#this is where his loyalty lies do you understand this is who he serves

[theinfinitedivides]

this sh*t got me out here crying after all of that she is still his queen. he is doing this bc she has asked him and he trusts her i need a sec

[gracieeegleegal]

Omg please do an angsty imagine where we are the daughter of some god (maybe Zeus or hades) and find out about Luke’s betrayal and he tries to recruit us but it only ends in arguments

Betrayals embrace - Luke Castellan

pov - Luke Castellan was the lightning thief all along and you the clueless girlfriend who never knew better.

Pairing : Luke Castellan !femoc x Zeus daughter

In the heart of Camp Half-Blood, under the watchful eyes of the gods, a storm brewed within the soul of y/n, daughter of Zeus. Her relationship with Luke Castellan, once filled with laughter and affection, now teetered on the edge of betrayal and heartbreak.

Y/n stood, tears in her eyes as she stared into the eyes of her lover, eyes that now held the truth of his actions and the haunting revelation that had shattered her world—Luke's treacherous plan to free Kronos and destroy the very gods they were supposed to honor and serve.

More tears pricked at her eyes as she recalled the countless moments they shared, the promises of a future together, now tainted by lies and deceit. She clenched her fists, feeling the crackle of electricity surging through her veins, a reminder of her divine heritage and the weight of responsibility that came with it.

She had trusted him, loved him dearly and all she got in return was the inexorable betrayal that had shattered her heart.

"Y/n," he whispered, his voice smooth like honey,a certain nervousness hanged in his tone. In the 10 minutes they had been in the forest, y/n stayed silent through it all. Not knowing what to say or do after Luke admitted to his actions.

That he tried to drag Percy into the pits of Tartarus. That he had lied about it all.

"Luke," she replied, her tone laced with bitterness and hurt.

Luke stepped forward, his eyes searching hers for any sign of wavering resolve. "I know this is difficult for you to understand, but we can change the world. We can free ourselves from the tyranny of the gods, create a new order where demigods are no longer pawns in their games. We can be free, you can kill your father after all the pain he’s caused."

Y/n shook her head, a humorless laugh escaping her lips. "And what of the innocent lives that will be lost in the wake of your ambition? Have you no conscience, Luke? Do you realize that if you go forward with this, you’ll lose your family here. You’ll lose me.”

His expression hardened, a flicker of anger betraying his calm facade. "You were always too soft, y/n. Too blinded by your loyalty to those who have treated you as nothing more than a pawn in their own schemes. Why do you defend him? After he killed your sister! After he killed Thalia. He could’ve stopped it.”

He reached out to her, his touch a cruel mockery of the affection they once shared. "Y/N, please understand. This is our chance to make things right, to rid ourselves of the gods who have only brought us pain and suffering."

But even as he spoke, the truth of his betrayal cut deeper than any blade. Y/N recoiled from his touch, her eyes filled with tears she refused to shed.

She backed up at his words, the sting of truth laced with venom. Memories of Zeus's indifference and neglect flooded her mind, a painful reminder of the fractured relationship she shared with her divine father. She was transported back in time when she had arrived at camp for the first time. A reminder of the sister she lost, the sister who sacrificed herself for her sisters.

A painful reminder that no matter what, the gods will never care enough to save their children. If they did, things would be a lot different.

But even in the face of betrayal, y/n couldn't bring herself to abandon her friends at Camp Half-Blood, the only family she had ever known.

"I may be the daughter of Zeus, but I am also a daughter of Camp Half-Blood," she declared, her voice trembling with emotion. "I will never betray them, Luke. I understand you better than anyone, I really do. But I can’t do that to them. I can’t, and you know that. "

Luke looked shattered, he would have thought that the girl would side with him. After all she was the one who understood him the most, understood his reason. “I didn’t wanna have to do this, y/n, I’m sorry. You have given me no choice.”

“We always have a choice.” Without warning, Luke lunged forward, his movements fueled by desperation and rage. Their clash was fierce and unrelenting, the crackle of lightning mingling with the clash of celestial bronze. Each blow exchanged was a testament to the shattered bonds of trust and love that once bound them together.

Luke’s attack got harder and harder, as their swords smacked together in the night. The fireworks covering the sound of the lovers fighting each other.

“Luke! You don’t have to do this!” Y/n struggled against his attacks. She didn’t want to hurt him, but Luke was so blinded by rage that he couldn’t seem to care that he was hurting her.

“Luke!” This time the screaming had come from another voice. Percy and Annabeth were running towards the scene.

In a moment of distraction when y/n turns her gaze towards the two teenagers, she feels pain in her abdomen. She glanced down, Luke’s sword had stabbed her in her stomach. She gasped softly, tears forming in her eyes as she held onto the sword that was still pierced in her flesh.

“Y/N!” Percy and annabeth screamed her name but her focus was stuck on the man that had betrayed her

Red was gushing from her wounds into her hands that were now touching Luke’s. The boys eyes widened. What had he done? The girl dropped to the ground, blood running everywhere. Her shirt was now tainted red, as well as her hands and her lovers hand.

In the end, it was y/n who lay battered and broken at his feet, her resolve unbroken even as her body screamed in protest. Through tear-stained eyes, she watched as Luke cradled her frame. Regret and sadness reflected in his eyes.

“Y/N..” he whispers softly, he gripped her body tighter. Not wanting to let go of the woman he loved. “I’m sorry. Im so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”

Percy and Annabeth after standing still watching the scene with tears in their eyes finally approached the couple. Swords in their hands.

Luke glanced at the couple, then back to the bleeding girl. “I’m sorry.”

With a heavy heart, he turned away, leaving her broken and bleeding in his wake. Percy and Annabeth running to her aid.

As darkness threatened to claim her, y/n whispered her final words into the cold embrace of the night. "I love you, Luke."

---

When she awoke, it was to the sterile scent of antiseptic and the gentle touch of familiar hands. Percy Jackson and Annabeth stood at her bedside, their expression a mask of concern and sorrow.

"You're going to be okay, Y/N," Percy reassured her, his voice a soothing balm against the ache in her heart.

But the pain of loss was a wound that ran deep, one that no amount of time or healing could ever hope to mend. With a broken sob, Y/N buried her face in the boys shoulder, mourning the loss of the love she had once held so dear.

And as the tears fell like rain, she couldn't help but wonder if somewhere, amidst the echoes of betrayal, there was still a glimmer of the boy she had loved, lost, and ultimately, forgiven.

[analysisiinternet]

Yandere Headcanons for Thaddeus from “Killer Peter”

(note: why do they always make the villain hot i saw no headcanons or fanfics of him or "x reader" so I decided to do a headcanons yes red is my favorite color)

1. Obsessive Affection With his complex personality, Thaddeus exhibits an intense and obsessive form of affection towards those he cares about. His love is not a gentle fondness; it borders on an all-consuming passion that can quickly spiral into possessiveness. He meticulously keeps track of every detail about the object of his affection, whether it’s their daily routines, favorite foods, or even their friends and acquaintances. This obsession drives him to protect them at all costs, leading to a darker side where he might resort to extreme measures if he feels threatened by anyone who comes too close.

2. Jealousy and Paranoia Thaddeus’s yandere nature manifests prominently through his jealousy. He cannot stand the thought of anyone else getting too close to you the one he loves. This jealousy often leads him down a path of paranoia, where he imagines scenarios in which his beloved(you) is unfaithful or is in danger due to others’ intentions. He may confront perceived rivals with a chilling calmness that belies the storm brewing within him. His jealousy can escalate quickly, transforming him from a caring partner into someone who will go to great lengths—potentially violent—to eliminate any threats.

3. Duality of Personality One of the most intriguing aspects of Thaddeus’s character is his duality. On one hand, he can be charming and charismatic, drawing people in with his wit and intelligence. On the other hand, there lies a darker side that emerges when he feels betrayed or threatened. This duality makes him unpredictable; readers are left guessing whether they will encounter the sweet Thaddeus or the cold-hearted protector at any given moment. This unpredictability adds layers to his character and keeps readers engaged as they explore how far he might go for love.

4. Manipulative Tendencies Thaddeus possesses a keen intellect that allows him to manipulate situations to his advantage seamlessly. He knows how to play mind games with both friends and foes alike, often using charm and persuasion to bend others to his will without them realizing it until it’s too late. His manipulative nature extends even to his beloved(you) he may create scenarios that make you dependent on him or isolate them from their support systems under the guise of protection.

5. Dark Romantic Gestures In true Yandere fashion, Thaddeus expresses his love through darkly romantic gestures that may seem sweet on the surface but carry sinister undertones upon closer inspection. For instance, he might surprise his beloved with gifts that have unsettling origins—like items taken from those who have wronged them—or orchestrate elaborate dates in secluded locations where they are completely alone and away from prying eyes. These gestures serve as both declarations of love and warnings: no one else can have them.

6. Unwavering Loyalty Despite his darker tendencies, Thaddeus embodies unwavering loyalty once someone has earned his trust and affection. He would go above and beyond for those he loves, often placing their needs above his own desires—even if it means making morally questionable choices along the way. This loyalty can be both comforting and terrifying; while it provides a sense of security for those close to him, it also raises questions about what boundaries he might cross in the name of love.

7. A Tragic Backstory To fully understand Thaddeus’s yandere tendencies, one must consider a potential tragic backstory that shapes who he is today—a past filled with betrayal or loss could explain why he clings so tightly to those he loves now. Perhaps early experiences taught him that love is fleeting or conditional; thus, when he finds someone worth loving again, he becomes desperate to keep them safe and never let them slip away.

 Clingy Yet Charismatic:

Once Thaddeus develops an attachment to someone, he becomes incredibly clingy. He thrives on their attention and affection, often showering you with compliments and small gifts that seem innocent at first glance—like handmade trinkets or baked goods. However, this clinginess quickly escalates into possessiveness. He believes that anyone who gets too close to his beloved must be eliminated or kept at bay, leading him to orchestrate elaborate schemes to isolate you from potential threats—friends, family members, or even romantic interests He will go out of his way to be near you often inserting himself into your daily routines under the guise of wanting to help or spend time together. 

warning: a lil NSFW(if your comfortable with NSFW you may read if not don't read this)

how would he be in bed-

he would definitely be dom or switch he would do it rough such as if you told him to go slow he would go faster thrusting inside you I don't even know why yall create a safeword he would be the type to call you "good girl your taking me so well~ "while he is fucking you from behind and whispers in your ear "your fucking mine" I feel like he would make jokes while yall are doing it (it is a canon at this point) he would purposely gag you on his dick while your giving a blowjob and laugh about it, I just know if he is good at martial figthtin he is good with fingers

Aftercare-

he would be the big spoon putting you to his chest as she cuddles you and he would act all innocent and shits and he would say how would a good job you did pleasing him as he kisses you smiling at you pullin' closer to him his hand is on your waist, he would make you a bath for him and you can wash off(there might be a round 2) but after all he is clingy don't get me started on him kissing all over your face telling you how much he loves you (he might be a villain but he would hug me if I was sad)

Thaddeus’ hugs become more frequent and enveloping as the relationship develops, offering a sense of security. Kisses exchanged in these early days are tender and sweet, leaving a lingering warmth that hints at deeper feelings. You might notice small tokens of his affection—a favorite snack he brings you or a shared playlist that reflects your growing bond.

