#tez cackles

[sushisempai]

Nessian Family Fluff cont. (4/?)

Started this here

continued it here

then some more here

Not sorry at all, Cortez is amazing, the others are freaking adorable but I just have been able to do so much more with him and I have no regrets. Gimme time. I’m sure I will find some.

---

The boys were crawling as spring began to make itself known in the Night Court. Feyre had gotten it into her head to reach out to an old friend in the Summer Court and had brought Alis to join the family. She jokingly said it was a Solstice gift to all of them, though it was in the spring. Alis was excited to work as essentially a nanny for Nesta and Feyre’s ever growing brood.

When she had first arrived she had been so excited to see Feyre the two had shared a long hug and a few tears. She’d thanked Mor and Rhys for taking Feyre out of the Spring Court and practically squealed to meet Nyx and Isadora. As Feyre introduced the rest of their growing family, Alis eyes got wider and wider until she said “You really did find yourself a whole family didn’t you.” Feyre had only nodded. Alis’ boys Trynt and Marius were much older than any of the kids in the Inner Circle family though they barely both had their majority. Alis was confident they would get along well enough with everyone but they would be traveling back and forth to the summer court continuing their education.

Nesta was surprised to learn Feyre had built small apartment-like extensions in The River House. One was already occupied by Nualla and Cerridwen. Another was an extension of the hall that held the nursery for Isadora, Nyx’s room, and Feyre and Rhysand’s bedroom, among others. Feyre had indeed been planning ahead.

Isadora at a little over a year, was walking as well as being into everything and at 7 Nyx was just beginning training in the camps. Feyre was not the happiest about this, but knew it was necessary even as she resented the need for her child to be a warrior.

The families had the morning routine down to a science. Feyre would bring Nyx, Dora, and Alis to the training ring atop The House of Wind, drop off Alis and Dora, grab Cortez and head for Windhaven. Alis would add Dora to Nesta’s three. Sometimes Phi still wanted to “train” and would stay with the Valkyries, but other times she enjoyed playing with the new nursemaid in The House of Wind. Emerie now often arrived with Mor who sometimes trained with them.  Cassian joined them for training less and less in an attempt to work out all of his duties and have more time with his family. Sometimes he would be out of bed at five in the morning, already feeding children to let Nesta sleep before he disappeared to do his own training before going about his work.

Cassian could not express how much he appreciated the house. Having three kids under five meant they were into everything. He, Tez and Az had gotten very good at throwing up small colored shields to block the little ones from going places they should not be. It was great practice for Cortez. But as often as not the house would beat him to it, closing a door or a window, removing something from the floor, or making it so a cabinet would not open under tiny fingers.

Cassian had also gotten very good at doing everything from paperwork, to meetings with his brothers, to his workouts with Delphi on his shoulders. He joked that Delphi was part of his weight training and he could count on her to keep the difficulty going up consistently.

More recently he had tried doing push ups with one of the boys laying on his back and even though they had not yet started walking their little wings would catch the wind here and there. The first time Nesta had seen that she’d taken the babe from his back, handed it to Cortez and informed Cassian she needed to see him in the kitchen as she dragged him off. Cortez had rolled his eyes, handing the baby to Alis and mumbling something about having enough kids. Alis had absolutely cackled.

---

The training in the camp had given Cortez some new perspective. Cassian knew that without others his own age Cortez had been comparing himself to adults and the only Illyrian examples were fully trained at that. Cassian and Azriel knew he pushed himself hard and had been very encouraging. They worked to give him reasonable expectations and told him of where they had been at his age.

Training with others his own age had built his confidence as they hoped. Doing full days at the camps where he was often the strongest in his work groups had puffed the little guy up a bit. He would come home with the usual assortment of cuts and scrapes and let Az, Alis, Nesta or Cassian himself fuss over him for only a minute.

Today… today was very different. Az had winnowed him home instead of the flying he usually did to build strength. Cortez had a broken nose that was turning into raccoon-like circles around his eyes. One eye was swollen shut. He was holding his wrist even as he tried to wrap both arms around his torso and his wings were tucked in tight with pain. It was very clear it had been more than a practice fight. Cassian tried but Cortez wouldn’t make eye contact.

“I didn’t ask what happened, yet. I signaled Rhys to call Madja before I winnowed us back here. We’re going to meet them at The River House because coming up here is harder for her.” He nodded to The House of Wind around them. “Thought you might want to come. Where’s Nes?”

“Everyone is down at The River House already anyways, getting ready for dinner tonight.” Azriel seemed to remember the plans. Cassian gestured to Cortez to come closer. He wouldn’t outright ask the boy if it hurt to fly but he suspected it did from the way he’d roughly glided in after appearing outside the wards with Azriel. He opened his arms and looked a question to the young male who then nodded and wrapped his arms tightly around his surrogate dad, still keeping his eyes down and wings tucked in. Cassian pulled the boy close. It was comfort for both of them even as he needed to hold on to fly him down to the house. When had he gotten so tall? Azriel and Cassian’s eyes met knowingly as they launched into the sky.

---

Madja looked at the boy with a smirk of her own and gestured as if to ask permission to touch him. He nodded. She helped him lay down on the bed. The row of adults behind her was intimidating to say the least, all three brothers and Nesta, but she was not remotely nervous as she asked. “Do you want me to kick out all these busy bodies so we can talk?” He looked at her with genuine curiosity, seeming to wonder if she really could do that, but it was the first time he’d met someone’s eyes all evening. 

He shook his head and finally said “I got in a fight.”

“If you don’t mind Nesta,” the old female said “Let me set this bone first please.”

Rhys nodded to Azriel and without being asked the two slipped out of what had become Cortez’s usual room at The River House. Madja began looking him over in the nervous silence. He winced as the healer pressed on his torso, working her way down his body. After some minutes she helped him sit back up and looked over his colorful right arm.

Finally, Cassian said “We can go, too, if you want to talk to Majda.” Nesta glared at him but didn’t argue. He could not remember the last time he’d seen her this angry. Cortez repeated his statement.

Nesta cracked “We can see that!! What happened?”

Nesta’s eyes blazed if not literally. “His wrist is broken! How are you so calm?” She said to her mate gesturing to the boy.

“I’ll go get some of that tincture that helps with bone growth. I know where to find it.” Cassian said. “We’ll be right back. Dark green right?”

“Yes. That would be wonderful Cassian. Thank you.” He was fairly sure she had some in her working bag on the floor next to her, but didn’t mind making the trip to the pantry, and Nesta clearly needed to calm down a bit. He wrapped an arm around her and brought her with him to the door.

Madja started to explain to Cortez what she was going to do, probing the bruised limb. Cortez whimpered as Madja palpated the limb and Nesta stopped halfway through the door. Cassian pulled her through the door and shut it behind him.

In the hallway Nesta turned to her mate. “What the actual fuck do you think you are doing taking me out of that room!” Now that she was looking at his face she could see his anger boiling under the surface.

