#thank you so much for the free excuse to talk about empires one fWhip and the WRA. this is been so enriching for me
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umbrify Ā· 1 year ago
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realizing it is probably better to Use The Askbox For Its Intended Purpose than to attempt conversation in tags ^^; anyway. YEAH I WOULD LOVE FWHIP THOUGHTS. MY LITTLE GUY. MY DUDE. I LOVE HE. fwhip's throughline IS SO VERY MUCH AVOIDANCE YOU'RE SO RIGHT (haven't seen scott s1 so can't comment on that yet). feel free to elaborate on any of [fwhip's avoidance, the thing about fwhip instinctually shooting sausage, fwhip's relationship to the rest of the WRA]! (also, 13:05 - 13:12 on the twelfth episode in fwhip's e1 playlist, "MAKING PEACE and NEW SKIN!", has the moment with the bow, if you're curious)
Ooh yes, okay. Iā€™m gonna go into Empires season one fWhip and the Wither Rose Alliance, how fWhip handled the rise of Xornoth and the proceeding corruption of Sausage, as well as Sausageā€™s curing, and the reconciliation of the WRA. Basically, Iā€™m gonna talk about why I love the WRA so much, as well as highlighting some really interesting character moments for fWhip, and his overarching theme of avoidance. Welcome to my Ted Talk.
(If youā€™ve only ever heard about empires season one through osmosis, or never watched any of the Wither Rose Alliance POVsā€” fWhip, Gem, or Sausage, this might be a good way to kinda figure out what their deal is. I ended up explaining a lot of context for things, for the sake of saying what I wanted to say, so I feel like itā€™ll be comprehensive even if you donā€™t have much prior knowledge of season one.)
At the start of the season, fWhip and Sausage got pretty close pretty quickly. They were partners in crime, if you will, each often helping each other out with various schemes and pranks, such as fWhip helping Sausage get back at Pix for stealing Sausageā€™s villagers, [fWhip e9, 7:18], even before the proper foundation of the WRA [fWhip e10, 17:25]. Which is to say, they were very close, even before everything went down. After fWhip steals the Codfather headā€” which he seems to be happy to deflect partial blame onto Gem for, trying to avoid any accountabilityā€” the WRA together gear up to create a sort of trap vault, to secure the Codfather head.
The tentative rise of Xornoth began before the vault was constructed, with fWhip having an encounter with the demon happening just before the vault plans were solidified, in his episode 17. In that episode, he makes a log of things he knows about the demon, including a list of things the demon seems to like, which includes two notable entriesā€” ā€œI think [the demon] likes MythicalSausage? And, they really like the idea of the dragon being killed [ā€¦] they really dislike the dragon. I think their goals are [ā€¦] the death of the ender dragon, it really keeps coming back to that, and they keep saying, if we kill the ender dragon, theyā€™re gonna be freeā€ [12:43].
This, combined with the need to create a secret vault, would ultimately result in the items being hidden in the End. fWhip, tasked with finding the location of the vault, decides on hiding the items this way, saying ā€œWith everything, especially the demon being so scared? Of the dragon? I feel like leaving the Codfatherā€™s head with the dragon, as like a final form of defense, might not be a bad idea. Because, then Jimmy will never be able to get it. Heā€™ll never be able to get it. Nobodyā€™s gonna be able to take out the dragonā€ [17:21]. He presumes that everything will be safe with the dragon, that nobody will be able to take it down.
Meanwhile, Sausage seems to have almost made friends with the demon. When fWhip visits him to bring him some firearms, he says ā€œXornoth is uh, is planning some things, itā€™s great! [ā€¦] For the demon! For armageddon!!ā€ [fWhip e17, 30:20]. fWhip becomes, understandably, somewhat nervous, yet even here he still seems toā€¦ deflect. He laughs, nervously, telling them to have fun, before heading home. fWhip flies off, saying ā€œWhat a weird guyā€” people say Iā€™m the evil one. Quite worried about him.ā€ fWhip sees that something isā€¦ definitely wrong, with Sausage, and yet he still canā€™t bring himself to properly have that confrontation. Heā€™s avoiding it, maybe just hoping that things will turn out alright.