His kisses transform into fervent expressions of desire—more passionate and demanding than before. Thaddeus seems insatiable, always wanting more closeness and connection. Love bites become a playful yet possessive mark of his affection, signifying that you belong to him in this chaotic world.

Cuddling Dynamics At home or during quiet moments together, Thaddeus often plays the big spoon role during cuddling sessions. He wraps around you protectively, creating a cocoon where you both can escape from reality for a while. This nurturing side reveals his softer nature beneath the tough exterior he often presents to the world.

(note: comment who yall want me to do headcanons for the next post you can either text me or ask in the box but I would prefer if you text me instead if you read all of this thank you so much and reblogged this)

[kayakima]

Why do you think Jean and Pieck work well as a couple? (srs)

I know you have a fic of it but I'm curious about your direct take.

Oooo I’m definitely not the first person who has said this but a lot of the appeal with Jean x Pieck lies with the post-canon potential between the two of them as opposed to scenes that you directly see in the manga/anime!

Jean and Pieck are both shown to be incredibly pragmatic, level-headed, and loyal characters, (where their loyalty primarily lies with people as opposed to the systems that brought them up. I.e. Pieck saying she doesn’t trust Marley but the people she’s fought with, and Jean telling Reiner that they’re no different from each other, so it’s wrong to judge their actions), and in their few short scenes together, it shows that they immediately read how the other works in a way that they can work together efficiently in a fight. They don’t hold anything against each other for past instances, because right off the bat they both understand that nothing is personal in war, and when they’re finally at a point in the narrative where it’s time to join up, they do so immediately without hesitation.

From a physical standpoint, Jean canonically likes girls with dark hair, and while that in and of itself isn’t enough to say “oh they’re canon because she has black hair”, it does lend to the idea that Pieck may have partially been designed to serve as a potential secondary love interest for Jean, considering that she was originally supposed to be a middle aged man. Even if that change wasn’t intended to open that door, their scene together on Eren’s Titan very clearly pushes a “hey guys this is also a new potential love interest situation so pay attention to these two!!!” Type of agenda that’s really common in this type of storytelling. Pieck herself is portrayed as being inseparable from Porco, who also has a fiery temperament and dirty-blonde hair, and while Porco and Pieck lack the absolutely absurd height difference between her and Jean, we still see her interactions with a male character that has similar traits with Jean. Once Porco dies, Pieck is clearly upset, but then chooses to push forward to fulfill her duty to her fellow warriors (who else in this story chose to follow through to make a difference to honor a comrade that was in one way or another killed because of Reiner???) they’re reflections of the same character traits in different bodies, and they mirror each other incredibly well when they barely even interact onscreen.

But in the parts where they DO interact, I can’t tell you how many shows and movies I’ve seen that have had two side characters that previously didn’t talk much suddenly wind up in a long fight sequence together, and more often than not, it does lead to a character change and emphasized romantic potential by the end of the story. Character blocking in scenes is incredibly important, and when two characters are placed together for a 4-5 minute scene of just the two of them, then the contrast of both their visuals and their personalities is much more noticeable. Then we get into the boat scene, where Pieck is the one to tease Jean about his hair, and he makes just as equally cheeky a response. I do think their time as ambassadors would put them in close quarters very often, and in real life, people fall for each other all the time when they’re together 24/7. I think it was intentional that Pieck was the one to start the banter with Jean to go back on my previous statements, and I think by the end of the story, that’s implied that there’s a good chance the two of them either currently have something going on, or that there’s something that will happen between them eventually. I also like the idea that since they met as adults, and with wildly different life experiences, they could have a lot to learn from each other without years of trauma and baggage that affects their relationship. They’re two entirely separate people that have the potential to become something completely new together as opposed to being together in the shadow of everything that happened to them when they were younger.

Also consider this: incredibly attractive and smug man meets even more attractive and smug woman. Then they have four kids.

[rxdianced]

A letter for Lyanna Stark @wyldwolves, tucked neatly between the next blank pages in her journal just before her departure to Driftmark:

______________________________________________________________

My Dearest Lya,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and safety, though I know that the fires of war burn close to us all now. As I write, my thoughts are filled with memories of you—my spirited, strong-willed sister who could command the attention of an entire room with a single glance. Those memories bring me both solace and sorrow, for I cannot reconcile the girl I love with the woman who now stands opposed to me.

I know you have pledged your sword and loyalty to the Velaryons, a choice born from grief, outrage, and a sense of justice. Xaerys’ death was a wound to us all, and I mourn him still. He was a good man, one who treated us with kindness and respect, and his loss is a tragedy I feel as deeply as you do. But Lyanna, I fear that the path you’ve chosen will only lead to more loss. War does not heal; it only tears apart. And though no banners have yet been raised and no battles fought, the lines have already been drawn. What hope remains for peace when those who love one another cannot see past their opposing causes?

You’ve always been guided by your convictions, and I admire that about you, but I must ask—have you considered what lies beyond this conflict? Corwyn Velaryon’s cause may seem just in the moment, but at what cost? To upend the realm over grievances, no matter how deep, is to invite chaos into the lives of countless innocents. I do not defend Queen Visenya’s failures; her mishandling of Xaerys’ murder is undeniable, and the whispers of her concealment linger like a shadow over her rule. Beyond that, her reign has brought suffering to the Seven Kingdoms. The brutal winter that only recently loosened its grip claimed many lives and her leadership in those dark months left much to be desired. Yet I see hope in Vaelora, a Targaryen who could steer us toward something better. Is that hope not worth preserving, even as we mourn?

You are a fierce fighter, and I know that nothing will sway you from the path you’ve chosen easily. But you are also the girl who used to spend hours in the gardens of Winterfell, cataloguing plants and coaxing them to life even in the harsh Northern soil. That love of growth and life is something I’ve always encouraged in you, and it is that part of you I appeal to now. What good can come of a war that tears the roots of the realm from the carefully packed ground? Can we not find a way to nurture peace instead?

Erren stands with you, as does Father. The Stark name that binds us all feels strained under the weight of these divisions. Alfador remains loyal to Queen Visenya, serving as her hand, while Alson—brave Alson—stands among her Queensguard. Even in our family, this war has sown discord, setting sibling against sibling. I can only hope that when the swords are sheathed, we can find a way to mend what has been broken.

I intend to send Enrick north to Winterfell for safety and I humbly aski your assistance in getting him there. I know you and I differ in politics, but I trust in our family to shield him from harm. He is just a boy, too young to understand the painful lines being drawn across maps and lineages as I write this. He deserves a future unburdened by the weight of our choices. Perhaps in him, the next generation of Westeros can find unity where we have failed.

I beg you, Lya, to remember what binds us. We are Starks, children of the North. Whatever differences lie between us now, they cannot erase the years we shared as sisters. Think of Winterfell, of the days when we stood side by side against the winter winds, unyielding and unbroken. I do not ask you to abandon your cause, but I ask you to remember that family is worth more than crowns, banners, or vengeance. I can't bear the thought of this disagreement being the reason I never see you, Father, or Erren again. It steals my breath merely thinking of such a tragedy, but the taste of blood is all too real on my tongue and the once impossible has become inevitable.

Write to me if you still hold love for me in your heart. Let us find a way to bridge this chasm before it becomes too wide to cross. War may divide us, but it cannot destroy the bond we share unless we let it. Or, at the very least, please let me know if you would be willing to assist Enrick's escape. He is my heart, and there are so few I would trust to hold it in such disturbing times.

Forever your sister, Eira

[nobelandloved]

ᴇʟᴏᴡᴇɴ ꜰꜰɪᴏɴ ɴᴏᴛᴛ - 26 - ɪɴᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴄᴜʀꜱᴇ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋᴇʀ - ʀᴀᴠᴇɴᴄʟᴀᴡ ᴀʟᴜᴍɴᴜꜱ

( alva bratt | cis woman | she/her ) — was that elowen nott passing through diagon alley? those close to them say they remind them of a look that sees right through you, secrets hidden in code no one knows, coffee for when creativity hits at midnight, scribbled thoughts in margins of well read books, manicured fingers stained in quill ink and the ripple of a stone throw in a crystal clear lake, which i suppose seems to fit that ravenclaw hogwarts alumnus. they’re actually pretty intelligent, unconventional, and creative for a twenty-six year old, but i wonder if it serves them well when working as an independent curse breaker for hire. rumor has it that the pureblood  has stayed neutral… for now. i wouldn’t have guessed… but this is a conversation we should be having somewhere else.

ɪɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ

ꜰᴜʟʟ ɴᴀᴍᴇ - Elowen Ffion (Fi-awhn) Nott

ɴɪᴄᴋɴᴀᴍᴇꜱ - Winnie, Fi

ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀᴛᴇ & ᴀɢᴇ - January 1st, 26

ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ʙɪʀᴛʜ - St Mungos, London England

ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ - A cottage in Godrics Hollow

ᴏᴄᴄᴜᴘᴀᴛɪᴏɴ - Independent Curse Breaker

ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ & ᴘʀᴏɴᴏᴜɴꜱ - cis woman she/her

ꜱᴇxᴜᴀʟ/ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ ᴏʀɪᴇɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ - bi romantic/sexual

ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱʜɪᴘ ꜱᴛᴀᴛᴜꜱ - married to her career, single

ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ꜱᴛᴀᴛᴜꜱ - pureblood

ᴀʟɪɢɴᴍᴇɴᴛ - neutral for now

ᴇᴅᴜᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ - private tutors until Hogwards where she was in Ravenclaw

ᴡᴀɴᴅ - very flexible, 10.25 inches, Hawthorn wood with a unicorn hair core

ᴘᴀᴛʀᴏɴᴜꜱ - dragon

ʙᴏɢɢᴀʀᴛ - engulfing darkness, disembodied screams of her loved ones

ᴀᴍᴏʀᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴀ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴛꜱ - fresh parchment, chocolate strawberries and a cold nights bonfire

ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴛʜᴜꜱ ꜰᴀʀ

triggers - parental abuse/neglect, extremism and mental health struggles

Elowen Ffion Nott was born to the renown Nott family, her grandfather Cantankerous Nott wrote the pureblood directory. Family legacy and loyalty has always been incredibly important to the Nott's and it was a tenant Elowen grew up with drilled into the fiber of her being.