“He’s 12, almost 13, and he’s in the training camps all day. They get into fights. The number of times any of us or all three of us limped home... Hell, Rhys and I still beat the shit out of each other any time we have a bad day.” he said with far more calm than either of them felt. On some level she knew he was right. He started walking toward the kitchens and storage areas.

“That does not look like one on one. He comes home with one on one injuries all the time. That was other kids ganging up on him.” She seethed as she followed half a pace behind him, his long legs eating up the floor.

“We don’t know the story, Nes.” He said opening a cabinet she was unfamiliar with and looking through it. “For all we know Tez started it!”

She balked, “You don’t really believe that. He’s the sweetest kid on the planet.”

“He’s also a young male and Illyrian. I mean you had two sisters. How much time did you spend with teenage males?”

“Less than Feyre.” She groused. He ignored the remark, taking out two vials and closing the cabinet.

He headed for the kitchens next “Let’s find out what happened first.” He said as he passed her and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Then I will be happy to let you kill anyone who deserves it.”

---

When they returned, about 10 minutes later, Madja had managed to reduce the swelling around his eyes but he still had the look of a raccoon. His arm was splinted. His shirt was off with his ribs wrapped as well. There was already salve on one wing and she was applying some to the other in various places. 

“You made quick work of that!” Cassian remarked on entering. “One or two vials” He held them up. It was impossibe to tell for sure if the boy had been crying but Cassian was fairly certain he had cried while they were out of the room and was now trying to look like he hadn’t.

“I’ve had lots of practice, as you well know.” She smirked at him. “One for now. And then your young male has quite a tale to tell.” Cassian handed him the vial of tonic and he made a face as he downed it. Then Cassian handed him a glass of grape juice, his favorite, and he smiled a little as he took the glass.

“You don’t know their names,” he started, “but there’s one of the other trainees, he thinks he’s really special because he also has three siphons. They’re a golden green color… the siphons, not the trainees.”

Cassian’s eyes narrowed not amused at the attempt at humor. “I know the one. He’s older than you isn’t he? Just got the third one recently.” Cassian turned to his mate to explain why he knew the kid “Devlin is always bragging about him.” He then continued towards Cortez. “Melvin? Marvin? Did he do this?” Nesta bit her lip at Cassian’s blatant and intentional disrespect of the boy even as Tez missed it completely.

Cortez nodded then looked away, “Malek. He said something so I punched him.” He said it as though he were reporting that he’d completed his studies for the day. I did this thing that I needed to do, now I am doing something else.

Nesta stood up a little straighter and gaped at her son. Cassian looked Cortez over a little more closely and inquired mildly. “Isn’t he twice your size?” Cortez shrugged then winced. “Why?”

Madja sighed with a smiled. “You can tell them what he said. It’s alright.”

Cortez continued but more quietly, “He said that you,” and he gestured to Cassian, “are a bastard that got lucky. That you’re a nobody and don’t deserve to be a general but that the high lord pitied you... and some other stuff.” Clearly still not totally comfortable repeating the boys words.. Cortez looked like it left a sour taste in his mouth and he drank some more juice. “He said it like he would actually know, or something. But I don’t think he really knows any of you. So, I told him to shut his stupid mouth.”

When the pause lingered Nesta prompted. “I’m guessing he didn’t?”

“So you punched him… In the face?” Nesta questioned. Still a bit in disbelief. Cortez nodded.

Cortez shook his head. “He said he could say whatever he wanted... es... especially since it was true. That's what he said, that ot had to be true, that he could prove it." He stopped again looking between his parents until Cassian raised qn eyebrow. "cus you couldn’t be that great if… if... you are mated to a witch....” He trailed off anger boiled behind his eyes. “That was… I couldn’t just let him say those things…” Cortez finished the sentence even more quietly than had begun. His face was a complex roil of anger, hurt, disgust and guilt. Even as he hated what his peer had said, knew it to be wrong, he had in fact started it and caused all this trouble for his new family. They looked at Madja who nodded knowingly.

Cortez looked really ashamed now, staring at his feet, but continued. “Yeah, right in the jaw. Knocked the stupid look off his face.” For a moment Cortez grinned. “But I couldn’t punch him again. It hurt too bad.” He held up the now splinted wrist. “Then his friends were there. One got me right in the nose, and I couldn’t see, and then the gut… and I was on the ground… and they were kicking. It felt like forever before Devlin broke it up.”

“He threw the punch incorrectly.” Madja said. “Seen it many times."

Cassian took a deep breath and let it out as he tied his hair back from his face. “First things first, did you tell him how many times you’ve healed that same injury on me?” Cassian asked mildly of Madja. She shook her head. “Tez, I’ve done that very thing at least a dozen times.” The boy looked up with surprise evident on his face. 

“It’s true.” Madja confirmed nodding.

“I’m 542 years old. It was going to happen eventually.” Cassian thought for a moment looking to the ceiling. “543?”

Nesta rolled her eyes and continued, “Second, fuck those males. What they say doesn’t matter to me one bit! Hell, I did purposely tell them I was a witch a few times just to fuck with them.” Cortez looked shocked and then amused. He clearly could imagine her doing that.

“Yeah, people call me a low born bastard all the time. Even Nes, once.” Cassian said, mostly shrugging it off. Nesta rolled her eyes and pinched his arm. He chuckled and was pretty convincing in his portrayal of unaffected, even as she knew it did still sometimes bother him. “But I kind of started that.”

“Kind of?” She retorted

“I told her she was a horrible, selfish, and lazy person.” Cassian elaborated with all the concern of someone explaining something for the millionth time. Nesta waggled a hand as if to say close enough. Cortez was looking between them genuinely perplexed and unsure of what was happening. Madja chuckled.

Cassian continued. “I’ve been dealing with certain labels, certain perceptions people have of me, for my whole life. I’d be lying if I said it was easy. But what is important to know is that none of what those people say really matters. It hasn’t stopped me yet and it never will.” Cortez nodded. “And Nesta is kind of a witch.” He joked even as she punched him lightly in the side.

Madja reviewed the injuries so she could wrap up her business at The River House and head home. “Two cracked ribs and a good amount of bruising. It’ll hurt to laugh for a day or two, keep it wrapped. Bruises and muscle strain in the wings. Do you have the usual salve for that?” Cassian nodded. “Cleaned the cuts and scrapes, no stitches. Worst part really is the wrist. Keep it splinted for two weeks and he’ll need the bone tonic daily for the first 10 days at least if not all 14. I would heal it completely if he were grown but I don’t want to risk upsetting the growth plates. A few days of taking it easy won’t hurt him. Drink this?” She handed Cortez a vial and he downed it before downing the last of his juice.