Another moment right in this era that I think about often, that Iā€™m not sure where else to put, is the moment where Sausage and Gem have a brief stand down, when Gem says that sheā€™s the most powerful wizard on the server, to which Sausage bites back that she only is for now [fWhip e18, 32:40]. This happens right around when Sausage was starting to get corrupted, and Xornoth promised him great magical powerā€” power that Gem had said he would never have. And I think often about this moment, in the context of the WRA as siblings, rightā€” youā€™re fWhip, and youā€™re standing there as your younger brother and older sister are doing the magical equivalent of holding guns to each otherā€™s heads, and justā€¦ how do you react? What do you even do? Heā€™s not sure, which leads to that horribly nervous little song he sings, and itā€™s justā€¦ god. Itā€™s so much. Caught in the middle of all the things heā€™s been trying to look away from, unable to do anything as the two most important people in his life are a hair away from taking each other out.
Finishing up the final preparations on the WRA vault, fWhip expands on his reasoning to hide the Codfather head in the End: ā€œRight now, the only way out of the End is either by killing the dragon, or by jumping into the void [ā€¦] thereā€™s a little bit of a demon, on the server right now, who keeps trying to tell people to kill the dragon to unleash it upon the world. And, thereā€™s one thing Iā€™m pretty confident in: Jimmy does not want to free Xornoth. And, well, at this point, neither do I. So, if I put the cod head in there, I think Jimmyā€™s gonna find an ultimatum where heā€™s like, hm, nope, I canā€™t get it back. Or, if he does, and he wants to bring it to the overworld, he has to unleash the most evil thing, on this entire server, into the open. So, uh, hopefully he doesnā€™t do that. I think heā€™s smart enoughā€ [fWhip e19 9:43]. He tells Gem about the plan later in that same episode, to which she agrees that it seems like a good plan. The idea is foolproof. Surely, Jimmy wonā€™t risk the entire serverā€™s safety, all for the cod head, right? It feels reasonable enough to assume that Jimmy wouldnā€™t willingly doom the world by releasing the demon, and thatā€™s something that he banks onā€” itā€™s the perfect way to get rid of the Codfather head, in a way that Jimmy can never get it back. Surely, nobody would be so foolish. Problem successfully solved!
Right?
Wrong. Butā€¦ it wasnā€™t just Jimmy.
The collapse of the Wither Rose Alliance, in fWhipā€™s episode 20 [4:10 - 7:28], is what finally forces fWhip to really face what Sausage has become. Xornoth demands a sacrifice to allow the WRA to escape the Nether, and Sausage, imbued with the power of Xornoth, takes Gem out quickly. As fWhip is left alone to face an invincible Sausage, Gem pleads with Xornoth: ā€œI was sacrificed! You have to let fWhip out!ā€ Of course, itā€™s to no avail, and fWhip is forcefully dragged out of hiding to face Sausage once more, being taken down. fWhip and Gem reconvene in Mythland, where fWhip hides Sausageā€™s dog Bubbles in the ground. Sausage returns, demanding to know where Bubbles is.
This moment, right here, is one I find very chilling. fWhip, a character who so often avoids direct serious conflict, one who worries for people on the sidelines, takes his stand. While Gem demands their stuff back, he says ā€œI told you, [Bubbles is] gone until you get rid of the demon.ā€ He knows this isnā€™t good, that Sausage is making a mistake siding with Xornoth. He tries the last ditch effort he can think of to get his little brother to snap out of Xornothā€™s control.
Itā€™s not enough. Sausage begrudgingly returns their things, and as the two sort through their jumbled items, Gem mutters that they canā€™t be allies anymore, after this. fWhip agrees, with a haunting certainty, ā€œSausage, you chose a sideā€¦ you chose a side. [ā€¦] We tried to save us all, you chose.ā€ The two stand on the bridge in Mythland, opposite Sausage, and fWhip says it seems like their endeavor that day may have been their last, as an alliance. Sausage shouts for them to leave, and as they take off, Sausage swings, hitting fWhip.
