get. Fucker lives there, he's gonna be comfy

And he does live in his ship, the vast majority of the time even when staying in a location long-term he prefers to sleep onboard if at all possible. There are few exceptions to this rule, including when he goes home for visits, in which case he prefers to sleep in his old bedroom

He's received many awards for marksmanship over the years, and a few actual medals for his involvement in conflicts. All of these have been sent back to his mother, who had no space to display them in her tiny apartment and so sent them on to her mother, who has the medals in a box and the awards hung up with pictures of her other grandchildren and great-grandchildren

[kyndaris]

Into the Breach

On 25 June 1950, after the creation of two separate governments in Korea following the end of World War II, North Korea (also known as the Democratic Republic of Korea) launched an attack on its neighbour in order to subsume it. After fighting the South Koreans (Republic of Korea) down to Busan, the South Korean army rallied with the help of the United States. Their counteroffensive nearly pushed North Korean troops into China. With the aid of weapons and artillery bequeathed by the Soviets, China entered the Korean War. Following intense fighting, the front was stablised close to the 38th parallel with the final two years of the war becoming a war of attrition. An armistice was later signed in 1953.

The signing of the armistice paused hostilities on the Korean peninsula and created the Korean Demilitarised Zone, or DMZ (pronounced Dee-Em-Zed) for short.

On our second proper day in Seoul, bleachpanda and I joined a Seoul City Bus tour (paid through Klook) to scope it out. Having prebooked the tour, we were contacted the day before by one of the organisers to arrange a hotel pick-up. By 9:30 AM, bleachpanda and I were in the hotel lobby, waiting for the bus to come pick us up. Except, instead of a bus, a nondescript black van showed up.

Into it we climbed until we arrived at another hotel before piling into the coach that pulled up, and which would take us to the DMZ.

Our first stop, after driving about an hour from Seoul, was the Peace Park. During the drive, our tour guide Yeoni, explained the history of Seoul - from the Joseon Dynasty to the modern reiteration we now know today. At Peace Park, Yeoni pointed out several important monuments including a bunker, a comfort women statue, the Iron Horse train engine, the Peace Bell and the infamous 'Cow Bridge'. Cow bridge is so named because a defector, and founder of Hyundai Groups, Chung Ju-yung sent over 1001 'unification' cows over the border as a gift.

After Peace Park, we headed back onto the coach and was taken to Dora Observatory. As we went through a security checkpoint, our passports were checked. My picture, of course, is horrendous as I didn't wear any make-up and the post office didn't retake my photo despite my fringe blocking a part of my face. After we had gone through the checkpoint, Yeoni told us of how visitors could take a train to visit the DMZ prior to COVID-19. This was run twice a day during the weekends with the train stopping at Dorasan station.

Once at Dora Observatory, Yeoni provided us some additional information about the relationship between North and South Korea. And as we peered through the binoculars, she was quick to point out key areas of interest. Bleachpanda and I even caught glimpses of a North Korean guard standing outside their outpost!

From Dora Observatory, we then headed to the 3rd tunnel. During the drive, Yeoni told us that there were about 1,000 defectors from North Korea annually. Often, defectors would flee first into China and find alternate means to enter South Korea. Once in South Korea, they would be assessed to see if they're spies sent from the north. If legitimate defectors, they are given free housing for a few years as well as a mentor to help them adjust to life outside of the communist state.

What was most telling to me was how these two nations, despite their differences, stilled hoped for unification and to once again be one people. Time will tell if it will come to pass but their stories of families being split apart reminded me of several other countries that endured such trauma including Partition and the ongoing challenges between China and Taiwan.

As for the 3rd tunnel, though reviews made it sound as if it was a claustrophobic spelunking crawl, it honestly felt like exploring a low-ceiling granite cave with sufficient space for two people to walk abreast. It certainly wasn't as impressive as investigating the twisting labyrinthine tunnels of Cappadocia last year.

The 3rd tunnel was simply a very long tunnel with a sharp incline at its entrance. Once in the tunnel proper, it was flat although there were patches of water here and there. While taller people might accidentally hit their hard hats on the ceiling, I was short enough to get through unscathed. At the end of the tunnel was a metal barricade and a monitor with four video feeds showing what lay beyond.

