#swain the grand general

[porekagall]

daddy

[lichdandy]

Old Swain stuff for a pinup Zine

[stef-plays]

So lets says tears were spilled after that ending but moving on Swain was teased at the end(for non league players I’m talking about the crow at the end) so hyped up for that at least!!!

[mercless]

rather than fears i see them having , i'm just curious in general how they'd rank the following in base , modern , and high noon : large dogs , bodies of water ( can't see the bottom ) , bodies of water ( can see the bottom ) , heights , death , public speaking

large dogs: 4/10 "Most dangerous in a pack and without verticality nearby."

bodies of water (can't see the bottom): 10/10 "No."

bodies of water (can see the bottom): 8/10 "Water is deceiving."

heights: 4/10 "Only need to worry if you don't know how to get down."

death: 10/10 "..."

public speaking: 5/10 "No one would listen to me."

large dogs: 6/10 "Most are 'all bark' but I'm not looking to get mauled."

bodies of water: (can't see the bottom) 8/10 "Dangerous."

bodies of water: (can see the bottom) 5/10 "I don't swim."

heights: 5/10 "Just don't make mistakes when you're high up."

death: 9/10 "Life's shit but it's the only one I got."

public speaking: 7/10 "Fuck that."

large dogs: 2/10 "Don't matter the size, they know to fear somethin' that'll hunt 'em."

bodies of water (can't see the bottom): 6/10 "Ain't plannin' on a dip anytime soon. Not like one will appear in the middle of the dessert one day."

bodies of water (can see the bottom): 4/10 "Good for drinkin' or drownin'."

heights: 3/10 "Some mighty fine ravines to get lost in out there."

death: 8/10 "Do you know what's after death for demons?"

public speaking: 6/10 "Ain't looking to be a town crier anytime soon."

fear rating

[marysunburn]

The Dishonored Heir and her Golden Guards (wip)

After the events at the end of Arcane, Mel Medarda decides to take matters into her own hands and form a task-force of warriors who will defend the weak and helpless in the war to come.

Armed with her inscrutable gold magic, her personalized blimp and a good-luck charm from Targon – a gift from uncle Jae when she was still comatose – to protect her, she will put herself in line for what she believes in.

The first two she comes across are an ex-soldier of Shuriman-Ixtali heritage, forced to fight as a prisoner gladiator after rebuking the same violence Mel herself has always loathed and a rebellious Minotaur seeking to reclaim his lost honor. 

Now her blimp is riding into uncharted territory, where she’ll meet her first overseer.

A young Ionian girl with impeccable skills, who’s said to be the only one to strike fear into her greatest adversary: Grand General Swain.

[thescreaminghat]

goobers

[blackrosesmatron]

♡ For the Raven

from this meme: accepting

●●●●● | ATTRACTION

●●●●● | AFFECTION

●●●●● | INTEREST

●●●●○ | LOYALTY

●●●○○ | TRUST

LOW | ●●●●● | HIGH

"I do trust you, my dearest. But I have not lived this far by handing my soul to another person. Not again."

[bamf]

Noxus has endured, because Noxus is strong. But the Grand-General Jericho Swain knows there are many kinds of strength—and the greatest leaders of the next age will be those who can wield them all...

[elementroar]

Swain x LeBlanc becoming in-your-face canon after 15 years is so important to me

Look, I'm old. Over 35+ on Tumblr is ancient. I played League of Legends back on its shitty original client but had to be through the Garena client on top of that. Back when there was no ARAM, and Dominion was the only alternative mode and you better like it. Back when the actual League of Legends was an in-universe thing, the United Nations of Runeterra except it could actually enforce its edicts.

Swain and LeBlanc were basically created together at the same time. Swain was released first, and LeBlanc followed a month later. World-building back then was primarily through each champion's League Judgements which were basically providing their backstory, and the interrogations by the League to determine the champions' motivations. It's very telling then that Swain featured very prominently in LeBlanc's Judgement.