Gem and fWhip fly off, without Sausage. As they make their way back to their lands, fWhip says, in a shaking voice, ā€œGem, itā€™s back to just you and me here,ā€ to which Gem assures that theyā€™ll be fine, that theyā€™ll stand up for each other. He quickly accepts her words, saying ā€œYeah, itā€™sā€” itā€™s all good, itā€™s all goodā€¦ itā€™s all good. Heā€” he took the powers of the demon to kill us, there, that isā€” that is one tooā€” one too far. That isā€” itā€™s one too far.ā€ Heā€™s afraid, having just firmly ousted one of his oldest alliesā€” his own brotherā€” from his oldest alliance, despite knowing that it was the only thing he couldā€™ve possibly done. There was no other optionā€¦ and yet, he barely gives himself a single sentence to essentially mourn that loss, before heā€™s trying to pave back on the mask of indifferenceā€” look away, avoid, avoidā€” itā€™s fine, he says, itā€™s all good, as if he didnā€™t just have to do the hardest thing heā€™s ever done in his life.
But itā€™s not over yet. Not even close.
(Continued under the cut. This got Really Long)
In that very same episode, a meeting is held [16:30 - 18:03] where fWhip and Gem happily tell the others about how they hid the Codfather head in the end. Everyone else is, of course, terrified. Scott tells them that Jimmyā€™s just gonna kill the dragon to escape, and that if Xornoth is released, itā€™ll bring about an eternal winter. Gem and fWhip, realizing theyā€™ve messed up, devise a plan to prevent the Cod Alliance from killing the dragonā€” they need to heal it, keep it alive at all costs. Gem insists to everyone that they have to be a team, that even though theyā€™ve messed up, that they can fix it.
Itā€™s now or never. They head into the End.
[End scene from 19:20 - 22:57] fWhip immediately flies around to the main island, before stepping down onto the bridge in front of Jimmy. He begs, pleads for them not to do this. ā€œJimmyā€” Jimmy, Iā€™m sorry. Jimmyā€” Jimmyā€” Iā€™m sorry, Jimmy, we need to not kill the dragon here.ā€ Jimmy demands the Codfather head, and fWhip immediately agrees to return it, reiterating that they must not kill the dragon. Itā€™s thisā€” this moment of being immediately and forcefully thrust into the face of the problem he caused, the problem heā€™d been trying to avoid, by hiding the Codfather head away in a place where he was sure that Jimmy would never dare to go. Itā€™s this moment of fWhip pleading with Jimmy, to please, please not do thisā€” theyā€™ve lost so much to this demon, they canā€™t let this happen. He canā€™t let the demon be freed because of his mistake, heā€™ll do anything to prevent it from happening. The absolute, terrified resolve of a man faced with a problem he can no longer run from.
Jimmy says heā€™s gonna kill the dragon, barging past fWhip, up the main island. Chaos breaks out, and fWhip leads Jimmy down, beneath the portal frame. Jimmy says it better not be a trick, and he assures it isnā€™t, voice panicked. He returns the head, and begs them not to do this, in a soft, shaking voice, ā€œWe gotta keep the dragon alive, donā€™tā€” donā€™t letā€” donā€™t let Sausage kill it, donā€™tā€¦ [ā€¦] Chaos, chaos is coming, we canā€™tā€” we canā€™t let the dragon die.ā€ The fear, and absolute certaintyā€¦ he canā€™t let this happen. Canā€™t let his mistake ruin the world.
Jimmy, uncertainly, says ā€œfWhip, I think, whether you like it or not, this dragon is dying.ā€
fWhip desperately attempts to prevent the dragonā€™s death, to no avail. Chaos, as the two sides wage war in the end, with Jimmy caught conflicted in the middle. Sausage and Joey, corrupted by Xornoth, cheer for the carnage.
From the moment the Codfather head was stolenā€” perhaps even from the moment Jimmy started a confrontation with Sausage at all, all that time agoā€” it was too late. Xornoth would be released.
In a single episode, fWhipā€™s entire world is turned upside down. The WRA is shattered, the world is fast approaching an eternal corruption, andā€¦ he doesnā€™t know what to do. Gem says they can fix it, that she has the dragon egg, butā€¦ what else can he do but to justā€¦ shut down. He turns away from itā€” from Sausage, from Xornoth, from everything. He avoids it allā€” doubles down on the construction of his city, Eastvale, resolutely looking away from everything else.