Elowen never liked to follow the easy expectations of her however and spent her entire life subverting what everyone wanted or thought she would do. She was a bit unconventional by many expectations, and pushed boundaries often. However, Elowen has always been incredibly clever and intelligent the type of person who makes it a point to learn the rules so she knows the best ways to break them.

For the first sixteen years of Elowen's life she was privately educated with other young witches in etiquette, understanding magic without practicing, society expectations, French, Latin and more. Elowen was an exceptionally gifted fencer, enjoyed ballet lessons and reading about curses.

Geraint Nott held the family motto in high regard "Strength lies in legacy." Which Elowen knows is just a short handed way of support blood supremacy and ideals. And while Elowen doesn't agree with those antiquated thoughts she does have a curious sort of caution in regards to muggles due to her understanding of the witch trials. However, like all fears (at least the ones she will face) Elowen prefers to learn everything she can about it as a means to control what she does not understand.

Elowen isn't secretive about what she believes, but her father doesn't seem to care enough to fight with her about it. After all, she isn't the Nott heir, so what does it matter what she thinks so long as she is successful and marries proper. The later of which she has failed to do for years, and her father seems to be growing tired her of avoidance of accepting her responsibility to their society and family.

However, Elowen has been letting her father down for as long as she can recall. Long before she was sorted into Ravenclaw (a distasteful occurrence according to her father who instead of writing her spent the first semester dutifully ignoring Elowen's owls. When he finally did respond to her post he acted as if nothing at all had transpired.

Used to his silent treatments Elowen was still over joyed to hear back from him. Even though she knew it was likely her mother, Astrid's influence that finally wore down his stubborn disposition.

So despite her fathers silent treatment, and frankly childish hissy fits Elowen was sorted into Ravenclaw. The hat had barely touched her head before loudly proclaiming where the young witch belonged. Elowen thrived in an educational setting and was always top of her class becoming head girl in her final year. Elowen excelled in dueling club, ancient ruins study and defense against the dark arts.

Elowen being incredibly curious and ambitious would not have been satisfied falling into expectations, nor would she have enjoyed the regulations and rules. Using her family name (not all nepotism is bad, she's just clever) and talents Elowen went into work for herself as a curse breaker. The more challenging a curse the better. Most recently Elowen has thrown herself head first into work as the state of her world becomes more unclear. She knows what is right and what is wrong, and yet despite her family being incredibly difficult and polarizing she doesn't want to lose them.

ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴜꜱᴇ

Elowen had a love for the arts, especially due to her having taken lessons in dance and piano since she was able to hold a beat

Elowen has a kneazle she rescued on one of her cursebreaking trips. She calls her companion Minette

Elowen always has coffee on at inappropriate hours. You never know when inspiration will consume her so she needs caffeine to keep awake

Elowen has a heavily protected collection of cursed objects

ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴꜱ

tbd

[originalleftist]

City Governments Are Coordinating Plans To Resist If Trump Wins And Fulfils His Promise To Deploy Troops Against Their Cities:

I don't care for the Guardian these days, they've had some very questionable takes, but people need to understand this.

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THE US ARE PREPARING TO RESIST IF TRUMP DEPLOYS THE MILITARY TO TAKE OVER THEIR CITIES AND ROUND UP THEIR PEOPLE.

Though some will undoubtedly feel otherwise, this is not hyperbole nor panic, nor is it treasonous. It is, unfortunately, a measured and necessary response to what the Republican nominee has campaigned on doing. Better to have contingency plans and not need them, than need them and not have them.

They're also not talking about violent resistance, probably for obvious reasons, and I imagine that the initial attempts to resist would be administrative or through the courts or legislatures. I also expect, however, that Trump would respond to any such defiance with escalating force. And the comments by Philadelphia DA Krasner seem to hint at an awareness of where this could ultimately end.

"Krasner predicted that Trump would face severe blowback if he tried to carry out any of his menaces. "We're not going to let somebody carry out a coup as soon as he's in office, whether with tanks or on paper. My father served in World War Two, and countless Americans died to resist fascism. If anybody tries to orchestrate a coup they're going to encounter tremendous resistance."'

In a horrible way, I find it reassuring that they talking about this, that they are taking this seriously, that they're making plans now, rather than just hoping that everything will work out. Because once troops are being deployed on streets, it'll be far too late to plan. At least we won't be caught flat-footed. This is noting less than their duty- as local government to protect their constituents, and as Americans to defend the Constitution.

But it's shocking that we're here, and this could be unimaginably horrific.

Far, far better to stop him now, in November. While we still can.

It is also past time for Unions to be making general strike plans in the event of a coup/attempted dictatorship. A number of unions made such plans in the event of a coup in 2020, but they thankfully never needed to be used. If you're in a union, see what you can do to push things in this direction, if your union isn't already preparing for it.

And if you're in the military, I hope that you are thinking hard about how far you are prepared to follow orders, what risks you are willing to take to defend our Constitution not just against external enemies, but internal ones, and where your loyalty truly lies.

PS: Any Tankies/Marxists/Anarchists reading this who are giddy at the prospect of finally getting your Revolution if Trump wins- You may think that civil war is all games or theory, or you may truly believe that it'll be worth it to lead to whatever better society you imagine, or maybe you just hate the world and want it to burn to the ground. But the reality is that if Trump becomes President, millions of people-mainly marginalized, vulnerable people, not the rich and powerful-could die horribly. To say nothing of the very real possibility that your side could LOSE. Or that we'll be basically burning the country instead of working on addressing climate change.

Let this be our wakeup call. Stop it now. Please.

[haisayonaraa]

Taking care of Lord Dio

(justt a small heads up,  I'm still watching part three so if I  find out I've written these characters wrong in the future, I'll definitely  rewrite it)

[story below]

It seems everyone who's sworn loyalty to Dio has also sworn to never tell anyone about his regression.  Sure they all knew it happened, but no one was to ever mention it. On top of that, no one has ever been in the same room as the small lord. He's always secured himself in his room, only leaving for a few necessities. Due to this secluded nature, it would be a great honor to serve as Dio's caregiver.  A title that wouldn't be used by anyone until this particular night.

The halls where quite empty, aside from the two walking there depths. Both Mariah and Vanilla ice where called to Dio's room, which would be normal for any other time except now. Dio was regressed. "Oooh I bet lord dio will be absolutely adorable!" Mariah awed over the thought of their lord being a small little boy, a hard contrast to the man who they usually see. "Don't get overly excited,  we should be honored that he chose us to see him in such a vulnerable state." Vanilla ice doesn't really have good experience taking care of children, but he would do anything,  ANYTHING for Dio. Even if that's being there for him a mentally young child? Infant? He's not sure what to expect. 

When they finally got to Dio's room, the little vampire was already waiting for them at the door with a pouty expression. "I apologize for us being so late lord dio, Mariah insisted we picked up a few things before arriving.." Vanilla ice looked to Mariah with a bit of a glare before looking back at Dio, "but how can we assist you?" Dio thinks for awhile, "ai joo." ai joo? whatever could that be? neither Mariah or Vanilla ice knew what their lord meant, but he wanted it. "ai joo.. what do you think that is?" "I don't know, dio could you please explain-" Dio runs to his closet and pulls out a box, once the box is opened, he pulls out a green sippy cup, "ai joo!" finally, a clue. "oh he wants something to drink! I bet joo is juice!" Vanilla ice sighs, of course that's what that meant, it made so much sense now. "but what kind of juice? apple? orange? grape??" Dio claps his hands, "gape! gape!" So Dio wanted grape juice, it kind of made sense since it had the closest resemblance to blood. 

Once Dio was served his grape juice, Mariah rummages through the bag she brought and gives Dio the item she got him. a blanket that resembles the night sky with little bats on it. "I saw this yesterday and I thought you would li-" Dio makes happy lil baby noises. "I think he likes it." Vanilla ice is a little upset that he didn't get anything for Dio now. Dio insisted on being wrapped in the blanket, so know the baby is in a blanket cocoon. "hm.. something's missing.." Mariah looks through Dio's little box before finding a pacifier for him. "there, isn't he sweet?" Vanilla ice looks down at Dio, who's now drifting to sleep "Yes.. he's very sweet.. are all babies this sweet, or does lord Dio just have that charm?" Mariah chuckles, "I think it's just Dio." Vanilla ice looks away, "I should have got him something.." Mariah puts a hand on Vanilla ice's arm, "Hey, we're both learning, and for all I know he could have hated it.. but you know, I think we're doing really good for our first time." Vanilla ice looks back at Dio, "yeah, me too."

said blanket: 

(Dio has two caregivers who are going to spoil him with as many goodies as he wants, and Vanilla ice gets a better understanding on how to care for a child.)

[thanks for reading this! as I said, I don't know much about Vanilla ice or Mariah yet, so I hope I didn't make them sound off character or anything- I do look forward to seeing them in part three though :3]

[randomfanner]

Just Had a Thought

The Crown of Karsus, one of the most powerful magical artifacts in existence. The arcane potential in the item was beyond the comprehension of the Bhaalspawn who held it in his hands, studying it from every angle.  His tail swished in the air back and forward mindlessly.

“Calax I do understand how impressive the Crown is, but you have been staring at it for the last 20 minutes. Is there something in particular on your mind?” Gortash didn’t even look up from his work table.

“Hmm…” the sulphuric tiefling  sat up and placed the crown down on the pillow it was being stored on. “Just had a thought,” Calax’s red eyes bore into the crown.

“My, isn’t that dangerous,” Gortash moved away from his work. “Tell me, what is this thought?” he sauntered over to where the crown, and Calax was.

“Why waste the Crown on the elder brain?” Calax asked. Deep red flicking to the side at Gortash. 

“Now I certainly wouldn’t call putting the Crown on the brain a waste, but if you have an alternative I will at least hear it out,” Gortash said. “If we shouldn’t waste it on the brain, what should we use it on instead?”

“I could wear the crown.” 

Gortash raised an eyebrow.  “And to what end would that serve?”

“I am a Bhaalspawn, the crown likely couldn’t kill me and I could gain the power from it. You would have the Netherstones and the ability to control it, and therefore me.” Calax said as he walked back to where he was sitting. “You would have the most powerful weapon no one could defy right in your grasp.” 