Bleachpanda, fearing the 3rd tunnel experience after reading reviews of it online, did not descend. Which, honestly, might have been a good idea as she would have needed copious breaks on the way out given how steep the incline was.

From the tunnel, our last stop on the DMZ tour was the Unification Village. It was here that bleachpanda treated me to a lemon tea. Something I desperately needed after the slog of a climb back up to the surface and running out of my pre-boiled water.

So ended our visit to the DMZ, with the Seoul City Bus dropping us all at City Hall. As bleachpanda and I wandered back to our hotel, we stopped to visit the now open Deoksugung Palace. What made it stand out to the two of us was its very modern western-style garden and fountain, known as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Pictures are as below:

And while the visit to the DMZ was an eye-opening experience (my grandparents on my father's side actually met during the conflict although neither were on the frontlines), I couldn't help but feel I had missed an opportunity to chat with a few fellow Australians on the trip.

Still, I want to end his blog post by thanking Seoul City Tour, and Yeoni in particular, for taking us around the DMZ and safely getting us back to Seoul in one piece! You may have thought I was bleachpanda and the start but you certainly warmed to Kyndaris as the day went by. Even acknowledged us when we nearly missed the coach at the Peace Park because I had to search for a bin in order to throw the remains of my soy fried chicken away because the bus driver wouldn't let bleachpanda and I bring it along.

[lord-squiggletits]

One of the thing I love about IDW Op is that he's technically an atheist war pope. It's interesting that he didn't believe in religious aspect himself but was willing to use it for the power. Made his character more complex to me. Do you have opinion on this topic?

I have a lot of mixed feelings about it tbh. On one hand, I think being an atheist/agnostic fits IDW Optimus' character well (I've tried to imagine him as religious and just...can't), but on the other hand, I kind of have a problem with the way most media depicts religious people, and it's a bit disappointing that the Matrix has canonically been associated with multiple miracles (reviving OP and Hot Rod from death, creating new sparks, even Primus/Rung being able to make them) but Optimus still calls the Matrix 'nothing but a bauble' at some point like. Really bro? So there is a part of me that is disappointed at the Matrix being treated as a Plot Device rather than a proper, respectable religious thing. On the other hand, that's just not what the story is about, and I can't call a story/character bad because it didn't go in the exact direction I wanted.

TLDR: I think Optimus being agnostic/atheist makes sense for him, but I really dislike the way it was handled in the story because it feels more like it was used as a plot inciting device than some sort of journey of Optimus trying to discover his purpose. Also, the way he interacts with other religious characters had a lot of wasted potential, so I just feel like it wasn't written in a very interesting way? Basically, the writing is such a mixed bag of interesting concepts with mediocre/bad execution that I can barely focus on the in-universe implications and mostly just get mad at Barber's writing.

My feelings are also complicated by the fact that I don't like Barber's writing at all (it's like 90% dislike and 10% like) because of how bad he is about prioritizing plot over character emotions and stuff. Earlier on in phase 2 it seemed as if Optimus was genuinely curious about his religious role as a Prime and asked the Camiens for guidance on who he should be as Prime (Windblade, Aileron, the Mistress of Flame). In Death of Optimus Prime, OP literally wished he was dead when he woke up. He made a very big deal about how he's Orion now, not Optimus. In Dark Cybertron he had a whole crisis about whether he's Orion or Optimus. Basically, he was set up to have a huge identity crisis (especially since the war is over and leadership of Cybertron fell to Starscream), but any amount of introspection was quickly derailed into PLOT PLOT PLOT OPTIMUS ANNEXES EARTH AND FIGHTS GALVATRON. The story just devolved into bullshit plot on Earth that was just action, action, plot, things happening, with pretty much no room for the characters to stop and breathe and talk and have relationships with each other. I barely felt any emotional investment for most of exRID.

I think the only scenes we got with Optimus actually getting to reflect on this new role of his was 1. when he first met Aileron and asked her and 2. when he's telling Aileron he doesn't believe and then Pyra Magna comes in and gets mad at him.