With Xornoth freed, and Sausage well and truly corrupted, fWhip becomes extremely cold towards Sausage, to the point of being openly defensively hostile. The brother that he knewā€¦ that isnā€™t Sausage, anymore. One of the best examples of this can be seen in Sausageā€™s episode 32, 12:54, where Sausage and Pearl go to invite fWhip to their arena. fWhip answers the knock on his gate with a drawn bow, immediately and coldly asking what they want with him, even as Sausage still greets him as a friend. While fWhip is willing to speak to Pearl, he refuses to even entertain the idea that Sausage isnā€™t here to hurt him, shooting him a few times throughout the conversation, to the point where Sausage is sent away from the gate so that Pearl can speak to fWhip alone.
Andā€¦ god, isnā€™t that just so much? Youā€™re fWhip, and whatever thing is possessing the person in front of you, he isnā€™t your brother anymore. Heā€™s not your friend anymore. Heā€™s not safe, and youā€™re not safe with him here, even thoughā€¦ he used to be one of the safest people for you to be with. Not anymore. Thatā€™s not him, anymore.
And, itā€™s not unwarranted, with Sausage later saying to Pearl ā€œI try my best around him, but sometimes I just wanna choke him out, Pearlā€ [15:24]. Yetā€¦ Sausage still greets fWhip as a friend, at first. Still tries to talk to him, insists that heā€™s ā€œnot evil today,ā€ andā€¦ well, Sausage really did still care very much about the WRA, even while corrupted.
In Sausageā€™s episode 33, he opens by reading his last will and testament, knowing that soon enough heā€™ll be taken by the corruption. Within his will, he writes out things that he wants the other emperors to have, should he not return: ā€œTo fWhip, you can keep all my deepslate redstone oresā€¦ I donā€™t know what you want them for, theyā€™re kind of useless to me, butā€¦ I kept a lot, [ā€¦] Gem, you can have my great staff of Mythland. Uhā€¦ in your hands, itā€™ll probably be very effective. And to the Wither Rose Alliance, you can have access to my iron farm stillā€ [1:07]. He still thought about themā€¦ still cared about them. The fact that Sausage kept collecting deepslate redstoneā€” something that fWhip loves and cares for very much, for the sole purpose of giving it to him, even though they were on such horrible termsā€¦ I think about that. He loved them, even still. Even through the corruption, he loved them.
Gem never turns her back on Sausage in quite the same way fWhip does. It was she who cured him, in the endā€” killing him, at his own request, voice corrupted as he struggled against the influence of Xornoth. She finds him in Mythland, after heā€™s free from the corruption, and asks if heā€™s okay, saying sheā€™s so glad to have him back again. He shakily asks her if he can be back in the alliance again, now that heā€™s cured, and Gem says ā€œWeā€™ll have to talk to fWhip about it, how about for now, you justā€¦ heal up over hereā€ [Sausage e33, 33:25].
Gem knows that she forgives Sausage, that it wasnā€™t his fault. Butā€¦ she also knows fWhip, and she knows it wonā€™t be so easy for him, that itā€™ll take time. It has to be his own choice, in the end, to forgive Sausage for everything he put them all through.
Gem brings fWhip around to see Sausage, now that heā€™s uncorrupted. [Sausage e34, 24:00 - 34:25]. Once fWhip realizes that Sausage is there, he draws his bow, asking coldly why theyā€™re here. Sausage asks whatā€™s going on, and Gem says sheā€™s brought him fWhip. Sausage is immediately distracted by Gemā€™s wizard hat, and fWhip happily jumps on the bandwagon of teasing Gem. Gem tells fWhip that Sausage is cured, and while fWhip is skeptical at first, having to kill Sausage himself to make sure heā€™s no longer unkillable, the three seem to fall back into their old patterns. Gem sends the two running into the river, lightheartedly chasing them with her sword, and as they both climb out giggling, she says ā€œI missed this.ā€
This scene, this moment of the WRA, finally back together again after so long, itā€™s soā€¦ god. Theyā€™ve been apart for so long, they havenā€™t been able to hang out and laugh with each other, and this is the first time in so, so long, that Sausage has been able to hear that light in fWhipā€™s voice againā€” that heā€™s been able to speak to fWhip on any terms that arenā€™t cold and callous and unloving. They have each other again, they have their family back, unsteady as it is.