“I will admit, it is not a horrid proposal,” Gortash said as he took a seat next to Calax. “But it does not truly work with the rest of our plan.”

“A horrid monster ripping to shreds the Sword Coast would surely be something to defend against, a silent assassin tearing through the streets would cause panic. One that you would have the complete ability to stop. It would launch you where you would need to be to claim your title,” Calax said. “It saves a step.”

“And where we do not have everyone’s undying loyalty as their god?” Gortash asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Would it matter?” Calax asked. “I am sure you could invent something, or simply have the skills to convince people to follow you willingly..”

Gortash’s lips turned into a smile and laughed. “Oh Calax my dear, if I could make a simple device without the Elder Brain to control the entirety of the Sword Coast, I promise I would have by now,” Gortash said. “Besides, I already have the most powerful being on the Sword Coast by my side,” Gortash leaned a bit closer to Calax.  “And he has no need for the multiverse's most persuasive dog collar.” 

“Just a thought.”

“Where exactly does it come from, Calax?’ Gortash asked as he leaned away. “You know what putting the Crown on would mean for you, yet you still suggest it. Why? Is there something that concerns you about our current plan?”

“No.”

Gortash frowned, dark eyes narrowing. “That does not answer the first question.”

“I did answer, earlier in the conversation,” Calax’s tail cut the air. “It saves a step.”

“And turns you into a thrall under my control, an all powerful thrall yes but you would still be heeded to me. You know this,” Gortash said. “Not to mention how much this could upset your master, simply handing full control to The Chosen of Bane.”

“It is his will I serve you,” Calax said. “He wants this plan to succeed. I am suggesting a way to make it succeed faster. If it will not work, then I will drop it.”

Gortash gave a sigh. “I appreciate your dedication, truly but let's save that for getting the crown on the Elder Brain rather than putting it on your head.” Gortash stood up and made his way back over to his work bench. “Should you have any other thoughts, don’t hesitate to suggest. We are working together on this plan, I would rather see what you have to say.”

Calax stared at his back at the soon to be tyrant of all hunched over the desk. “I will.” the assassin lied without missing a single beat. 

[ablogcalledrevenge]

Potential (A General Hux x Reader Insert Multi-Chapter Fic, Rated M)

AO3 Link

Chapter Twelve

“And she’s so powerful Master, perhaps even more than the scavenger. She’s completely untrained but I could help hone her skills. It’s just so strange to me that I wasn’t able to sense it.” Kylo finishes, breathing heavily in his excitement. 

While the most important part was that you had this new power to learn and wield, Kylo was also secretly pleased that he would no longer be alone. The Force was a very isolating thing, especially for those more in tune with the Dark Side. Knowing there was someone else who could understand his feelings and struggles was comforting. Plus, it would be fun to mess around with Hux.

“Of course you weren’t able to sense it boy, I didn’t want you to.” Snoke says, interrupting his daydreams. Silence fills the chamber and it echoes. 

“You knew? The whole time? Why didn’t you say anything? Is that what you spoke to her about that night?” Kylo asks, growing more and more angry. Snoke just watches with mild bemusement, like Kylo is a small child getting mad that his parent lied about having sweets.

“We could’ve been helping her this whole time! She got hurt, Supreme Leader, she was in agony! We could’ve stopped that and stopped Pryde. She could’ve died and then Palpatine would be back!” Kylo shouted at his Master, feeling the slow, slimy crawl of darkness fill him up.

“Oh come now boy, do you really think Pryde’s pathetic plan would have worked? It was flawed from the start and lacking in past proven success. While the Light Side allows those who’ve passed to communicate with others still living, the Dark Side, especially that of a Sith, deals in absolutes. Death is death. He let his desire for power blind him to common sense.”

“Then why did we not stop him earlier and prevent the waste of time and resources? Why Master? Why put us through this?” He responds looking up at Snoke. Since the attack on Exegol, the Supreme Leader had made a visit to the Finalizer. Normally he has guards around him at all times, imposing figures dressed in all red. But he is alone, alone with Kylo.

Despite being old and sallow, he intimidated Kylo. He felt cowed in his presence, like an animal trying to hide in the corner of a cage. Clearly his Master knew more than he let on and deemed Kylo unworthy of the information.

“Because I needed to know where your loyalties lie!” Snoke roared, standing up from his throne. His student recoiled back.

“I am loyal to you Master, you know this! Ever since I was a child when you called to me. Why would I betray you? Your goals are my goals and I seek to serve you and learn from you. I wish to make you proud.” Kylo pleaded.

“Do you think I am blind Master Ren, or perhaps that I am merely stupid? Do you think I didn’t see the way you trailed after that insipid girl like a lost dog? Did you think that I was unaware of the relationship that started with the General? I’ve known the whole time and your behavior has been an embarrassment.” Snoke sneered, returning to his seat. He fumed for a moment, his already thin lips pulling tighter in fury.

“I am aware of General Hux’s desires for power and glory and before I found them easily managed. But now, his wife, like all vile women I’ve come to know, has poisoned his mind. She inflates his ego and aids his progress in a way that concerns me. She may bat her eyes and act innocent but she is vicious. Her goals far outweigh the General’s and I have no doubt that should he prove useless, she will get rid of him. Did you think yourself so special that she would treat you differently?” He continues, drumming his long, skeletal fingers on the arm of his chair.

“… What?” Kylo whispers into the still air of the chamber. One would think they were all frozen statues with how little they moved. No breeze ruffled their robes. No speck of dust floated through the air. The large chamber, despite being practically empty, felt like a vacuum.

A look of pity crossed Snoke’s face before morphing into a twisted attempt at glee. Not because he was trying to be kind and spare Kylo’s feelings, but more because such a pleasant expression had never graced his sunken face before.

“I don’t believe it. I thought you were smarter than that. Did you really think they liked you? That she meant all the things she’s been whispering in your ear? She chose you from the start to be a pawn in her game and your fate will probably go the way of all the other people she’s killed.”

Kylo made an odd choking noise he’d never heard himself make before.

“Are you truly that braindead? Did you think those deaths were all coincidences? She might have painted a pretty picture for the unwashed masses but I thought I’d trained you better than that. She wants to usurp me and our Brotherhood. She wants to dismantle the First Order and take everyone down with it.”

“You’re wr-wrong.” Kylo stammered out, his face red with shame. The hot slide of the Force turned to ice in his veins. Snoke scoffed.

“She doesn’t love you Kylo. Neither of them do. They are monsters, incapable of love. And you are too. I allowed this indiscretion to go on for a time, seeing how the passion made you stronger in your fighting. But now it’s gone too far. Love is for children and imbeciles! They are using you! They laugh at you when you leave them, thinking they’ve deceived you. They think they’ve deceived me!” He shouted, once again stepping off his platform and down towards Kylo.

Kylo’s vision was clouding, and Snoke’s words echoed in his ears. He started to look back on every interaction, examining them in a new light. He went over every kiss, every touch, every look for something sinister. Was it true? Was he that weak to jump at the chance of affection, even at his own risk?

The room felt like it was getting smaller, squeezing in on him. Snoke started to poke at his thoughts, paint them red and reveal the truth. The pain was immense and brought Kylo back to his childhood, crying under his bed after a scolding from his mother. Snoke had been there too, showing him the truth of his mother’s feelings. He showed him her disdain and her regrets. He showed him all the secret thoughts she had about her son. All through his life, Snoke had been there, molding him into the fierce warrior he was now.

And Kylo had failed.

The shame brought him to his knees. He had allowed himself to be lied to and manipulated. He had allowed simple pleasures of the flesh to override his devotion to the Force. Once again, he had tried to please his Master, bring more over to the Dark Side, and he had crashed and burned.

As humiliating as it was, he could move on from the scavenger. The Force was strong within her, but the Resistance had gotten to her first. She would be a worthy opponent.

But this, this cut him deep. This was no longer an issue of his pride or his teachings. This involved his heart. His distraction had nearly cost him his life.

Snoke approached him, the gold fabric of his robe coming into view. A cold hand rested gently on Kylo’s head.

“Your behavior has been disgraceful but not unexpected. You always did have a hard time removing your feelings from the situation. That’s why I’m here. To help you when you falter in your duties. She has used you and now must be stopped. You’ve been ignoring your work long enough. You must return to your mission and find Luke Skywalker.” Snoke said, his voice quiet and calm. Kylo sniffed and stared at the floor.

Then the hand petting his head stopped, and though Snoke removed his grip, Kylo still felt his head wrenched up. Kylo was eye to eye with his Master and as much as he wanted to look away, he could not move.

“You know what to do Kylo Ren, you know how to stop this. You can never complete your training if you allow others to manipulate you. Use the Force and follow your path. Show your loyalty and kill those who stand in your way.” Snoke declared, loosening his phantom grip and letting Kylo fall to the floor like a doll.

The edge of his lightsaber cut into his hip and his hand twitched. He had to speak with you.

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

When Kylo had left two hours ago, he had sat you down in front of a candle and told you to meditate. You’d focused your breathing like he’d shown you and kept the candle in sight. Kylo had said that meditation would not only help you understand and communicate with the Force but it would also help lessen the pain and lower the volume.

You were both surprised and not to find that he was right. It wasn’t that you thought Kylo was lying about his skills or knowledge, but you were worried that they wouldn’t work for you. No one had realized you were strong with the Force so who’s to say the training would even work? But it was.

The headache you’d had since you woke up in the medbay was receding every day, more so on days you meditated or practiced simple drills. When Kylo made you close your eyes and predict where a levitating ball was -or on one occasion, where he was going to kiss next- you felt proud. 

In those moments you understood and liked the Force. Hux was… well he wasn’t pleased exactly. But he let you and Kylo continue on and didn’t make a fuss. It was clear that he still regarded the Force with some skepticism but seeing the fundamentals being taught helped change his mind a little. The two people he cared most for in the galaxy were Force users, so he might as well just accept it.

So there you sat, legs crossed and breathing slow. The Force lay in front of you like a map, glowing lines intersecting and flowing over each other. There was a line connecting you and Hux, another going from you to outside the room towards Kylo probably, even one connecting Millie to you. And along each line, like the faintest glimmer, was the future. Or the possible future.

You saw worlds collapsing and expanding, empires rising and falling. Your own self seemed so minuscule in the will of the Force. The universe would continue on it’s path, only allowing you choices when it saw fit.

But there was a beauty in that, a release of responsibility. The Force didn’t care about you, it just connected you to others in the universe. So you would not care about it, you would continue as you were and only take nudges when they fit your vision. Still, getting to read people’s minds certainly wouldn’t hurt.