“That’ll help the pain for tonight and let him sleep. He can have that in the evening for the next couple of days while the ribs heal.” She passed three more vials to Cassian, who nodded in understanding. He already knew how to care for the injuries but appreciated the female's attention to detail all the same. And as she made most of the tonics and salves that made up The River House’s cash it was no real difference if he got them straight from her or the medical pantry.

He gestured her over for a hug which was almost comical; he was so much taller than the healer. With that she slipped out the door of the small bedroom.

Cassian tucked Nesta into his side and turned back to Cortez. “I told you he started it.” She pinched him again and he laughed. “Punishment!" He raised a hand in warning. "Will be discussed in the morning." Though there was a humorous gleam in his eyes. It was hard to even imagine punishing the boy. The whole situation was so very much the sort of thing he would have done and genuinely sweet.

Cassian continued, “We are going to do more work on punching, but there is no shame in learning something through experience. Perhaps the most regrettable thing here is you let them get under your skin. Also, there is a big difference between practice and actually fighting. You are an amazing student, but picking a fight is very different. Much less picking a fight with boys older than you? What was going through your head?”

Cortez’s eyes went back to the floor. “I don’t know. I just couldn’t hear them talk about you like that.” Cassian nodded even as Nesta shook her head.

“Next time someone needs to defend Cassian’s honor, call me.” Nesta replied. “I can point at them and they'll freak out and shut up.” Cortez looked confused. “You know, because I’m a witch.” She explained with a smirk. He looked even more confused and tired.

Cassian said “Nevermind her, Tez. Are you hungry?” He nodded. “Good Nuala and Cerridwen made enough for everyone apparently. Rhys.” He tapped his head in explanation.

The three of them arrived in the entryway as Madja worked her way out of the house. The old female ran a gauntlet on her way out the door getting hugs from everyone. Apparently she’d politely refusing Rhysand’s invitation to join them for dinner but didn’t argue with the pre packed dinner the twin wraiths pressed into her hands.

---

A few weeks later, it was at another one of the dinners at The River House with absolutely everyone there, as usual, when Cassian had told them all something very interesting.

“Today I had my Spring version of the usual argument with Devlin about training the girls.”

“Oh yeah? How did that go?” Rhys had asked clearly believing he already knew the answer.

“Differently from usual….” Rhys stopped his eating and looked to his brother. At inquiring looks from several of the family members he added “He still doesn’t want to dedicate resources.” They shrugged and muttered agreement returning to their food. “But he was willing to admit that Cortez had kept up with training well while he was training with the Valkyries and he’s agreed to let the Valkyries train the Illyrian females.”

Feyre blinked “That’s wonderful isn’t it?”

Cassian looked thoughtful. “It’s not bad, but it could be better.”

Rhys nodded, catching on “Though he’s admitting the girls can be consistently trained and that he is willing to allow it; the girls are still being treated as different and separate. I’ll wager he still won’t let them in The Blood Rite though. Even if we didn’t think it was a terrible idea.” 

It was Cortez who asked “Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?” Cassian shuddered even as Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn remained conspicuously quiet.

Rhys was the one to answer him. “Because I don’t trust all Illyrian males to be as good to females as I know you would be; as I know my brothers are.” From the dark look that came to Cortez’s eyes Cassian hated the realization that Tez knew, at least a little of what his brother meant. Tez wasn’t even thirteen yet, but boys talk, and the boys in the camps didn’t always talk about things that were good. He was glad Nyx was eating with Alis even as he worried what his nephew would be learning as well.

Tez continued looking down at his plate even as his words were directed to Azriel. “That’s one of the reasons you don’t like our people.”

A moment of aching silence filled the room before Az finally answered “That’s one of the reasons I don’t like many males. It’s not only a problem with Illyrians, though they are bad enough. But you are a better male than that, as are the other males in this family. And it’s nothing that we need to worry about or try to fix over dinner tonight. I would much rather discuss this idea of the Valkyries teaching in the camps. I would very much enjoy watching that.”

Cassian chuckled. “I think he meant we’d bring the girls to Velaris but it’s impractical and he didn’t say it out right. I love the idea of having my mate and her sisters in arms showing off in the camps. They well know, and hate, that she is Oristian and that Emerie and Gwen are Carynthian.”

“You are?” Cortez looked surprised and confused as he looked at the women he’d been training with for over two years. There were chuckles all around the table at his excitement.

Feyre said with indignant humor “You’ve seen the painting in the hall of Nesta defending the Pass of Enalius!”

He shrugged. “I didn’t know that was the Pass of Enalius. I never heard anyone say it before.”

Gwen explained “We don’t talk about it because we don’t really care and it wasn’t really a very fun week.”

Emerie continued “To put it mildly. For example the only reason Nes isn’t Carynthian as well is she defended the pass so we could make it to the top. We were both more injured. Not to mention none of us had had anything but water in over two days.” They all got a little quiet at the memory. “You’ll never hear anyone in camps talk about it because they’re embarrassed that we did so well and killed so many on the way.” Emerie’s eyes were fierce.

“It felt like everyone was out to get us. Save Balthazar.” Nesta added “And we only killed in self defense.” She clarified lest the boy think them all bloodthirsty.

Cortez shrugged and went back to his food. “I guess I just never realized Mom was so cool.” He continued eating with the diligence found only in starving people and young males.

Nesta wasn’t sure she was breathing as she met Cassian’s eyes. They were both blinking back tears, determined not to embarrass the boy, but he’d never called her that before. They had gone from one kind of emotionally overwhelming to another faster than her mind could construct meaning.

Rhys saved them by continuing “Wait until you hear the story about my brothers and I in the rite. We are all Carynthian I’ll have you know.”

As Feyre smoothly rolled her eyes and said “Here we go.” to chuckling all around. 

---

That evening Cassian came into their room finding Nesta already in bed reading. She closed her book and looked at him. “Everything go alright?” She asked of his nightly routine to put Delphi to bed. She was just beginning to talk so he had taken to reading her stories to encourage her language. Bedtime for Delphi had been a Cassian thing for a while. She was a Daddy’s girl.

“She’s out.” He said. “The boys?” She nodded as she watched him strip to his undershorts. She didn’t think she would ever get tired of looking at her mate. He crawled into the bed and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her and lowering his mouth to her head. He gave her a kiss and then just rested there.

“Do you believe it!” She finally said. “Do you think he even realizes he said it?”

Cassian chuckled. “I know he realizes he said it. It was no accident.”

She pulled away a little and looked up at him. “What makes you say that?”

Cassian thought for a moment before saying “Everyone is different. But I never took to calling Rhys’ mother anything but Ma’am. Same with Az. But it crossed our minds. We knew what she did for us.”

Sometimes Nesta forgot the depth of her mates grief and trials. He was always so confident, swaggering around and quick with a joke. She raised a hand to his face even as he lowered his gaze. He felt the need to look away but she wanted him to feel her presence.