This was the first hint of the personal relationship between Swain and LeBlanc, and particularly LeBlanc's personal affection for Swain. These two would have a steady story progression from then on through events reported in the in-universe tabloid the Journal of Justice; with LeBlanc helping to pave the way for Swain to become Grand General. She has been his date, play-acted as Jarvan IV to 'duel' him to start a war, and even body-doubled for him in his final duel to become Grand General.

I can recall every single instance where LeBlanc and Swain were involved together in some event or major conflict, but it's irrelevant now. Cos all this? Non-canon since 2014. But I bring this up to show you that Swain and LeBlanc's relationship was a very real on-going mainstay of both their characters' arcs for 4-5 years.

But this relationship was actually taken into consideration by Riot when Swain underwent his visual graphic update and lore rework in 2018. See after the cut for the rest of my musing, developer and writer comments, and even some sneaky internal design notes that I happened to listen to.

So when Swain was being remade in his visual graphic update, it included his lore as well, including the major updates to what Noxus would be now.

And despite only LoL fans who read the lore that knew how connected Swain and LeBlanc actually are, their relationship was actually given a lot of special attention by Riot and Swain's then lead narrative writer, Riot Interlocutioner.

The major difference is in Swain's attitude to LeBlanc. In the old lore, it's heavily implied that the reason LeBlanc was doing so much for Swain because she had a deep personal affection for him. Swain on his part, was actually quite indifferent to her after her League Judgement, with their last interaction before the major retcons having her complain how he's been giving her the cold shoulder since he became Grand General (with her assistance), and him simply stating she "has (his) favor, and that is enough".

In current lore. Well. Let's just say Swain now clearly reciprocates LeBlanc's attention. If not hungry for it:

Players who knew their lore were able to ask Interlocutioner directly about how Swain and LeBlanc interact or regard each other now, and well:

I will say as someone who prefers some aspects of Swain's old design, I do appreciate how the new lore decouples LeBlanc from being entirely focused on Swain, gives her a higher overarching purpose in her own story, and also made her actually the older of the pair despite appearances.

Also, this was her man Swain back in the day. Yup, she was into this. Respect, actually. LeBlanc was all about appearances being deceiving, and her being into Swain despite his appearance was prolly part of the point.

That said, part of the lore update that was well-received was the exploration and additional depth given to Swain and LeBlanc's relationship, in whatever manner. They now have a clearer shared history - LeBlanc manipulated young Swain into thinking he killed her and the Black Rose, and got him sent on a suicide mission which she expected him to die in. But he returned and ended up stealing the demon she was aiming for to boot. Swain for his part was intrigued that she survived him killing her too. And both have 'intrigued' each other since then.

May be counter-intuitive to WANT your OTP to become 'enemies' and no longer openly cooperating with each other; but this is the infinitely spicier 'enemies and also lovers' upgrade.

You could say it's already canon that Swain and LeBlanc are a pairing, but a lot of things, like before, are implied and hinted. Heck the funny thing is in current lore, while Swain's affection for LeBlanc is obvious, we're not entirely sure how LeBlanc regards Swain, even though their writer confirms they are both enemies and lovers.

That's why with LeBlanc's VGU, and Fortiche's involvement and likely portraying Noxus in the next season in Arcane S3, I'm cautiously optimistic of seeing how they could be portrayed. There's a very sexually charged element between them. And obviously we see Fortiche is not prudish about portraying that element in relationships.

I've waited 15 years for my OTP to fuck. On-screen. In-canon. In glorious HD. I'm only upset that Swain doesn't have a true raven form anymore cos LeBlanc was totally a monsterfucker back in the day when Swain could transform into this.

Oh, and I have another little thing in my pocket. 8 years ago when Swain was getting his VGU, lore reworked etc. There was an official Riot dev podcast by their China team on Weibo. After airing, it was immediately pulled for saying too much ahead of the release. And it wasn't just the standard things, like revealing too much of his new abilities, or lines.

See I listened to that podcast and understand both English and Chinese. And I in fact still have that podcast downloaded. In that podcast the devs started talking about the internal design docket they were given to provide context and backstory as they translated lines that Swain would say to them and in what tone etc.

Naturally, I zeroed in on their section talking about his lines to LeBlanc. I needed to know post-VGU, what did LeBlanc mean to him.