You released your breath and the candle went out, flooding your bedroom into darkness. That was enough introspection for a day. You changed out of your simple pants and shirt into the outfit you were planning on wearing for the evening. You and Hux were meeting a few officers for dinner and you wanted to show off your new dress. The dress was a gorgeous piece; black leather with enticing see through mesh and colorful floral embroidery. 

Glancing at the chronometer, you entered the living room, Millie resting peacefully on the couch while your darling finished his work. You needed to remind him of the time, so he could get ready as well. You still had to put your shoes on, but you would have your darling husband do that. The play at subjugation was always a fun little appetizer for the two of you.

Everything was quiet and easy and your brain relaxed as you waited.

It was into this calmness that Kylo burst in, his robes swirling around him like a storm. You didn’t need to sense his energy crackling around him to tell you he was in a mood. He looked furious and heartbroken and confused all at the same time. You and Hux both remained where you were in shock; him at his desk, you by the couch.

“Kylo, is everything alright?” Hux asked, setting aside his datapad. Kylo didn’t reply and instead removed his outer robe, letting it drop to the floor. His dark gaze bounced around the room, catching on random things and never staying for long. He looked at Hux for a long moment, your husband standing from his chair to perhaps embrace Kylo. But the expression on Kylo’s face made him falter.

Then he looked at you.

The sweet smile you greeted him with slid off your face as you felt yourself lift off the ground. You were being pulled up by your neck, the pressure getting tighter and tighter with each inch you rose.

“Kylo, what’s going on?! What are you doing? Put her down! Stop!” Hux yelled, racing over to Kylo to get him to stop. He pushed at the other man’s body, tried to pull his arm down where it extended in a claw towards you. But Kylo may as well have been a mountain for all that he moved.

Your feet were dangling, toes no longer anywhere near the floor, and your hands in their leather gloves scrabbled at your neck. You could feel Kylo’s grip, clear as any other time he had so lovingly touched your neck. But your fingers scratched at air, your throat convulsing by invisible means.

Tears rolled down your reddening face as you choked out Kylo’s name, begging him to stop. Hux ran to you, hands fluttering with uselessness.

“Kylo stop, please! I don’t understand! Why are you doing this?” He cried, turning pale.

“You lied to me! You were always lying to me! You’ve been using me! You don’t love me, you never have! The Supreme Leader showed me the truth. You used me and as soon as I would’ve  stopped helping you, you would’ve killed me. Killed me like all the others!” Kylo shouted, ignoring Hux entirely.

Your eyes, which had been pleading only moments before, turned hard and steely at the accusation. Seeing the change, and perhaps thinking it a confirmation, Kylo released you.

You dropped into your husband’s arms, gasping and coughing. Hux grabbed a cup of water from the little decanter you kept on the table in front of the couch, pouring you a drink.

“What the kriff are you talking about? We haven’t been lying! Of course we care about you!” Hux told him, his eyes blazing with rage. Yes, he did care about Kylo, but not enough to instantly forgive for almost killing you!

Just like that, an argument started, both men screaming in each other’s faces. Screaming about lies and loyalties and love and betrayal and plans and secrets. Kylo was revealing your plan step by step while Hux, bless him, was justifying it on every turn while attempting to place all the blame on himself. Poor Millie had run towards your bedroom, tail tucked between her legs.

“Enough.”

The word struck like a bell, silencing both men. During their flight you had regained your senses,

standing gracefully in front of the transparisteel window. Your voluminous gown stood out against the navy of space and you touched once at your throat to center yourself. 

“You’re right. That is my plan. I did kill all those people. I’m going to remove Hux’s superiors to place him in a position of authority. A role where no one is above him or controls him. I am going to make him Emperor. That’s all true.” You admit slowly, voice scratchy from the abuse. But it does not waver, even in the face of Kylo’s rage.

Hux lets out a sigh and sinks into one of the armchairs, his hand coming up to rub across his chin. His eyes switch between you and Kylo, worry creasing underneath.

“So you would kill me too? Strike me down if I was in your way?” Kylo sneers.

“Yes. But not anymore. My plans have altered slightly.” You admit with a shrug. Ever since Hux’s accident you’ve allowed yourself some flexibility. While you do want to stick to your goals, now you’ve discovered that some people are more important.

“That doesn’t matter! You still lied to me! You still brought me here to control me and use me! You never cared for me, never lo-loved me!” He shouts, pointing a finger at you.

“Oh grow up Kylo! That’s what love is! Being in love means being used, being controlled. I use Hux, he uses me! Did you think I married him merely for his looks? No, I knew his connections and position in the First Order would suit my goals. He did the same. Sure, I’m a beautiful woman with a sparkling personality but I also had family wealth and connections to Imperial planets. We chose each other for specific reasons and love followed. So to act annoyed because I picked you out first and then came to adore you is childish.”

“It’s true, we weren’t honest about our intentions at first, but is that so awful? You’re part of us now. Would you have come to us had you known the truth? Would you be happier without us? Have we ever treated you poorly, made you feel used?” Hux asked, his voice a calm break between the two of you starting to shout. Kylo started like he forgot Hux was there.

“And furthermore, how did we use you? What did we make you do? What did we ask of you? We kept you away from our plans on purpose. We didn’t want you getting involved.” He adds, a tone of sweetness entering his voice. It’s one that rarely appears but it seems to do the job of soothing Kylo slightly.

“I, I don’t understand. What was your plan for me? You say you chose me but for what? To warm your bed and nothing else? If that were true then why did Snoke confront you? Why involve me and not tell me the truth?” Kylo begs, stepping closer to you, reaching both hands into his hair to pull in frustration.

“Because you need to kill Snoke.”

The air in the room stills as your words land like bombs. Hux sucks in a nervous breath and Kylo drops his hands.

“You would have me kill my Master? Kill the Supreme Leader?” He whispers, as if afraid of saying the words too loud and making them real.

“Hux cannot be Emperor if Snoke rules over him. The Supreme Leader is old and weak and doesn’t care about the actual people he’s ruling over. All he cares about is the Force and eradicating the Jedi.” You reply, the cold expanse of space behind you.

“That is an important and noble cause!”

“Like hell it is! What does it matter if Skywalker still lives? He’s off on some rock somewhere being a recluse! It wasn’t until you started looking for him, on Snoke’s orders, that he became a problem. Snoke told you to try and convert the scavenger to the Dark Side and you failed and now she’s with the Resistance! She’s probably getting trained by Skywalker himself. You did this to yourself! Snoke’s foolhardy desire to get rid of the perceived threat of the Jedi caused the most powerful one to come out of retirement! He’s an idiot and so are you!” You shout, holding up your hand when Kylo tries to interrupt. You take a long sip of your water.

“For years Snoke has sent you on wild hawk-bat chases, going after old men and ghosts. He has diverted money and resources away from the First Order to complete his unnecessary missions. The skills of the Knights of Ren are legendary and he has been wasting them! He is not only wasting your time but your talent! I am only a beginner in the ways of the Force, I admit that, but even I can see that your mind reading skills and athletics are better suited for covert missions and interrogation. Instead you’re off playing hide and seek with people who do not wish to be found.”

“And why? Why Kylo? Why does he send you? Send your knights? If Snoke is so powerful, so wise, why doesn’t he do it? Because to be honest my love, had you failed me as much as you failed him, I wouldn’t keep giving you things to do. He’s distracting you, keeping you busy. He’s occupying your time so you never realize the truth. He gives you impossible tasks and berates you when you falter, pulling at your leash like a feral Neks when you try to do something by yourself. If anyone is using you, it is him, not me.”

Kylo sputters and laughs in a short, disbelieving way. He steps closer to you once more, forcing you to back up against the window, the cool glass making you hiss. Hux stands up from his chair but does not move further, knowing he is out of his depth between you and Kylo.

“If you’re so wise, so all knowing in the Force, ten steps ahead of everyone, then tell me: what is he distracting me from?” His voice is smooth like silk, gliding over your face and neck as he approaches you.

There is something predatory in his eyes, assessing and bright. You do not cower from him though your heart is pounding fast. You wonder if the sound is escaping your chambers, it seems so loud.

“From your true power. From the natural conclusion of your training. From questioning him. You are the Master of the Knights of Ren, and yet where is your authority? What choices are you allowed to oversee?” You explain, raising your hand slowly to rest against Kylo’s chest. Your fingers flex against the hard leather of his tunic.

“I run missions and lead battles all the time. I have plenty of control over myself and my Knights. You know nothing of the work I do for the Supreme Leader. You know nothing of the Dark Side!” He spits back, his eyes searching your face.

“I know more than you realize. You think I’d go into this blind, just doing whatever you tell me? If I’m going to have to deal with the Force, I’m going to learn about it all. True, I haven’t gotten through all of it and I doubt I ever will, but I know about the Light and Dark Sides of the Force. And yet… and yet you are neither.”

You catch your husband’s eye and beckon him forward with your other hand, below Kylo’s waist. He slopes up gracefully hovering near Kylo’s back but not touching.

“Why did Snoke teach you the ways of the Force, grab you away from your childhood and bring you into the Dark Side, and then not allow you to reach your fullest potential? Why refuse the moniker of Sith when that’s so clearly what he is?” You say, dropping your voice down into the register you use in the bedroom. Your hand slides up Kylo’s chest to his neck, playing with the tiny wisps of hair at his nape. Hux joins you, wrapping an arm around Kylo’s waist from behind and bringing the other up to replace yours on his chest. Kylo’s eyes have gone a little hazy, confused in how he got into this position but sinking deeply into serenity. He’s certainly not mad anymore and you’d take it.

“The Dark Side of the Force is rigid and hard to maintain. He wanted more flexibility for himself… and for us.” Kylo murmurs as Hux reaches below his belt and heavy tunic to caress at Kylo’s stomach underneath.

“But he won’t offer you the same flexibility. Why, when you have difficulty with a style or lesson does he not adapt and change? Give you the same kindness he extends to himself.”

A spark of comprehension lights in Kylo’s eyes. Seizing the moment, you quickly grip Kylo’s hair and pull his head back, Hux pushing at his back and legs to get him down on the floor between you. He kneels before you, neck straining from your pull, eyes once again furious. You smile at him, and it is wicked.

“Because the final act of a Sith is to kill their Master.”

Kylo wrenches away from you, a few of his dark hairs still trapped in your fist. He grabs his helmet and cowl by the door.

“You are wrong! My Master is wise in all things and has plans I can’t even conceive of. He has plans for me, he wants to help me. He has been raising me to my true potential since I was a child! I will not kill him!” He shouts and you fear momentarily for anyone passing by. The chambers are mostly sound proof but Kylo has a loud, commanding voice. You raise your voice right back.