“He’s probably thought it a hundred times and then hated himself for thinking it. Then he probably thought it a hundred more. He’s probably wanted, for a while, to say something to make you know how much you mean to him, even as he is terrified that it will scare you or somehow change things. Even if it sort of slipped out, it’s only because it almost slipped out before and he caught himself so many more times than we know. Even if it slipped out. He realized it a moment later. He chose to accept that you’re his mom now, and that he said it out loud. He accepted that he said it and he left it there, to see what would happen.” His eyes were lined with silver again even as tears flowed readily down her face. “We gave him acceptance. Hopefully, it was the right move.” He met her eyes again. She nodded hopefully. He brushed tear away with a thumb and gave her a gentle kiss. “You’re such a good Momma.” He said with a soft smile.

She let out a hiccuping little laugh of happiness, nodding to him, even as the tears continued down her face. She couldn’t speak. She brushed his cheek with the back of her hand, holding his gaze, wanting him to see in her eyes that she believed he was an even better father. After a moment his expression softened and she knew he got it. He always got her. She pulled his head down until their heads touched in a momemt of perfect vulnerability and peace.

Laying there holding each other, open and raw in a way she’d never known existed, the intimacy was wholly different than any kind of sex or sharing of secrets. They both allowed the other to see their tears, their gratitude, their acceptance, their relief, and their hope. Finally she pulled Cassian’s face to hers in a slow, deep, loving kiss.

“Thank you.” She said quietly against his lips. He looked a question at her. “For seeing me, when no one else did. For seeing what I could be.”

He smiled back at her with a warmth all his own. “Anytime, Nes.”

---

A few days later Feyre winnowed Nesta, Gwyn, and Cortez into the camp a little early for morning training. Emerie was waiting for them near Devlin’s office. As soon as they arrived Cortez ran off to a group of other young males. Nesta realized she didn’t know anything about his friends, if they were his friends, and couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She didn’t see anyone else with three siphons. She couldn’t help looking even as she knew that it was considered bad to coddle the children. But if she found that Malek boy and his friends, it might not go so well. She did her best not to watch him in fascination; even as he pointed back to her and some of the other boys tried and failed not to be obvious in looking at the females.

I think you are going to have some fans. Feyre said into her mind with amusement. Nesta smirked as the approached Emerie and Feyre said out loud, “Do you need me to stay?”

The three females exchanged a look. Gwyn's eyes were a little wide as she realized her friends were deferring to her. She said “We’ll go to Emerie’s shop after our meeting if it doesn’t take the full time until lunch.” Feyre nodded and winnowed away.

“It is strange to be here in the morning after so many years of training at the house. And strange to not have the little ones under foot.” Emerie said to Nesta even as Gwyn’s large eyes continued to take in everything around them. While she had grown more and more comfortable outside the library it was still fairly rare for her to leave it. Nesta didn’t think she’d been to Windhaven since the night they were taken for The Blood Rite.

Devlin stepped out of the small building and looked at the three women. He did not hide looking Nesta up and down. “How long has it been since you had those boys?”

“Six months.” She answered, “Not that it’s really any of your business.” He raised an eyebrow but he didn’t say anything else. “You’d be amazed what females can do when you let them.” She retorted, making no effort to hide her disgust at his obvious evaluation. “I’ve been back to full strength for months.” She didn’t dare to tell him that as she’d grown weaker during the last weeks of the pregnancy on forced rest, that she’d feared the work ahead. Or that it had been a battle, hours of work every day, like she hadn’t done since she first began training. That was none of his business, either. She just stared the male down, daring him to question her; stiffening her spine against the blade down her back.

Devlin was the first to look away. “As you say lady.” Even Emerie quirked an eyebrow at the clear respect. “Come in. It seems we have much to discuss.”

She wasn’t a lady but she dared not say it. They had agreed that Cassian helping them with this would only undermine the authority of the females, who he emphasized were perfectly capable of handling Devlin. He had gone as far to say he would be sorry to miss the stand off he was sure would be impressive.

They followed the camp leader into his office. “I don’t know how much you are aware of,” he began, sitting on a stool beside a large table. The table had clearly been designed to be used for any of a number of possible purposes. The three females didn’t sit even though there were stools enough for them all. They were all taller than him in this configuration. They knew it and he knew it. He adjusted himself on the stool determined not to show any discomfort even as Nesta continued to stare him down. “But Cassian and Rhysand have had this fool plan to make a unit of female warriors for just about as long as they’ve been in command.”

“I’m aware my mate and my sister’s mate have made efforts to improve the rights of females in Illyria, yes. And I am aware they have done so in many ways.” Nesta said. Emerie’s lips crept up on one side as Devlin attempted not to show his growing discomfort.

“As you say.” He grumbled. “Well, they’ve asked repeatedly for me to pull resources away from training the males, which I am loath to do. Surely you understand the importance with your own son now training among us.” He gestured in the general direction of the training areas outside.

“Yes, I am aware that the boy you threw out like so much trash, that my mate and I offered a home, has been just as well, if not better trained than the other young males in this camp.” Nesta stated, again not having any of Devlin’s bullshit. “And yes he trains here now, but don’t expect me to give you a pat on the back for simply doing your job.” Devlin began to look really angry. “And yes, he received that excellent training from working with myself and my fellow Valkyries up until recently.” Before Devlin could continue she added. “I am here because I understand you have offered my sisters and I a chance to train some of your young females.”

He nodded, his face now taut with anger. “My priority is the young male warriors that this court depends upon. If I must allow the females to train then this is a reasonable alternative to pulling resources away from the males.”

“That is absolute horse shit. You could train them all if you so chose. And don’t think for a second that I forgot that Cortez should have been training with you for the last two years. We’ve already picked up your slack. It is your responsibility to train all those younglings in your camp male or female. You think I don’t notice how now that he is a promising young male with three siphons, suddenly he is worth your time? Do you think I don’t see how suddenly he is ‘General Cassian’s son' and not just ‘that orphaned boy’ that you couldn’t be bothered to care for? He was a problem. One that you were more than happy to dump at Cassian’s feet. I have no doubt these females will be the same; suddenly worth your time once we’ve shown you what they can be.” Devlin stood and glared at Nesta.

“If you are quite finished! I refuse to take resources from my pupils to dedicate to some ridiculous daydream of Rhysand's and Cassian’s. That is nothing new, they both know it. I will grant that the three of you have done fairly well for yourselves and I am willing to allow the females of this camp to train with you. But they have other responsibilities to this camp and I won’t see our way of life disrupted. Two hours in the early mornings, four days a week.” Devlin’s face was red enough that Gwyn and Emerie were barely holding themselves from leaving the building.

Nesta’s eyes narrowed seemingly unphased. “Four hours, seven days a week.”

Devlin growled in response. “Three hours, five days a week.”

She glared at him angrily, “It’ll have to do.” But she raised a hand in the air pointing just above his head. “But if you give me nonsense excuses…” She trailed off.