Well, in a word, LeBlanc is his 对象. Meaning his girlfriend/significant other/intended, all the way up to romantic partner. While not as definite as 情人 and 爱人 , it does imply that Swain sees her as his romantic goal. This was further emphasized by them confirming the overall tone of Swain's interactions with LeBlanc is 'romantic'.

Original versions or post-VGU, Swain and LeBlanc are always conceived together as a character pair. I really just hope I get a satisfying payoff after 15 years of shipteasing.

I don't get involved much in League, game or lore, anymore. But this. This is important to me.

[ma1dmer]

League of Legends - Swain NSFW

the ungodly things i want this man to do to me

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex): He is a busy man, so he doesn't linger in bed for too long, but he is a gentleman so he makes sure you are okay before he can step away and return to his duties, might order someone to guard you through the day until you get home or something. //Or send his crows

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s): Swain doesn't have a favourite part on himself, not from a lack of confidence, nor from being too proud of himself, he just doesn't think of it. On his partner he has a fascination with the neck ,he'll bend you over his desk and scruff you like a kitten to feel your pulse accelerate ,or watch you throw your head back in ecstasy thinking how easy it would be to simply close his fist around your throat, press down and snap your neck, he won't do it, but the trust you put on him is so exciting. He'll also buy you necklaces specifically so he can put them on you. //Collars too

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person): He doesn't enjoy cleaning the mess, but oh does he love having you clean it up. Plays a quite cruel game of cumming inside and sending you off with the order of having none of it leak out until he calls on you again.

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs): He hates admitting what a distraction you have become to him, how his mind slips to you when he is alone in his office, images of you beneath his desk flashing behind his eyes. He would not dare actually risk it, but he has definitely thought of you pleasing him beneath the desk while a meeting is happening or something. He would like to think he wouldn't care even if you two were caught, he is the most powerful man in Noxus , no one would dare say anything, but in practice he knows its far too risky.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?): He has a decent amount of experience from his younger years before becoming Grand General. After that he had to limit himself a lot, Noxus and his duties come first.

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual): If its in his office something like the CEO , with his hand pressing down on the back of your neck the other hand firm on your hip. 

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc): He is very serious and intense, if you laugh or giggle at him, he'll take it as a chance to discipline you.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.): He trims as much as its necessary to not be entirely unruly, its all about being presentable.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…): Whenever he returns from the front lines ,or if he has been especially busy with Noxian affairs, he sends a dark red bouquet of roses with a letter inviting you to his office. There, he will have prepared some good wine and a small gift for you - something you can wear ,maybe something for the night ,wink wink nudge nudge- , he won't straight up apologise for being so busy, he doesn't feel like he has to, but at least he can understand needing to make the moments you are together special.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon): He is not a hormonal teen anymore, he can control his urges, and especially if he has a partner, he is a patient man, he can wait until he sees them again.

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks): BDSM, Choking, Cockwarming, Impact Play (spanking ,slapping), Boot worship etc.

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do): His personal matters stay behind closed and locked doors, but every now and then he won't mind letting them slip to his office, if he knows no one will come seeking for him.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going): Obedience, this man thrives off of power, a simple "yes sir"  can make his blood boil. And on the other front ,disobedience //slightly less, but it does the trick if you frustrate him enough, he’ll take it as a challenge, if you are going to be a brat he'll make sure to act accordingly.

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs): Sex in any public space, being in such an important position makes him a big target ,he won't endanger his partner or give anyone fuel to manipulate him.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc): There is nothing prettier than his partner on their knees, arms behind their back, his booted foot between their thighs as their only source of friction, their lips wrapped around his cock, 'Stunning' he'll purr in his deep voice while wiping away the tears with a gloved hand as they struggle to take him down their throat.