Speaking of Pyra Magna, the story writing also annoyed me because from the moment she was introduced, Pyra Magna was SUPER self-righteous about how she should be the Prime instead of Optimus and she said that she would try to make Optimus into a better Prime. But then guess what happens? Her and Optimus barely talk and Pyra Magna is basically just there to form Superion and punch people :/ And then later on when Onyx Prime is introduced, all the sudden Pyra Magna goes from having strong opinions about what a True Prime should be and believing she's destined to be the true Prime........ to talking about how she's never trusted Primes and she left the Mistress of Flame for trusting a Prime too quickly??? I know Pyra Magna isn't Optimus, but the reason I'm bringing her up is because she seemed truly religious and opinionated, she SAID she was going to "teach" Optimus things, she seemed like she was set up to be a rival to Optimus, but instead they barely have interactions and the ones they do have early in the series end up being retconned later by Barber's shitty writing that puts plot over consistent character development so. :/ I really expected Pyra Magna and Optimus to have some meaningful interactions, some mix between a rivalry and a mentor/student situation, but instead all she does is shit on him like half the case of exRID/OP and it just made me mad.

(There was also Slide who went from worshipping Optimus to saying that his leadership style is "literally fascism" and monologuing about how Optimus is a conqueror while fighting Unicron and Trypticon is being killed in the background. She's so fucking annoying and comically stupid that I genuinely thought she was going to betray them or do something evil just because she was so unhinged.)

But if you want my actual in-universe opinion on atheist pope Optimus, I do think it's an interesting concept. It shows off Optimus' sense of duty where even though HE doesn't believe, he thinks that what other people think of him his more important. He sees that being a religious figure can help him do what he thinks is right, so he willingly plays that role as a means to a greater end. He's already a "patriot and hero" to the Autobots thanks to his military feats; he's used to being venerated (sometimes to unhealthy degrees) and knows how powerful his influence can be whenever he makes political decisions. I think that he basically saw the Camiens' worship of him as just a new form of the admiration he was already used to receiving. He's spent his whole life commanding armies so simply adopted the colonists into his ranks as well.

(Also, side note, it's so fucking hypocritical for Pyra Magna to call Optimus a piece of shit for "using belief, but not believing" only for her herself to admit a few volumes later that she's never trusted Primes. Why do you wanna be one so badly then if you think Primes are so awful? If it's because you think you could do a better job than past Primes, that literally makes you the same as Optimus, who is also trying to redeem the title of Prime, so you have no right to be punching Optimus in the face lmao. But I also genuinely can't tell if that hypocrisy is supposed to be deliberate or if Barber just did what he usually did and ignored character emotion/motivation/self-reflection in favor of shoving some backstory in for Pyra Magna that tied her to Onyx Prime.)

At least Optimus tried to discourage the blind worship and used the Camiens to do things he had already spent his whole life doing (fighting genocidal colonizers aka Decepticons and protecting organic lives) so I don't really see it as out of line for Optimus. It shows how IDW OP can be a politician as well as a military leader. I think it shows how Optimus can be clever and take advantage of his reputation to achieve his political goals (protecting Earth) and it makes him a more realistic character. Sometimes things that are good aren't done through noble means. Sometimes people do good things by being not very nice.

Also, for what it's worth, I think IDW OP is less manipulative than someone like Starscream, who constantly flaunted his "Chosen One" status while admitting he didn't believe in it (or wavering in his belief) and doing things like creating secret police and trying to kidnap sparklings. Like damn at least Optimus risked his life in the same battles he asked his followers to fight in, he ruined his reputation for the sake of protecting Earth from the Decepticons. Even if the guy is an atheist pope at least he puts his own ass on the line for things he believes in for the sake of protecting people who pretty much hate him lmao. That's why I'm more inclined to view Optimus sympathetically; he's living a lie for political means, but his politics are literally "protect humans and Earth from the bullshit war and destruction Cybertronians forced onto their planet", and the burden of leadership is making him depressed and passively suicidal, and eventually he literally sacrificed himself by jumping into a black hole to save millions/billions of people so like. Let the guy fucking rest lmao.