Devlin quickly sat again trying not to look as if he feared her point directly at him. “I said it didn’t I! I’m good to my word. Now out with the lot of you!” Then they were out and Nesta slammed the door behind herself.

Gwyn’s eyes stayed very wide even as Nesta visibly relaxed and Emerie just shook her head. They made it to the edge of the camp heading into the little village before Emerie burst out laughing. “He was so scared of you!” At the statement Gwyn tittered as well. They were all giggling now, a release of the tension and relief that the situation was over.

“It’s not really all that fun to have people be afraid of you, usually, but that wasn’t too bad.” Nesta continued to giggle to herself.

“Something I don’t quite understand.” Gwyn said. “Three hours, five days a week is what most of the Valkyries do as it is?”

“I know.” Was all Nesta said and the three of them were laughing in earnest as they stepped into Emerie’s shop.

---

@swankii-art-teacher @wesupremeginger @elsie-bells @perpetuallyannoyedbisexual

For part 5, go here.

[hoesamo]

GOD I LOVE THESE BITCHY OLD GAYS. Balor and Tez have such good banter and interactions I’m cackling.

[cottagecryptic]

my grandmother: I don't like regular oreos

me: awe why not they're great

my grandmother: I just don't like the extra goop

me: the what, now?

[ngno-closed]

you said it was going to be one job. that this was a temporary phase until you found something more purposeful to do. but as your board hums beneath your feet and you head full speed to damnation it’s hard to care. overhead a multitude of neon streaks across the sky and you cackle as you kick up the board and hop over a sliding scale of steps. tonight is going to be a riot. across town you find your way home after a night of too much gigglewater and spice. there’s another with you and together you find your way up the stairs with a few missteps and raucous laughter. together you find company even if only for a night. she is beautiful and in the moonlight you paint. humming to yourself a hymn for a lover long gone. 

NAME Baast

ALIAS Cleo

APPEARS 25-35

PRONOUNS She/her

PANTHEON Egyptian

OCCUPATION Artist & courier

THE GODDESS HERSELF

It’s easy to miss Baast as she hurtles past you like a mirage, kicking up dust under the fluorescent glow of her hoverboard and popping her e-bubblegum. She’s an enigma, guardian of women’s secrets and protector of felines. Soft, and honoured, yet feared as The Lady of Dread by those that follow old lore. Nowadays, Baast is a far cry from her younger self. The temples of Baast have fallen to rubble in favour of fast food joints or sky scraping apartment complexes, but felines have come full circle. Once revered in the ancient world and now, mortals have returned to old whims. They dedicate their lives to their felines and igniting worship that has been dead for a millennium.

Now, you’ll know her as Cleo the Goddess come delivery girl for the divine. The temporary employment came out of boredom, a willingness to scratch an itch, but after reaping the rewards Baast was hooked. There’s certain perks to the job, bonuses in the form of revolutionary technology, a mediocre selection of Tez’s latest creations. For Baast she does it for the freedom to be herself when three am hits and she tears up New Orleans on her hoverboard driven by her innermost mania. It’s no different to her cramped apartment filled with half-finished paintings and strewn sketchbooks. Baast is hinged on intense bursts of motivation, and beyond that she disappears into her sanctuary of blankets for days on end.Every pantheon has their own rules, the Egyptians are no different and as keeper of secrets Baast knew of Sekhmets’ many affairs. It was never her intention. But that was how Baast justified falling, and falling hard, for her mortal. Baast told herself they’d only be friends and nothing more; the risk was too great, the pain unbearable. Not even a goddess can stop herself from falling in love. Everything was tantalisingly sweet, Baast started to forget why they were forbidden from falling in love and then, without warning, she was faced with the truth. Baast doesn’t have Hebe’s power of youth, but like all immortals she ages slow, slower than a mortal would. The last decade of Hailey’s life had to be the hardest years Baast has ever faced. Plagued with illness, she spent her time at Hailey’s bedside, holding her hand. Driven by grief she found the face of death and throttled him. She told Anubis with absolute clarity that Hailey was to be loved and cared for. She deserved a peaceful journey to Aaru.Now, she’s a lifetime on from that, but the grief haunts her and lingers in the paintings she’ll never finish. Baast threw herself into everything when she descended, for the better or for the worse. It got her a job she loved, friends and ambivalent associates, it also got her Hebe. For Baast it was a mistake, a foolish attempt to salvage what was left of her tattered heart with an immortal, someone who couldn’t succumb like Hailey did, but Hebe isn’t just any immortal. Hebe is her own brand of divine. Sweet as sugar, ready to rot you down to the bone, even aware of the risks Baast let herself fall for her. They were together for a mere passing glance in an immortal’s lifetime, even still those years burned Baast like a brand.

Under the name Cleo, Baast has worked for numerous immortals. She might not care for them directly, or think them particularly ethical, but they pay well. Besides her midnight mania is sated by frequent deliveries via hoverboard. Of all the immortals, she has worked with her favourite was Nintinugga. She delivered for Nin frequently, and irregularly would help in her clinic downtown whenever an extra set of hands were required. Without ever meaning for it to happen, Baast grew close with Nin. Their friendship was quiet and peaceful, but short-lived. Maybe if her ascension hadn’t happened out of the blue, the same week of Pan’s disappearance, the clinic wouldn’t be abandoned now. Without another healer to take Nin’s place Baast is at a loss with what to do with the clinic, she doesn’t have the expertise to run it, but mortals depend on it. Her choices are slim, Utu doesn’t know why Nintinugga’s ascension happened so erratically, Heph’s technology doesn’t help her contact her own pantheon, and Veles is too impudent to help without reward. For now, Baast has fallen back into deliveries and half-finished paintings, but every time she boards past Nin’s clinic she feels the same pang of guilt.

DID SHE MURDER A GOD?

Pan was an annoyance. A fly on the wall that Baast could never quite get rid of. He flirted incessantly with Baast knowing it would only irritate her and rile her up. Which it did. In every descension Pan has sprung up like a weed that Baast wished to be rid of. Though Baast is usually level-headed and calm, Pan has always pushed all of her buttons.

WHO DOES SHE LOVE, HATE AND DESIRE?

Tsuku Considerably large number of the deliveries Baast makes are for Heph and his ever sprawling, never ending, electric empire. Whenever she picks up the latest stash of goods to be taken across the city, she makes an effort to talk to Tsuku. She’s met him a handful of times, in a handful of lifetimes, but never like this. He’s quiet, never seems to know if he’s coming or going, just hopelessly lost in his own daydreams. It’s easy to judge a god based on their previous lives, or their fabled lives, but for once Baast is troubled by what she sees.

Anansi Anansi’s a laugh, which is a rare find in this town. Baast sees some interesting things in her job, things that she’s sure Anansi would love to get her paws all over. Baast keeps her lips tight, but Anansi enjoys her company nonetheless.