Sausage asks if heā€™s back in the alliance, and Gem says itā€™s up to fWhip. He seemsā€¦ uncertain, but says that Sausage can be tentatively backā€” like heā€™s still nervous, still feels like something could go wrong. The three of them agree that Sausage owes them both three favors, and then heā€™ll be back in the alliance for real.
In Sausageā€™s episode 35, fWhip cashes in his first favor [9:30 - 10:17]. He asks Sausage to come by to help him with something, and as Sausage flies in, fWhip immediately shoots him with a flaming arrow. Sausage flies away, circling around before making his way back to land near fWhip. fWhip greets him with that old harsh coldness, a curt ā€œHi, can I help you,ā€ how fWhip used to speak to Sausage, while he was corrupted. Sausage says he didnā€™t come to fight, that heā€™s good now, and fWhip lets out a slightly nervous laugh, saying ā€œoh, right, rightā€¦ sorry, sorry, Iā€™m still just a littleā€¦ itā€™s gonna take a while, itā€™s gonna take a whileā€” you canā€™t just expect me to likeā€” just like, forget, instantly, right? It was justā€” you know,ā€ fWhip trails off, and Sausage says that fWhip hit him in the face, to which fWhip laughs, slightly, before restating his initial greeting in a much more friendly tone.
And itā€™s justā€¦ god. Isnā€™t that so much? Isnā€™t that So Much? Like, youā€™re fWhip, and you see your own little brother coming, and your immediate instinct is that you have to protect yourself. That you arenā€™t safe, that heā€™s gonna hurt you, prepare to fight backā€” god. Could you imagine what it must be like to be feeling that way? To be trying to reconcile the feelings so ingrained in you now, with the person now before you? Heā€™s tryingā€” heā€™s trying so hard to let Sausage back in. Butā€¦ itā€™s not that easy.
I think this essay has definitely gotten long enough, but I do wanna leave off with one final moment. In Sausageā€™s episode 41 [11:25 - 14:22], fWhip finally feels able to fully accept Sausage back into the alliance. He tells them that he wants to make them all a new meeting room. The three end up falling back into their old antics, playfully attacking each other, and Sausage ends up getting killed. fWhip picks up a bunch of his things, including a splash potion of invisibility that he had. fWhip cheekily says heā€™ll keep the potion, and Sausage asks for it back, to which fWhip starts to walk off to where he wanted to show them anyway. Gem follows, and in a disapproving tone, says ā€œfWhip, give him his things.ā€ fWhip turns around, says ā€œOkay, here you go,ā€ and splashes the invis on them all, to which Sausage indignantly says ā€œI canā€™t believe this!ā€ fWhip immediately starts laughing, with Gem giggling as well, and both fWhip and Sausage quickly realize how silly Gem looks while invisible, with her massive hat floating in the air.
I point out this moment because it really encapsulates why I love the WRA so much. Theyā€™re such a chaotic bunchā€” acting like three siblings who love to tease each other, who get into fights and have falling outs and still, in the end, they make up again. They find each other again. They never stop caring about each other, even through everything. Itā€™s a really sweet little momentā€” the WRA, finally, truly whole again.
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marabelle5 Ā· 4 months ago
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The 'Vigil' Keeper
Pix looked up from his book as the bell rang. It was Xisuma Void, the principal of the school the next street over. Pix chuckled to himself, he remembered that someone told him that the kids were calling Hermitopia for some reason. Pix smiled. The shop had few customers this time of day and at this day of the week. It had been an uneventful Tuesday.