“He has been manipulating you since you were a child! He has been hurting you since you were a child! Had you proven a bad student, he would’ve found another. He has never cared for you! If he did, he would’ve left you alone.” You shoot back, surprised to find wetness growing in your vision. Doesn’t he see what he means to you? How you’ve grown and changed?

“Kylo please, I love you so much. We love you and want you with us. We want to save the Galaxy, make it better. We need your help. We need your knowledge and skill and leadership over your knights. When I make Hux Emperor, you shall have freedom to do as you please. You can do whatever you want for us, with us. Snoke would never let you go! That’s why you must kill him. You need to take your rightful place, just like Hux will. It’s what I always wanted for you.” You add, trailing off quietly towards the end. The tears are really falling now and Hux comes to your side, reaching for your hand. 

“At the end of the day, it’s your decision Kylo. But someone is going to die when this ends. It’s your choice who.” Your husband says, his voice clear and his words final.

With that, Kylo gives you one last glare and storms out of your apartment. The door closes quietly behind him. You and Hux remain standing, tears streaming down your face, and hope that you didn’t just ruin everything.

You almost cancel your dinner plans but decide against it. Kylo needs time and you might as well eat a good meal before your death. It’s agony, trying to make friendly conversation while a pendulum hangs over your head, but you are the perfect hostess which means being the perfect guest. You are witty and charming, laughing at jokes and gazing lovingly at your husband. He remains mostly quiet and pleasant, leaving the communication mostly to you.

After a long dinner, you are finally free of company and return to your apartments. Millie has been fed and you both collapse on the couch. Hux pours you both a glass of whiskey and you sip next to each other, dread returning. Kylo doesn’t return after one glass or the next.

Eventually, you go to bed. Neither of you talk much, lying next to each other under the blankets. Hux reaches across the expanse and holds your hand. It makes your heart soar with affection and you kiss him sweetly. Declarations of love get whispered between you and you fall into an uneasy sleep.

You’re only a few hours into the sleep cycle when the front door opens with a beep. As if waiting for a signal, you and Hux spring out of bed. You trail behind Hux as he enters the sitting room, your simple blue nightgown fluttering around you.

Kylo is there, helmet off, lightsaber engaged, and breathing heavily. He stalks towards you and for a moment your head is empty. You are going to die and the realization freezes you in your tracks.

Then he disengages his lightsaber and lets it drop onto the floor with a clang. He extends his arm, previously behind his back, and drops Snoke’s mangled head on the carpet. He looks exhausted, skin pale and drawn. There is blood on his face by his temple. 

Then he falls to the floor as well, both of you reaching forward at the last second to catch him. Blood stains your hands where they press against his chest. Hux quickly removes Kylo’s uniform, inhaling sharply at the sight of blood and gore on his chest. There was a battle clearly and Hux whistles for Messy. The mouse droid zooms over and Hux makes a request for medical supplies. You have some in your chambers but Kylo will probably need more than your paltry supply. He needs to go to the medbay, something Hux keeps saying but Kylo shakes his head.

“I did it, it’s done. Snoke is dead. The Knights have pledged to me and only me. I’m free.” Kylo breathes out, voice scratchy. Hux looks at you in shock. You had hoped that Kylo would choose you, would follow your plan, and now he had.

Snoke was dead. There was nothing standing in your way. Kylo could pronounce The Supreme Leader dead in the morning and Hux could be crowned by the afternoon. It was done, you were finished.

“Kylo, you miraculous boy!” Hux croons, pushing away his sweaty hair and kissing his temple.

While your husband worked on treating Kylo’s wounds, labored breaths and hisses of pain accompanied by soothing nonsense, you sat on the floor in a heap.

All the lying and killing and deceiving could end. You had won. Your plan had worked. Hux was going to be Emperor! Hux… was going to be Emperor…

Kylo’s lightsaber rested by your knee, easily reachable. Snoke’s head lay nearby, his face in a frozen state of shock, eyes gone dim. The men were busy, occupied with other things but within your range. Your hands rested on your lap covered in blood, possibly Snoke’s, maybe Kylo’s. 

Your heartbeat slowed like it always did when you were facing a momentous decision. Your eyes swung back and forth between the lightsaber, the head, and your hands. The voices behind you faded to white noise.

The Force gave you a vision. Paths lighting up and expanding out from your hands.

You had won, your hard work had paid off. All your obstacles were gone. You could have everything you wanted. And more… You could have more. The weapon was in reach and by the time they realized what you were doing, they’d be dead. This was your plan, your idea! They had done their part and you didn’t need them anymore.

But you, you could do more. You could rise higher than thought possible, bringing the Galaxy to it’s knees. They were only men; easily distracted and disposed of. You could kill them now and have it all.

The First Order would obey you, Phasma’s troops falling in line at your show of cunning. The Knights would respect you, ruthlessly taking the opportunity. Men were weak and you were strong. You were better than them, better than everyone! You could be Empress of all, ruling for centuries!

All you had to do was pick up the lightsaber and cut their throats. All you had to do was kill them. It would be easy, they’d barely feel a thing. You could do it without breaking a sweat. You could spin a story to make yourself look good, give yourself deniability. You could become a God, rule the First Order and then the Galaxy!

You could kill them. You could kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them! KILL THEM! KILL THEM!

KILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLTHEMKILLTHEMKILLKILLKILL

You screamed then, air rushing into your lungs as you fell forward into your lap, bloody hands pushed outward.

“I can’t do it, I won’t do it! Don’t make me, I don’t want to! Get this off me! Get it off! Please, I don’t want to. I love you, I could never, I don’t want to.” You cry out, Hux coming to you and pulling you gently into a more comfortable position against his chest. Kylo, now mostly stable, takes your hands and removes the blood. He is gentle and soft. He knows what you were thinking. 

“Together, together or not at all.” Kylo whispers, placing a reverent kiss on your clean palms. You sniffle and give a shaky smile. The vision fades away, just an idea that passes along.

“You have done so much and done it well, now we can relax and take our place in history. Relax my dear, rest now. It’s done.” Hux says into your ear and you nod, feeling yourself slump further into his embrace.

“It’s done.” You murmur back, repeating the phrase a few times, testing the weight on your tongue. It tastes delicious.

A laugh bubbles up in your chest then, loud and obnoxious. You can’t stop it and it escapes, echoing in the room and startling the men. A beat and then they follow, laughing along with you.

The laughter grows for a moment, a Stormtrooper passing by on patrol hearing it but paying it no mind.

Then it dissipates and the energy in the room settles. Hux lifts you in his arms and carries you back to bed, Kylo trailing behind, fist gently tugging on your nightgown.

You settle into sleep, your husband on one side and your lover on the other, and you drift away into peaceful nothingness. A smile is on your face.

Epilogue Coming Soon!

Tagging: @babbushka, @livy1391, @renaissance-mama, @girl-next-door-writes​, @peqchynero​, @niniita-ah, @the-temple-pythoness​, @cupofmoonlighttea​, @sincerely-cronch​, @potato-ren​, @brujademente​, @ah-callie​, @rosirinoa​, @lwtficrecs​, @theold-ultraviolence​, @mad-hatters-teapot​, @firstordermariposa, @revolution-starter, @shereadsinquiet, @isthisheaven5

Please let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future chapters!

[tomthomasblog]

The Essential Roles of Angels Michael and Gabriel in God's Plan

Have you ever wondered about the roles of angels in our lives? Two of the most significant angels in God's plan are Michael and Gabriel. These powerful beings not only serve God but also aid humanity in various ways. Understanding who they are and what they do can deepen your perspective on faith and spirituality. So, let’s explore the vital roles these angels play in God's grand design!

First, it's important to realize that Michael and Gabriel are not just characters from stories; they are key figures in the spiritual realm. Michael is often portrayed as a strong warrior, battling against the forces of evil. On the other hand, Gabriel serves as God's messenger, delivering crucial news to people. Their tasks might seem straightforward, but they encompass a much larger purpose in helping protect and guide us.

If you look into the Bible, specifically in the book of Daniel, you will discover more about these angels. Here, Michael is described as a chief prince, showcasing his authority and strength. Gabriel, meanwhile, is presented as the one who delivers divine messages. This shows how both angels contribute to fulfilling God’s will. Their stories remind us that we are not alone; there are mighty forces looking out for us.

However, many misconceptions surround the lives of Michael and Gabriel. Some ideas come from myths or popular culture, which can cloud our understanding of these angels’ true roles. It's important to remember that the Bible clarifies who these angels are and what they do. Michael is not just any angel; he is referred to as an archangel, demonstrating his high rank and authority in the heavenly realm. Gabriel, likewise, is recognized specifically as a divine messenger who carries significant messages from God to humanity.

While it’s fascinating to think about angels and their work, it's crucial to approach the idea of angels with care. Although they do interact with us, the Bible teaches us that we shouldn’t try to communicate with them directly. Instead, we should trust that God sends them to us according to His divine plan. Angels are here to support and minister to us, but our focus should always be on God.

Additionally, an essential part of our faith is understanding God's commandment that emphasizes worshiping only Him. This notion is key to maintaining our spiritual health and recognizing the boundaries of our practices. When we place our devotion in the right direction, we can appreciate the role of angels without losing sight of where our true loyalty lies.

In conclusion, Michael and Gabriel have vital roles in God's plan, executing His will with strength and clarity. By understanding these angels better, you can deepen your faith and relationship with God. As you reflect on their purpose, remember to focus your devotion solely on God. Allow the presence of His angels to inspire you, but never forget that it is God alone who deserves your worship and loyalty. So, embrace your understanding and seek to strengthen your connection with the Divine daily!

=======================

The Scripture Collection Playlist A compilation of 20 uplifting music videos inspired by a different Bible scripture. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoBTz-QtgDhox4diwLqHBjD4W-CtzM-8v

=======================

I wrote the song "Angels in the Sky" based on "The Roles of Angels Michael and Gabriel in God's Plan"

dreamy acoustic rock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXSa4AejiWI bubblegum bass symphonic metal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcP18923rLg acoustic rock chillsynth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKiy9mZmGls

[carolap53]

Created for His Good Pleasure TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman

11/12/2024

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

Eric Liddell was an Olympic runner from Britain who won a gold medal in the 1924 Paris Olympics. He was a man who had a deep commitment to the Lord and had future plans of being a missionary. In the meantime, he knew God had given him a special gift to run, and he often said, "I feel God's pleasure when I run."