Hebe The goddess of youth, in all her damnable glory, was a fling that Baast never should have indulged in. Rule number one of immortality, don’t fuck the humans, rule number two, don’t fuck a god. In the moment it was all Baast wanted. She lived alongside Hebe in a glittering haven of affection and intimacy, but once the fire had burned out it became evident there was nothing else there. It shouldn’t have surprised Baast that for Hebe it was meaningless. A study into whether she was interested in women, apparently despite spending little time outside of their once shared bedroom, Hebe was not female inclined.

Heph & Tezcatlipoca She knows that they aren’t completely innocent with all they do, but as long as she doesn’t know what she’s delivering she’s happy enough to work for them, plus they see she’s well-rewarded.

FC SUGGESTIONS Ryan Destiny, Damaris Lewis, Imaan Hamman RECOMMENDED ACTIVITY LEVEL Low-middle AVAILABILITY OPEN

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastet https://www.ancient.eu/Bastet/ http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/bast.html

[tezsaltblogsrhpc]

A Pot of Cardamom Tea: End of AH2 and more Nemesia Nonsense

"Tez, are you okay? Do you need a doctor?"

The sound of my wheezing laughter is still audible through the bunker door.

"Do you need me to fetch your asthma inhaler? You don't sound good."

"No-" I begin, and then I remember that Hugo face again and dissolve into a fresh, increasingly hoarse burst of giggling.

Once it subsides, I once again open the 3DS to attempt to resume gameblogging.

It's still on the screen.

I dissolve into cackling yet again as you hammer on the door, wondering if you're going to need to call an ambulance.

*presses A button with eyes shut* Let's just get that count from last time marked off, shall we?

How Do I Art: 26

Hugo also has a D: face introduced in this scene that would absolutely be worthy of comment if it hadn't come right after that. Look at me, heroically trying not to start giggling again so I don't worry you.

How Do I Art: 27

At least Heiss's VA finally sounds like he's having fun on "You really ought to destroy that sort of thing immediately."

Original: "It was evidence of the secret treaty I had with them…" PC: "It was evidence of our treaty…" I suspect this mostly got changed to fit it and the next line into one text box, but it's still an improvement, because I don’t think Hugo is dumb enough to admit to having a “secret treaty” in front of grunts.

Changes I Don’t Hate: 51

THE ANGRYFACE IS BACK AND I AM LAUGHING. I CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS. HE'S GOING TO HAVE THIS FACE HALF THE AH ENDGAME. I WILL NOT SURVIVE.

They made Flight not a node anymore, which makes sense, since they just added the one at Hugo's office. It didn't make much sense as a node in the first place. Guess I might as well retroactively give that a

Handy-dandy gameplay changes: 17

...Okay, let's be fair and give them points for the other two new nodes they added, allowing for, respectively, an easier time finding Dias's quest and skipping the pile of cutscenes at the start of AH1.

Handy-dandy gameplay changes: 19

Though I also realized I never gave "they changed the footstep noises to make them even MORE intrusive" a count for The monkey's paw is flipping me off, so that goes up too.

The monkey's paw is flipping me off: 5

Original: "He'll die if I don't!" PC: "If we don't, he'll be killed!" Reasons the original is better: 1) Stocke is talking about doing this by himself at this point, and tries to discourage Sonja from leaving with him, and 2) not a good time for passive voice.

Why was this changed? 149

They used Stocke's neutral face on him yelling Sonja's name with a jagged word balloon? Seriously?

Poor choice of expressions/voice clips/sound effects: 36

Neutralface on Stocke going "(Ah, Kiel... he'd have a good laugh if he could see me now...)" is... not as weird as some of the other expression mismatches, but once again makes me wish they'd bothered to include something like the bittersweet/tired/sad smile he has in his original portrait.

Stocke's VA continues to read things deep-voiced dramatically that I read more as "matter-of-factly snaps instructions." I swear Heiss's voice acting stole all the self-control and stoic professionalism so Stocke had to take the dregs and there was none at all left for Raynie.

Original: "I'll have to get a little absurd to survive that." PC: "I'd have to be a little absurd to survive that." This is such a weird change to make.

Why was this changed? 150

...They made it so the soldiers no longer take their swords out when they see Stocke and Sonja. Why.

Why was this changed? 151

...Seriously? Not even going to let Sonja's VA yell on "I'm going?" Let Sonja snap at people when she's upset, sheesh.

*cheeses through boss fight on half HP and half MP because they didn't change how the enemy movement AI works*

I'm not surprised they used Stocke's shaded-eyes glareface for the "yeah he totally just massacred an entire squad of soldiers by himself" bit, but add "exhausted and in pain but still fighting" to the list of expressions they badly needed a portrait for for him. It wouldn't get a ton of use, but if they can give Marco a Simmering-Fury-exclusive evil-eyes portrait, they can give Stocke a "this is so little amount of knives that I am stabbed with" portrait that gets used in a couple of major plot scenes and several bad ends.

...Aaand neutralface on the bit before he passes out. "Just plain exhausted" should probably go on the list, too. But even the existing sadface would have done the job.

Poor choice of expressions/voice clips/sound effects: 37

I see they didn't change the fact that Aht is inexplicably listed as "????" when she shows up here.

Things I was not expecting: the fact that Gafka sounds like my grandpa. I'm half-expecting him to start talking about owning a hardware store in the '50s.

Aht's random blobs of tears at inappropriate times because she doesn't have another neutral or frowny face are back, I see. Maybe she has rainwater in her eyes. :::PPP

Poor choice of expressions/voice clips/sound effects: 38

...Why did they use the tearface on "Now that I see him up close..."?

Poor choice of expressions/voice clips/sound effects: 39

My opinion on "He looks really cool!" remains on the record, by the way.

Teo's voice acting once again managed to express an actual emotion, and, as usual, it was passive-aggressive disapproval. Which is, admittedly, pretty appropriate on "You don't shy away from pushing your limits, do you?"

...Siiigh, Nemesia stuff. And ha, I see that while they did fix it so hitting "White Chronicle" at a chapter end won't force you to redo the end of that chapter from the last node next time you go back, they didn't blank out the event description, so I guess Stocke can just read ahead in his life and know he's going to wake up in Celestia.

Handy-dandy gameplay changes: 20

Oops: 18

That said, honorary demerit to the gameplay count because they removed the touchscreen buttons for Vanish and bombs. Though I don't know if 3DS shoulder buttons are as prone to breaking as DS ones were, which was one of the main reasons the touchscreen ones were useful.

Anyway, let's go see what worlds the Devourer of Faces wants us to plunder for her now.

Two unlocked: "Thaumachine Rampage" (I have a suspicion I know what that one is) and "Battlefield Breakout" (which has a key).

"You know, I heard that Fennel has gone out on the battlefield himself this time!" yeeep, this is  what I figured it was going to be.