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.): Depends, what goal does he have in mind? Is his goal to simply show you how much he missed you after a long time away, or is it to punish you for being a nuisance.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.): Not a fan, finds them, distasteful, and something immature people do out of desperation.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.): Not really a risk taker, he likes to plan things, he plans when he'll see you, what he'll have prepared (food ,gift etc) and then have several ideas about how the night will go depending on how you act. He'll make it feel as if you have initiated it, but it's definitely his doing. Oh, really did the gorgeous diamond collar he got you ,match the similarly golden plug he got you several months back, and now you are curious to try it out? Hmmm, what a coincidence, who is he to say no to his darling.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…): He might not be young anymore, but he knows how to pace himself for the best outcome for both himself and his partner. //You can’t convince me the demon powers don’t come with some extra stamina as well

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?): Absolutely a fan, collars and ropes and leashes and plugs and whips and paddles. They are all carefully selected gifts by him, customised and handcrafted.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease): He is a cruel man, he can have his partner on the edge for hours either as punishment or simply forcing them to 'gain their reward'. He'll pull them right to the edge only to pull away entirely or deliver some sort of painful strike.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make): He is quiet, unnervingly so, his gaze intense, watching his partner carefully get more and more frantic in their attempt to please him, only to finally let go towards the end, close his eyes and grunt in pleasure as he holds you down on him.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice): I know this man has a pet play kink, i know it in my heart, if he could leash you up and walk you on your knees around Noxus, he would.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words): Definitely a grower ,on the longer side and he knows exactly how to use it.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?): He is no longer the young man we was once, so his mind doesn't run as wild as it used to and he often has so much to focus on that those sort of needs take a backseat, but he does have his moments where frustration and pent up anger get the best of him ,and where better to vent those feelings out ,than on his willing partner.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards): It takes him a while to get fully comfortable and relax ,so he usually falls asleep after his partner is out first, he'll stall with work or his nightly routine until he is sure you are asleep.

[aurelion-solar]

Swain, the Noxian Grand General in Wild Rift

[loveandlegacy]

one of my favorite things is swain and draven's whole dynamic like. i feel like it's fairly obvious that the grand general jericho swain doesn't really have friends he has subordinates and colleagues and erotically charged hateships but friends are rare. he calls darius his 'old friend' but i sincerely believe that relationship is defined by both of them bringing the most Unbearable vibe to the room such that they're kind of the only two people who can stand being around the other. but draven? funny as fuck. no one really likes draven either but for a totally different reason and i just feel like he's the one who went out of his way to force-friend swain like /that one tweet voice/ 'who's this morose richboy weirdo? i fuck with him severely' type of energy like can you imagineeeeeee these two hanging out. draven drags him to a [strip club] to get him to "have fun" and swain obviously tips well and everything because he's a responsible citizen but otherwise spends the rest of the time just giving off the most unapproachable energy on the continent despite being otherwise fairly handsome and all of draven's sex worker friends are like hey draven. what the fuck while draven tries to explain that no he rules actually and literally no one believes him

[impostores0o]

Noxus pt1:

Swain, the Noxian Grand General League of legends/Riot gamesAll credits to: • Victor Maury •, Vlad BăcescuSwain Production Art

´´I tried to scream then, to confess it all. To somehow beg for forgiveness. But there is nothing now, save for the soft murmur of whispers. I spill my secrets, this tale, into your ears. Fading like the rustling of wings, as the raven cries its carrion caw..." Raum The Demon of Secrets

Credits to: Larry "The Bravo" Ray Swain development

"I have learned enough to detest all men. Only nations may be revered." — Swain

League of legends/Riot games Swain development Swain promo art

"A power beyond mortal understanding gave me the vision to see what most cannot. I peer through the darkness others fear." The Noxian Grand General

Legends of Runeterra Set 2 - Rising Tides Swain character All credits to: SIXMOREVODKA STUDIO Fanart from: @ovsosito

"If they already call me a villain, what will they call me when I succeed?" The Grand General Swain

[fjotla-vithir]

“You can sit on a throne; that doesn’t make you a ruler. It only means you have an ass.”

-Jericho Swain, Noxian Grand General

[mollysunder]

How the Medardas Ran Afoul of Noxus (Probably)

The more I think about the Medarda Family, the more I realize how obviously they were all going to end up on Swain's shitlist. One of the more relevant things to know about Noxus next season is that Swain's coup will not just depose the current emperor, but he's also going to purge a number of old Noxian noble family. Swain will get rid of not just those who betrayed him, but those he considers a detriment to the empire. These are supposed to be families that enjoy unearned positions or, in general, betray Noxus and its ideals.