ā€œGood afternoon Xisuma. How are you doing?ā€
ā€œIā€™m doing well. How are you?ā€Ā 
ā€œIā€™m great. Thanks for asking. So what brings you to Pixandria on this dark and gloomy afternoon?ā€ Pix replied.Ā 
Pix pulled down the sleeve of his dark blue sweater. It was cold even with all the candles lit. Pixandria was not a dark place, it was far from it. Between the candles lit all around to the replica of the ancient ā€˜Vigilā€™ to the four mysterious ā€˜conduitsā€™ (lamps Pearl painted for him) he put around the place, it was quite bright.
ā€œCould I pick up the 200 candles I ordered?ā€ Xisuma asked then quickly he said. ā€œNo dyes or scents.ā€ Pix smiled again.
ā€œOf course. What do you need it for?ā€ Pix said while he went under the counter to grab the order. Xisuma laughed.
ā€œWell Tango said how it would be fun to do a lab with candles for the kids and Cleo immediately agreed saying it would be fun to experiment with the wax for an art project.ā€
ā€œAh I see. Looks like youā€™ve paid for everything beforehand.ā€ Pix was about to hand the box to X when a couple kids ran in and stared at the ā€˜Vigilā€™.
ā€œUm King Pixl Riffs? What is that?ā€ A boy with dirty blond hair and hazel eyes pointed to the ā€˜Vigilā€™.Ā 
ā€œWell. It is what I call the ā€˜Vigilā€™ . Every time an emperor is ā€˜prankedā€™ by another empire I put up a candle and if they get 12 candles I make a paper lantern of the color of the empire. I have a list of who did the ā€˜pranksā€™ and we talley them up at the end of the year and then I reset the ā€˜Vigilā€™.ā€
Ā Ā  The kids who had entered with the boy now had big smiles on their faces.
ā€œYou guys prank each other?ā€ A boy with curly brown hair asked excitedly.Ā 
ā€œLike we do at school sometimes?ā€ A girl with black hair said. Pix laughed as Xisuma sighed.
ā€œWhat kind of pranks do you do?ā€ The trio shouted in unison.
ā€œWell one time Jimmy and I changed all of fWhip salmon pictures to cod pictures but he caught on quickly and they were all changed back within a day and fWhip gave Jimmy a salmon statue saying sense he loved salmon so much he should have it. And there was another time when Pearl and I went around asking everyone weird or confusing trivia and it all bottled down to who makes the best honey which isnā€™t really a prank but a fond memory. We also all said hi to Gem each in a different way then we normally did it but how another emperor said hi.ā€
When Pix stopped talking.Ā 
ā€œThank you King Mr. Vigil Keeper.ā€ The children said and they ran out of the store no doubt going to Pearlā€™s to get a drink of hot cocoa that she sells in the winter. The name made a chill go up Pixā€™s spine.
Pix waved goodbye to Xisuma. He flipped his sign to closed and headed down the very long stairs to the basement. The wooden stairs creaked under his feet but as he got lower the stairs became stone and you could hear his sandals slap against the stone. The walls have a spot for candles to light the path but Pix usually ignores them and thinks about events that happened during the day. The basement has two layers where the stairs turn to stone. You can see Daivd and when you get to the end of those stone stairs you will step on to the ground only to find that it is sand. If you walk a bit in this sand youā€™ll find a very old and ancient monument called The Vigil.Ā Ā 
Pix looked at The Vigil every candle was burning bright. He sighed. He felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He took it out and pressed the answer button.
ā€œHello Zloy, how are you doing?ā€
ā€œPix, Pix the Copper King might be out tonight! Can you come?ā€ An excited Zloy said.
ā€œNo sorry I haveā€¦ā€ Pix trailed off thinking of an excuse.Ā 
ā€œOh. Are you free for recording tomorrow?ā€
ā€œLet me check my schedule and Iā€™ll get back to you.ā€
ā€œOkay. Lyarrah and I are going out to record in the field tonight.ā€
ā€œAlright. See yuh tomorrow.ā€
ā€œGood night.ā€
ā€œGood night.ā€ Pix took off his blue sweater. He put on a brown undershirt and pants. He bore a sandy color jacket with copper shoulders and lining down. And went up to The Vigil and put on perfectly on top of his head a copper crown. He then grabbed his trident.Ā 
The Copper King smiled as he exited his underground lair. He turned on his com and took his watch.Ā Ā 
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