Apparently Stocke is a Major in this timeline, and of course we're not going to get any backstory on why that is or how he got stationed at the Sand Fortress. And an NPC thinks they should have had Viola inspect the thaumachines before deploying them, because she ~totally~ would know how they work well enough to spot a technical flaw that Fennel didn't.

I didn't notice this before because I was too focused on his stupid portrait, but why is Fennel's Zamboni green now?

Why was this changed? 152

...Fennel's VA seems to be having fun making gibberish noises.

...So. Great. Apparently this ~artifact~ can make you a technopath. And it just. Was inside Fennel's Zamboni for no reason whatsoever. And we're just. Going to hand it over to Nemesia when this is done.

Nyarlamesia: 10

for the fact that these things continue to be sinister as hell.

At least, aside from the ongoing commitment to the stupid use of timeline resonance because I guess someone decided it wasn't Dramatic(TM) enough if you cause the end of another world, this one was marginally less stupid than the bomb one.

I Question that Fennel would just answer a series of vague, dumb, intrusive questions about what happens if his Zamboni glitches, at least without a grandiose rant about interrupting his research first. But whatever, it's not like he's exactly a well-developed character, I guess he could be an evangelical transhumanist who is dying for people to ask any question about the Zamboni so he can brag about it. But just for the record, I think this is the most boring possible way to have this scene play out, and as such am completely unsurprised that it's what PC went for.

Wow, uh, okay, so PC engaged with the old plot hole of "how can the people working in the secret lab find all those invisible switches you need to use to access the transporters," and their answer is apparently "they can't." ...Okay. That... makes it worse, but okay.

...Seriously? He just left an invisible sheet of paper lying on the floor? Dude, at least pin it to the wall or something so it doesn't get stepped on.

"Thaumatech Fennel Type 2 OS". Real inventive name there, PC devs.

Oh, apparently there IS a reason a portion of a key to an elder god's tomb was inside Fennel's Zamboni.

...oookay the inconsistency about whether thaumachines are piloted or not just got even more confusing. Whatever, it's a different fragment, I'm just writing it off as how thaumachines work in this other timeline.

"I'll be holding onto that from now on," says Stocke, and then somehow takes something that is inside Fennel's Zamboni.

...aaand then I remember I didn't try putting in the wrong code. SIGH. Time to go make our poor, put-upon dead prince discover that Fennel has a self-destruct button.

Fennel's VA is now having even more fun making gibberish noises.

"This can't be happening!" Me too, honey.

And it resonates with the main timeline and causes a bad end, because as we all know, technology instantly ceases to function as soon as the dude who made it dies, and there is no one in Alistel who is good at thaumatech except Fennel. ...Okay, I admit, the bigger issue to me is that the extremely date-sensitive nature of this one just makes all my old "but what causes timeline resonance to hit the other timeline when it does" questions even more insistent.

"*complete and utter baffled exasperation* Why did he build himself with a self-destruct function, though?!" ME TOO, HONEY.

Oh, a rare reversal of the common PC trope of "passionate speech with Stocke's neutralface"! Yelling portrait, spiky word balloon, and exasperated deadpan "You HAVE to be kidding me."

It's really bizarre that they have Lippti going, "~Don't lose hope~" in both the bad ends on this fragment. This is not only a timeline Stocke has no personal investment in, it's even optional. He could walk away from this and forget it ever happened and there would be no consequences.

Anyway, let's go do the key one.

"I'd warn you to prepare for a fight, but you're always ready." With a better writer and more interesting voice-acting, that could have been a funny line. Unfortunately, we had neither of these things, so Nemesia just reads it straight. (I'm not blaming Nemesia's VA; I'm sure she's just doing what the voice director asked, and she doesn't exactly have a lot to work with.)

Seriously? That's your "ruckus outside" noise? It sounds like a crowded room full of people talking, not a bunch of people running around and shouting, which is what I'd guess it's supposed to be.

Poor choice of expressions/voice clips/sound effects: 40

NPC soldier: *runs five feet down* *runs three feet back up* "A message from the battlefield!" How do you know that. Did you catch a paper airplane that the game didn't bother to show.

How Do I Visual Storytelling: 28

*On Viola having a bad time* "But that's impossible!" Um. No it isn't. Like, it literally happened in AH1 that things were going badly for Viola at one point. You can get a bad end by sending her help. I mean, okay, whatever, this is another fragment, so all bets on anyone's characterization but Stocke's can be considered off if one is so inclined, but. One squad being in trouble, even if it has Viola in it, is not that weird if they're dealing with an actual army. ...Not that we've been given any information about what the actual situation here is, so I don't know how much they were expecting.

...Aaaaaand Stocke just goes "we have to help her!" DESPITE THAT BAD END IN AH1. He has literally experienced this situation firsthand before, and knows that that time, they had to stay at their posts and she'd make it back fine, and if they went out to help her, the Fortress would get taken and the Alistellian army would be stranded in Gran Plain. At least put in a line of internal monologue like, "(With an Artifact in play, there's no telling what could happen if I don't stop this...)"

This is apparently another fragment where Stocke is a Major, but Rosch is obviously still in command of this operation. Still no explanation for what exactly the circumstances are that led to them being that high-ranked and stationed at the Sand Fortress.

Honestly, that's kinda one of the biggest things that's bugging me about the Nemesia timelines so far. They mostly seem to be focused on "what if this thing happened," not "how would this world be different."

Aht still gets her utterly useless AOE knife skills, I see. One of the weirdest parts of my benchmark playthrough was those being useful.

Rose Balsam: *Self-destruct* Rosch: *takes 83 damage* Other Rose Balsam: *Self-destruct* Aht: *takes 1 damage* You want a really wild divergent fragment, how about one where Gafka and Rosch don't die if a mage sneezes at them and Aht and Eruca don't die if a melee attack happens within a ten-meter radius.

...LOL, I just noticed they changed the description of Cross Spike to be wrong. It's a fixed area- middle row and middle column. The original description was "+ pattern / Physical." Now it's ""+" shape centered on target / Physical", except unlike the actual "+ centered on target" skills (Aht's Cross Star and Eruca's Judgement and Death Penalty), you still can't change the target.

Why was this changed? 153

Oops: 19

oh dear god please don't tell me I'm going to have to listen to Paelzen's terrible voice clips again.

Annoying Sound Effects: 28

Blah blah divergent timeline blah, but just putting Viola in for Rosch's position in AH2 does not work. There was an actual reason he was way out on the west side: they were sent out as a recon force, so they were supposed to go around the main enemy army while it was skirmishing with soldiers from the Sand Fortress, then rejoin them and head back. Viola leading a direct engagement force heading out from the Sand Fortress would have no reason to end up in that clearing; she'd have to completely abandon her clear line of retreat in favor of putting the bulk of the enemy army between her and the Fortress just to get there. It's not even like there are any Granorg soldiers in eastern Gran Plain like they got behind her and cut her off; the trash monster setup is the same as your first time through Gran Plain in AH2, with only goblins on the first screen.