He spent years training for the Olympics. He passed each hurdle and qualified for the Olympics. Finally, the day came for him to run in the games that were held in Paris. There was only one problem. One of his running events was held on Sunday. Liddell refused to run on Sunday, believing it dishonored the Lord's Sabbath. He held to his convictions and brought great persecution on himself. He made a decision that even if it meant losing his opportunity to compete, he would not run. God's laws were greater than man's applause. Just when the circumstances seemed hopeless, another situation arose that allowed Liddell to run on a different day. So often this is the case in the spiritual realm. God tests our hearts to see if we will remain faithful to Him at the cost of something important to us. Once He knows where our loyalty lies, He opens a new door that meets the desires of our hearts. God takes pleasure in seeing His creation used for His glory. Liddell understood why he was made to run; he used his gift of running to bring pleasure to his Creator. Later, Eric Liddell went on to serve God on the mission field.

Does your life work bring pleasure to the Lord? Do you understand that God instilled certain gifts and talents in you so that He might find pleasure in His creation of you? Take pleasure in the gifts God has given to you this day. And let His glory shine through you.

[nsfwmiamiart]

Incoming Text for Gillian Anderson (@GillianA):

Dear Gillian,

I want to encourage you to watch Terminator Genisys (2015). (click on the blue link)

Question: Why am I recommending this film? Answer: Because it shows you how I see the world. The movie portrays an Anti-Christ-like regime seizing power, with resistants fighting back. The character Jason Clarke plays exists in today’s world.

Here’s an explanation of Jason Clarke's villainous character:

In Terminator Genisys, Jason Clarke portrays John Connor, the iconic leader of the human Resistance against Skynet, the AI system threatening humanity. John is not only a key strategist in the fight against the machines but also a mentor and father figure to Kyle Reese, a loyal soldier who eventually becomes his close ally.

However, during a mission, John is ambushed by a highly advanced Terminator model called the T-5000, which infects him with a powerful nanomachine virus. This attack transforms him into a T-3000, an entirely new type of Terminator. Unlike previous models, which were built with metal endoskeletons and synthetic skin, the T-3000 is composed of "machine phase matter." This is a futuristic technology where John's body is rebuilt at a molecular level, giving him the ability to shift, regenerate, and harden his form at will. Essentially, he becomes a hybrid of human consciousness and self-healing machine, with his entire physical structure reconfigured to serve Skynet as a nearly unstoppable weapon.

This transformation makes John both stronger and more adaptable, capable of withstanding immense damage and rapidly repairing himself. Yet, the tragic twist is that this transformation erases his loyalty to humanity, forcing him to become an agent of Skynet—the very force he once fought against.

The end of the explanation.

In conclusion:

My dear Gillian, for the past eight months, you have chosen to side with doubt instead of believing me. That’s your choice, not mine. If you choose to live in denial, that is your decision. Meanwhile, I am moving forward and fighting this good fight with others who resist.

This is a wake-up call, for you and the 7 billion people living on earth:

The Apocalypse is here. Deny it, ignore it, but it’s here. Those who refuse to prepare for battle will suffer. The choice will be stark: abandon your Christian faith or perish. Those who remain idle will eventually face this choice, as it is unfolding globally, even as we speak. This holy war is inescapable; it was foretold in the Bible centuries ago, and the time to fight the Anti-Christ is upon us.

The world is dividing into two groups:

Those who live in denial and refuse to fight—they will be forced to abandon their Christian faith.

Those who resist and stand their ground—they will be able to keep their faith.

This holy war is inevitable, and it has already begun.

I know David Duchovny likely regrets doubting me. Both of you are smart people. Look around. Do you believe the world as you know it will last another decade or two? Now, you understand why I don’t discuss these topics on my blogs. People prefer the comfort of denial, talking about new episodes of Friends or Sex and the City. Ignorance is bliss, as they say in The Matrix.

If you're ready, I encourage you to connect with Christian communities in Australia—they are among the most prepared for this holy war. Australian churches are organizing for what lies ahead. Reach out to actor Russell Crowe; he can show you around. His recent movie, The Pope's Exorcist, dives deep into these themes.

And, Gillian, you’re welcome to spend time with my future wife, Chloë Sevigny. She’s dear to me in ways I can’t even describe—just thinking of her gives me heart palpitations.

This was a good chat.

Love you, Gillian! Enjoy, and sending you big hugs.

Angelo (Crown Prince)

P.S.:

Synopsis of the Letter:

Angelo encourages Gillian to watch Terminator Genisys as it reflects his view of the world, where an Anti-Christ-like regime is taking control, and those who resist are fighting back. He expresses disappointment in Gillian’s choice to doubt him over the past months, but urges her to recognize the current "holy war" against forces that aim to undermine Christian faith.

In his view, the world is dividing into two camps: those who deny the truth and may be forced to renounce their faith, and those who stand firm in their beliefs. He references the Bible's prophecies, affirming that this spiritual battle is inevitable and has already begun.

To prepare, Angelo suggests Gillian visit Australian Christian communities, who he believes are especially ready for this fight, even encouraging her to reach out to Russell Crowe for guidance. Finally, he fondly mentions his future wife, Chloë Sevigny, ending the letter warmly and urging Gillian to enjoy herself, while hinting at the urgency of his message.

Here is the Trailer: TERMINATOR: GENISYS | Official Trailer | Now on Digital HD, On Blu-ray Nov. 10 (HD)

[tweeks]

cartman fans remain the worst type of people in this fucking fandom. ALL of them are apologists, no matter how much they pretend they aren't. it's fascinating to me how they can admit he's supposed to be an irredeemable piece of shit, while simultaneously using his age or blaming other characters for HIS bigotry. i'm honestly curious what makes them this way? i need to know what has you resorting to dog whistle language to defend a character you just moments ago said was made to be irredeemable. anyone who has him as a comfort character or say they relate to him is undoubtedly outing themselves as bigots.

hmm well im uncertain if everyone who enjoys cartman is a bigot necessarily like he has his moments for everyone im sure and like i understand seeing cartman and thinking hes funny or interesting or sometimes even seeing yourself in him hes a well written character of course people are allowed to feel deeply about this character its only human but to deny that he’s racist or that hes a bad person or prioritizing the woobification of your favorite character over the feelings of real life people of color who just aren’t that stoked on him is. it is just very telling of your character and where your loyalty lies when i say cartman is terrible im not doing a discredit to his character im stating an Objective Fact? so if you like cartman so much why do you insist on redeeming him or absolving him of guilt he doesn’t have or twisting everything he says into a justification for why he is the way he is cartman is a bad person but hes also? really funny hes mean and insane and self aware why does he have to have a traumatic reasoning that justifies his every action cartman is bad because if he was good his character would serve no purpose if he changed it would have to be an entirely different show focused solely on cartmans internal life a quarter of a century of cartman spewing racist rhetoric isn’t going to go away because you wrote a kyman fix it fic where cartman realizes he has mommy issues and is miraculously no longer antisemitic or an asshole

[somewhere-south-of-neutral]

Like, I feel like the three big "mysteries" about Garak are "Who was he before his exile?", "Why was he exiled?", and "Where do his loyalties lie post exile?".

The answer to all of these, really, is the same. Garak, more, perhaps, than any other Cardassian we meet, loves Cardassia. Who was he before the occupation? He was the Obsidian Order's specialist little boy. He was Enabran Tain's son, but he was more than that. He was like the son Enabran Tain never had while also being the son he did have. He was the perfect agent, the perfect protege. In "The Wire", Tain says "I never had to order Garak to do anything. That's what made him special." He was the perfect patriot, he loved Cardassia, and he served Cardassia, loyally and faithfully, even after it stopped serving him. And he has never hidden that. He always lies about having been a member of the Obsidian Order, but he doesn't try very hard to keep the lie consistent.

So, what did he do to get exiled? While we don't know the exact details, we can be pretty certain that it also was due to his love of Cardassia. Garak was at the center of the Obsidian Order, he knew things about the empire not even the Central Command knew, and he could see the way the wind was blowing. If things kept on the way they were, with the expansionism and the xenophobia and the abject refusal to move with the times, Cardassia would fall. As we see eventually, it DID fall. But to say this would be treason. Garak, however, never cared about that, all he ever cared about was Cardassia. Every time Garak has the choice between serving himself and serving Cardassia, Cardassia comes first. He made the choice every day he decided to stay alive in exile, which for him, as Tain put it, is no life at all. He loved Cardassia so much that he gave it up forever rather than do less than the most he could for it. This motivation is basically spelled out explicitly in his last exchange with Quark in "Profit and Loss":

Q: You have to tell me… why'd you do it? Shoot Toran? G: Why did you let Professor Lang go? Q: I had no choice. I love her. G: And I love Cardassia. Which is why I had to do what I did. Q: I don't understand. G: That's the thing about love. No one really understands it, do they?

He saved the dissenters because he knew they were Cardassia's best hope.

And of course, as those examples show, in his exile he continued serving Cardassia, even when it wouldn't let him serve it directly. HE gave them the warning about the Klingon invasion. HE saved the leaders of the dissenter movement. And, when Cardassia had betrayed itself, HE was the one who used his knowledge to help the Federation destroy the Dominion that was parasitizing the world he loved, even though the cognitive dissonance of doing it almost killed him.

And the thing is, all of these motivations, though not all of the actual actions, are plain to see before the end of season 2. By the end of "The Wire" Garak doesn't really have anymore secrets from the audience, or even, for that matter, the other characters. He has told only lies, but he has still betrayed his truth because, of course, everything he says is always true ESPECIALLY the lies.

Everyone's all like "oooh, Garak is so mysterious" "Garak is an undecipherable enigma". No he's not, Garak is an open book, which is impressive considering that he is also a pathological liar. Like, he goes out of his way to avoid saying anything true, but at the same time he is incredibly open about his motives and allegiances.

[felassan]

Dragon Age development insights and highlights from Bioware: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development

Some really tasty factoids here.

Cut for length.

Dragon Age: Origins

The continent of Thedas was at one point going to be named Pelledia, a name initially floated by James Ohlen

“Qunari” was a temporary name that ended up unintentionally sticking, much like “Thedas”

Mary Kirby wrote the Landsmeet. To this day, nobody understands how it works, except possibly her. If she’s “really really drunk” she can explain how it works. There’s as many words in it as Sten’s entire conversations put together

Concept art for Thedosian art - as in in-world art - draws heavily on Renaissance-era portraiture, the Art Nouveau movement, religious styles and media like stained glass, and favorite pieces from the golden age of illustrations in the early 20th century

Andrastianism in-world (art-wise) is depicted in wildly different methods depending on who in-world made the art in question. “One religion, 3 different lenses”. There’s the Chantry take, the Orlesian take and the Fereldan take; each with its own different interpretations, different mediums and different stories

The stained glass images were drawn by Nick Thornborrow for DAI, to decorate religious spaces in that game “and beyond”

irl Viking art influenced Ferelden

Greek and Italian art influenced Orlais

The book also had other insights into and anecdotes from the development of DAO, but I’ve transcribed them recently as they’re essentially the stories DG has recently been relating on the awesome Summerfall Studios DAO playthrough Twitch streams. (On those streams he provides dev commentary while Liam Esler plays through DA. The ones with DG are currently once every two weeks. Check them out! Here’s a calendar where you can check when the next one is) Instead of repeating myself I’ll just provide the link to the first transcript. From there you can navigate to the subsequent parts. Note these streams are ongoing. At this point I will also point you to a related post which is cliff notes of the Dragon Age chapter in Jason Schreier’s book Blood Sweat and Pixels.