First, we have Kino. The most defining aspect that we know about Kino is that he believes that "war is a failure of statecraft". War IS Noxus's state craft! It's the reason the empire exists, it's the mechanism to how it's meritocracy functions. Where anyone can advance in society, nobleman or former slave, everyone is supposed to start at the bottom on the battlefield and work up. I'm curious how Kino could have navigated Noxian society and all its veterans with that kind of attitude. Obviously, he wielded a good deal of political influence to a cross a man more powerful than Ambessa, but did he have to go on the battlefield for it? Even if he did, these kinds of comments would only inspire suspicion in him and to his allegiance to Noxus.

Then there's Mel, obviously she was exiled, but in the eyes of many she's still under the Medarda family. Like Kino, Mel abhors the brutality of war, which is why she's comfortable building a future for a place dedicated to establishing a focus on "progress" and "peace" like Piltover. But there's another aspect of Mel that doesn't align with Noxus that isn't as highlighted. Mel thinks of power in terms of crowns.

In Mel's flashback, when she shares her idea of who could replace the recently deposed regime, she calls the figure a "queen". When Ambessa offers her the opportunity to rule, Mel says, "You'd give me a throne". That's not how any of that is supposed to work in Noxus.

One of the most interesting aspects of Noxus is that they explicitly do not subscribe to the rule of kings. Under Noxian principles, their rule is unearned because they inherit their titles and impose a system where every citizen remains stationary despite their ability and skill. This isn't to say Noxus doesn't have high ranking nobility, they even technically had an emperor. But they're all supposed to earn their place through service to the empire. All captured territories are supposed to belong to the EMPIRE, not be one noble family's personal fiefdom. If any high-ranking officer of Noxus is assigned a territory, they're called a steward, and someone from the previous regime who swears loyalty to Noxus are designated governor. No one is supposed to be called king or queen to avoid any association with the divine right of kings and the way it stagnates the people. Even the emperor is actually titled the Grand General because he's (in concept) supposed to extend Noxus's border and build its strength first and foremost.

But here's Mel, who as smart as she is, should know better than to play with the idea of queens and crowns for others and herself. And it's not like she ever really let that go. In Piltover, she managed to find a space where she can hold court with all the self-titled "Great" houses. A place where the interests of the state and the interests of Mel's inner circle are essentially interchangeable. Just like the monarchies Noxus criticizes, Piltover offers no upward mobility and expects its citizens to respect their inherited titles.

You could argue that Mel does still integrate some upward mobility into her court by uplifting House Talis. It's technically true. It's mostly inoffensive to move an upper-middle class, factory owning family to the highest echelon of society under her own patronage. But to people like Swain, he'd probably see someone moving a key ally closer to power for their convenience while creating clear access to a source of possibly unlimited power in Hextech. All the while, you're about to have this woman's family executed for treason, and this surviving member would truly not understand how they failed Noxus.

Finally, there's Ambessa. You would think Ambessa would only be guilty by association since she very much seems to epitomize the ideal Noxian warlord. Ambessa's well versed in battle and the politics of Noxus. She uses her strength and cunning to expand Noxus's borders.

The common theme for both Kino and Mel's stories is that when it really mattered Ambessa didn't correct their behavior. Despite how often Ambessa hammered the cruelty of the world, she never corrected the way Mel saw and talked about power. More precisely, she didn't tell Mel that playing royalty gets you at best disparaged by their army and, worse, killed for it.

When it comes to Kino, I imagine that while Ambessa may not have been fully abreast of everything he was doing, she likely had general knowledge of it. Ambessa didn't stop Kino's scheming, and if it's true that he was a part of the Black Rose, a secret society of nobles in Noxus that work to spread their influence in Noxus and beyond for power, and she knew about it, that's a death sentence. For Swain, it's not about crossing him, it's about threatening the empire, if one person or a group of people put themselves above it for their own gain, they're the worst traitors.