Also, you cannot tell me Viola, injured or no, would have ANY trouble with Paelzen. At least pull out a slightly bigger fish. Palomides or someone.

...Wow, Kiel's sheepish-looking smiley sadface is actually even less appropriate here than it was in AH proper.

Poor choice of expressions/voice clips/sound effects: 41

What the hell is Kiel even planning? In AH, they thought they'd already killed everyone, so when they saw someone running they chased him down because they didn't know who it was. But unless Kiel has a bomb or something, nobody's going to focus on one random grunt when they have the supreme commander of Alistel's armed forces pinned down right in front of them.

"Captain Rosch! Sergeant Stocke!" Wow, that's even worse than usual in a fragment where Stocke is a major and Rosch has to be at least a colonel.

Oops: 20

Kiel: *dramatically runs off to hold off enemy reinforcements* Me: *facepalms into the sunset*

First off, unless in this fragment he's a way more dangerous person than usual, Kiel trying to hold a point himself is beyond nonsensical, because he wouldn't even slow them down.

Second, we have (barring Aht, who has no reason to be in the party but is because they didn't bother limiting the party to people who have any logical reason to be there in any of Nemesia's timelines) 4 veteran soldiers here, plus Viola. Even if we assume Raynie and Marco don’t count because they dropped off the face of the earth again and aren’t showing up in cutscenes, there is NO REASON that Stocke and Rosch couldn't split up; have Rosch, the TANKY ARMORED AOE SPECIALIST, go up and stall the reinforcements while Stocke, the red mage, casts G-Heal on Viola. Even if Kiel just made this bad decision alone, there's no reason one of them couldn't run after him because he's going to get slaughtered and it won't accomplish anything.

Also, more of Stocke talking, out loud, in front of a bunch of other people, about timelines and ~artifacts~ while none of them appear to notice. Sigh.

aaand of course I managed to come into this fight with, like, the worst possible party.

(Rosch saying "You're a lifesaver" when Stocke heals him in an alternate equivalent of a fight where he died is funnier than it probably should be, incidentally.)

For a dude who was supposedly ~empowered by an ~artifact~~ to be able to beat Viola, that boss fight sure wasn't much harder than the original version.

(And, once again, we get a thing that can supposedly give you Incredible Power which would be very useful to a soldier/spy who's constantly getting into fights, but of course we're going to immediately hand this over to Nemesia so she can restore a fraction of her terrifying eldritch power so she can smite her enemies.)

Rosch: "Are you all right?" Viola: "I am, thanks to you and Kiel." So Kiel gets credit for running off to get slaughtered, but Stocke doesn't get credit for killing the asshole?

"We never would have rescued Field Marshal Viola had you not bought us time back there." ...If you say so, PC.

This whole thing is... not terrible, at least on the level of the Tarquin one, but it could have twisted the knife on AH2 and that opportunity is almost entirely wasted because all they did was repeat things from AH2 with very little thought to causes or consequences.

Nemesia is now claiming they're not just going to stop the desertification, they're going to outright undo it.

I really need to buy some more alcohol.

Tally:

Why was this changed? 153

Changes I Don’t Hate: 51

Poor choice of expressions/voice clips/sound effects: 41

Annoying Sound Effects: 28

How Do I Art: 28

Oops: 20

Handy-dandy gameplay changes: 20

Nyarlamesia: 10

Great budget priorities: 7

Let Stocke Say Ass: 6

The monkey's paw is flipping me off: 5

FUCK YOU AND THE HELL SPIDER YOU RODE IN ON: 4

Save Me From Fanservice: 3

Fragments:

The Alistellian army is about to send a bunch of thaumachines into battle at Gran Plain when they suddenly go nuts and start glitching out and attacking people. Stocke finds Fennel, who’s there to oversee the thaumachines, apparently similarly glitching out. Raynie recommends smacking him to try to get the Zamboni working again, while Marco suggests looking for a manual override. It turns out he tried to link this fragment’s ~artifact~ into his Zamboni’s systems; smacking him makes it connect up properly and makes him able to control thaumachines with his mind and make them more powerful, and the damage this does to the environment resonates with the main timeline and causes a bad end. Stocke goes back to his home fragment to ask Fennel if there’s and override on his Zamboni, and finds out that the reboot code is written on an invisible piece of paper in Sonja’s office. If you enter the wrong code, this triggers the self-destruct function on Fennel’s mech, which resonates and kills him in the main timeline, causing Alistel to lose the war because of the setback to their tech level, and Stocke is appropriately incredulous about why in the blue blazes Fennel’s Zamboni has a self-destruct function. Get it right, and Fennel goes back to normal, Stocke confiscates the ~artifact~, and Fennel trundles off. ~Artifact~: Red Disc Rating: 3/5 stars. Makes about as much sense as my pizza fic, but at least it has some actual content and is more or less internally coherent.

Basically “AH2, but with Viola and Rosch’s positions switched, and Kiel survives.” Viola and Kiel are in Gran Plain for... some reason, when word gets to the Sand Fortress that they’re cornered. Rosch and Stocke rush out and find them in the southwest clearing where Rosch was cornered before. Paelzen has cornered Viola, who’s badly wounded, and is supposedly able to beat her because the ~artifact~ he’s carrying empowers him. Kiel offers to distract them so she can get away; then Stocke and Rosch show up, and one of Paelzen’s men sends up a signal for reinforcements. Kiel runs up to hold the soldiers coming from the north off, and the party fights Paelzen. Stocke takes the ~artifact~, then runs up north and takes out the soldiers threatening Kiel. ~Artifact~: Red Flag Rating: 2.5/5 stars. Basically just copies plot points from AH2, but doesn’t think about any of it. Despite the fact that they’re trying to hammer the point that Stocke is messed up about how he couldn’t save Kiel, doesn’t get anywhere near a heartstring because it doesn’t have anything new to offer, just Stocke repeating that he’s glad he could save one version of Kiel and he’s going to save his own fragment’s Kiel one day.

[yellowshibe]

so it's 1 am so I can post about this now and none of my mutuals will see it and I won't be embarrassed BUT tonight in group I was talking about how I struggle with not being able to get laid and they were talking to me about it for like 20 fucking minutes we ran over ending time and I stayed for another 20 minutes just talking to my therapist about how much I love my girlfriend and how much I want to kiss her and stuff and IT WAS SO WILD I've never talked about sex with my therapist THAT MUCH and I'm just like......wow.....I DID THAT....we went there.......it was so wild.....tez kept saying. "Get a vibrator!!!! Get a dildo!!!!!" And I was CACKLING and SO RED it was so great....joey stayed the whole time they're so sweet.....I literally haven't talked that much about sex with people other than my sisters and alex EVER it was so cool!!!!!!!!!