And that's Ambessa's true failure to Noxus. She puts her family first. No matter how little her children could fit the mold for Noxus, Ambessa does what she can consider her best at "protecting" them. For Mel, it was sending her away because she couldn't handle Noxus's violence. We still have yet to find out how much she knew about what Kino was doing, but it was interesting that Ambessa focused on the fact Kino "crossed the wrong man" instead of what he was doing to cross him in the first place. It's what makes Ambessa an interesting opposite to Swain, a man who values the survival of Noxus so greatly that he would condemn his parents and family to death for betraying it.

[collidescopeeyes]

Idk if anyone has already maybe can you make an angst for pyke and swain, Where they rejected femreader's feeling towards them, maybe bcus of age gap or they find her annoying or maybe they like her too but they thiught theyre not enough

Rejected confession for your own good: Swain and Pyke

Swain thought something like this might happen. He's excellent at reading people, and you haven't exactly been subtle. Still, it somehow manages to take him off guard, and a part of him wants to say yes, of course, I'd love to–but there are a great many number of his personal wants he's ignored for the good of Noxus, and this is just one of many. He is, after all, Grand General of Noxus, not to mention a fifty year old man with a demon living inside him that with every passing day strives to destroy him and everything he had built. You, though–you're young and sweet, and you have a bright future ahead of you that's better off untainted by the brutal and bloody reality of his life. He has no doubt that if he showed so much as an inkling of favor to you, his enemies would take note. The Black Rose, enemies of Noxus, the noble houses within that still vied for power, even himself should Raum ever find a way to bend him to his will. A dozen possibilities dance through his mind, poison slipped into your drink or your throat ripped out by Raum’s sharp claws or a note ransoming you against his country, asking exactly how much you're worth to him–

Outwardly, he seems perfectly calm, even while his mind ties itself in knots. Your hopeful smile threatens to break his resolve, but he's done much worse than break a heart for the good of Noxus. Still, he should let you down easy--you deserved that much. His voice comes out perfectly even when he says, “You're a wonderful young woman, but I'm afraid I don't feel the same.” He's much too good at reading people not to see how your face falls, before you cover it with a resigned smile and hastily excuse yourself. After the door clicks shut behind you, he scrubs his good hand over his face and allows himself to take three steadying breaths. Then, he returns to work. Noxus needs him. You're not the first, and not the last thing he'll give up for that.

–

Pyke absolutely did not see this coming. He's a fucking mess, who in their right mind would want him? He's dead. He's crazy. He's got a face like a lions scratching post and the temperament of a bull shark. He's a killer and one day death isn't gonna spit him back out again. What kind of life is that for anyone? Especially for you? You, the one good thing about this rat pit of a town, the one person who makes the seething mess in his head go quiet. You, who deserve so much better than a broken man with a short and bloody future ahead of him. Who deserves better than him. The voices rise, cascading over his senses like a tide rolling in. You're a killer, they remind him, and you will never be done. You belong to the Deep. You belong knife-deep in the ones who wronged you. There's nothing for you but that. Don't you remember how it hurt? The teeth, the saltwater in your lungs? Don't you want them to feel it too–

You're still waiting for an answer, he realizes belatedly. The voices swim in his ears, and his answer is clear. “No.” Your smile falters, and he almost reaches out to you before he catches himself. Fuck–he’s never turned down anyone whose feelings he gave a shit about before. He's bad with words, and worse with being gentle–another reason you're better off with someone else. “I mean–” his voice falters, struggling to put words to the tangled pit of feelings churning in his chest.

“That's okay,” you say, because you've always been far, far kinder than he's ever deserved. “You don't need to explain.”

He lets out a deep breath. “‘s better this way, trust me,” he grunts. The voices rise again, and he just knows if he stays here he's going to do something stupid, so he turns and dives off the dock without another word. He lets himself turn to sea-spray, let's the Deep take him down into it's crushing depths, as if he can outrun the memory of that sad smile on your face. Maybe it will–its not the first time the Deep has fucked with his memories, the least they could do is take this one.

It's for the best, he tells himself as he unfurls his list. He almost even believes himself.