Dragon Age II

DAO had the longest development period in BioWare history. In contrast DA2 had the shortest

Initially DA2 was going to be an expansion to DAO. A few months in EA said “Yeah, expansions like these don’t sell very well, so let’s make it a sequel.” So it suddenly became DA2 and they had to make it even bigger, although they still only had 1.5 years of time in which to do this

Production of DA2 officially lasted only 9 months, and at the time the team was still supporting live content for DAO! They finished development that January after the design team crunched all the way through the holiday period that year. Then it went to cert 9 times

The limited time they had is why the story takes place mostly in and around 1 city, and over 7 years (so it was temporal, rather than over physical distance, because a more expansive world would have taken more irl time to make)

They had no time to review even the main plot. Mike Laidlaw pitched the idea of 3 stories taking place at different points in the PC’s life, tied together by Varric’s recollections of events. DG rolled with this and made 1 presentation on the idea. This presentation was then approved and off they went

As they were writing DG realized that there was going to be no oversight and that everything was going to be a ‘first draft’. “Because nobody had time.” He sat down with the writers and said “Look, here’s the conditions we’re working under. A lot of what we’re putting out is gonna be raw. We’re not going to get the editing we need. We’re not going to get the kind of iteration we need. So I’m going to trust you all to do your best work.”

Looking back, DG has mixed feelings on DA2. “A lot of corners were cut. The public perception was that it was smaller than DAO. That’s a sin on its own.”

Despite this he thinks DA2 has some of the best writing in the series, especially character-wise. The DA2 chars are his favorite

The pace with which production progressed may in some ways have helped. “When we do a lot of revision, we often file away [as in buff off] some of the good writing as well. Somehow DA2′s whirlwind process resulted in some really good writing”

The pace meant chars landed on the writers in various stages of completion. For example Isabela was fairly defined due to appearing in DAO. In contrast Varric at the start was just that single piece of widely-shown concept art

Varric was conceived as a storyteller not a fighter. His skills are talking and bullshitting. Hence the question became, so what does this guy do in combat? The direction was to make him as different as possible to Oghren, so not a warrior. He couldn’t be a dual-wielding rogue in order to differentiate him from Bela. But you can’t really picture this guy with a bow. “For a dwarf, it would probably be a crossbow. We didn’t have crossbows, or we only had crossbows for the darkspawn. And they were part of the models. We didn’t have a separate crossbow that was equip-able by the chars. They had to like, crop one off a darkspawn and remodel it. And that became Bianca” (quote: Mary Kirby)

“Dwarven mages are exceedingly rare.” [???]

If DAO was a classic fantasy painting, DA2 was a screenshot from a Kurosawa film or a northern Renaissance painting. (Here Matt Rhodes was commenting on art style)

John Epler: “In any one of our games, there’s a 95% chance that if you turn the camera away from what it’s looking at, you’ll see all kinds of janky stuff. The moment we know the camera is no longer facing someone, we no longer care what happens to them. We will teleport people around. We will jump people around. We will literally have someone walk off screen and then we will shift them 1000 meters down, because we’re fixing some bug.” John also talked about this camera stuff in a recent charity Twitch stream for Gamers For Groceries. There’s a writeup of that stream here

Designing Kirkwall pushed concept artists to the limits of visual storytelling, because it has a long history that they wanted to be present. It was once the hub of Tevinter’s slave empire, so it needed to look brutal and harsh, but it also then needed to feel reclaimed, evolved, and with elements of contemporary Free Marches culture

The initial plan was for DA titles to be distinguished by subtitles not numbers, so that each experience could stand on its own rather than feel like a sequel or continuation. (My note: New PCs in each entry make sense then when you consider this and other factoids we know like how DA is the story of the world not of any one PC). Later, DA2′s name was made DA2 in a bid to more clearly connect the game to its predecessor. For DAI they returned to the original naming convention. (My note: so I’d reckon they’d be continuing the subtitle naming convention for DA4)

DA2 was initially code-named “Nug Storm”, strictly internally

The Cancelled DA2 Expansion - Exalted March

This was a precursor to DAI

It was meant to bridge the gap between DA2 and DAI

It focused on the fallout from Kirkwall’s explosion, with Cory serving as the villain

Meredith’s red lyrium statue was basically going to infest Kirkwall and it would end up [with what would end up] the red templars taking over Kirkwall and essentially being Cory’s army

To stop him Hawke would have recruited various factions, including Bela’s Felicisima Armada and the Qunari at Estwatch, forcing Hawke to split loyalties and risk relationships in the process

It was meant to bring DA2′s story to an end and end in Varric’s death. DG was very happy with this because all of DA2 is Varric’s tale. The expansion was supposed to start at the moment Cassandra’s interrogation of him ended in the present. “And we finished off the story with Varric having this heroic death.” It tied things up and would have broken many fan hearts, something BioWare writers notoriously enjoy. But between a transition to the new Frostbite engine and the scope of DAI, the decision was made to cancel EM, work any hard-to-lose concepts into DAI, and in the process save Varric’s life. DG has talked about the Varric dying thing before

Concept art for EM explored new areas previously not depicted in the DA universe, with costumes that reflected next steps for familiar chars. Varric was going to war, what would he have worn? With Anders, if he survived DA2, the plan was to present a redeemed Warden

A char that vaguely resembled Sera in DAI was first concepted for EM. This fact was mentioned near this concept art (see the female elf) and this concept art of Bethany with the blond bob

The writers sketched out plans to end it with Hawke having the option to marry their LI. This included alternate ceremonies for party members like Bethany and Sebastian if the player opted not to wed. There was even a wedding dress made for Hawke. This asset made it into DAI (Sera and Cullen’s weddings in Trespasser). The dress can also be seen in DAI during an ambient NPC wedding after completing a chain of war table missions

The destruction of a Chantry was explored in concept art as it might have happened in EM. This idea ended up carrying over to the beginning of DAI. (My note: Lol, the idea that DA2 could have had 2 Chantries being destroyed in it 😆)

World of Thedas

Sheryl Chee and Mary Kirby started with “a disgusting little dish called fluffy mackerel pudding”. In the middle of DAO’s busy dev period one of them (they can’t remember who) found a recipe online for this, scanned in from a 70s cookbook. “I don’t understand why it was fluffy. Why would you want fluffy mackerel pudding?” MK says. “We loved it so much we included it in a DAO codex.”

This led them to create more food for Thedas, full recipes included, like a Fereldan turnip and barley stew from MK and SC’s Starkhaven fish and egg pie. The fish pie became Sebastian’s favorite. “To me it made sense for it to be fish pie because a lot of the Free Marches are on the coast”, SC says, “It was something that was popular in medieval times, so I thought, let’s make a fish pie! I looked at medieval recipes and I concocted a fish pie which I fed to my partner, and he was like ‘This is not terrible’”

For WoT the whole studio was asked to contribute family recipes which might have a place in Thedas. SC adapted these to fit in one Thedosian culture or another, including a beloved banana bread that localization producer Melanie Fleming would regularly bake to keep the DA team motivated. “Melanie’s banana bread got us through Inquisition”

DAI

It says part of DAI takes place in or near the border with Nevarra [???]

This game was aimed to be bigger than DA2 and even DAO in every conceivable way

The first hour had to do a lot of heavy lifting, tying together the events of DAO and DA2 while introducing a new PC, new followers etc in the aftermath of the big attack. DG rewrote it 7 times then Lukas Kristjanson did 2 more passes

DG: “Our problem is always that our endings are so important, but we leave them to last, when we have no time. I kept pushing on DAI: ‘Can we work on the ending now? Can we work on the ending now? Can we do it early on?’ Because I knew exactly what it was going to be. But despite the fact that it kept getting scheduled, whenever the schedule started falling behind, it kept getting pushed back... so, of course, it got left til last again.”

“The reveal of the story’s real antagonist, Solas, a follower until the end, when he betrayed the player”. “Solas’ story remains a main thread in Inquisition’s long-awaited follow-up” [these aren’t DG quotes, just bits of general text]

Over the course of development they had 8 full-time writers and 4 editors working on it. Other writers joined later to help wrangle what ended up being close to 1 million words of dialogue and unspoken text. While many teams moved to a more open concept style of work for DAI, the writers remained tucked away in their own room, a choice DG says was necessary, given how much they talked. All the talking had a purpose ofc as if someone hit a bump or wall in their writing they would open the problem up to the room

As writing on a project like DAI progresses, the writers grow punchier and weirder things make it into the game. This is especially the case towards the end of a project (they get tired, burned out)

Banter and codexes require less ‘buy-in’ (DG has talked about this concept a few times on the Twitch streams) from other designers. DG liked to leave banter for last as a reward because it was fun. Banter begins as lists of topics for 2 followers to discuss. These may progress over time or be one off exchanges. One banter script can balloon to well over 10k words. “The banter was always huge because we were always like, laughing, and really at that point, our fields of fucks were rather barren, so we would just do whatever”

The bog unicorn happened pretty much by accident. It was designed by Matt Rhodes and was one of his fav things to design. They needed horse variations and he had already designed an undead variant which was a bog mummy [bog body]. irl these are preserved in a much different way to traditional mummies. When someone dies in a bog their skin turns black and raisin-like. The examples we know of tend to have bright red hair for whatever reason. It’s a very striking look and MR wanted to do a horse version of this as he thought it’d be neat. 5 mins before the review meeting for it he had a big ‘Aha!’ moment, quickly looked up a rusty old Viking sword, and photoshopped it through its skull like that was how it died. “And I was like, ‘I just made a unicorn. Alright, in it goes!’” It got approved. “So we built the thing. It fit. It told a little story”

With the irl Inquisition longsword, one of the objects they tested its cleaving ability on was a plush version of Leliana’s nug Schmooples

The concept art team explored a wide variety of visuals for the Inquisitor’s signature mark. It needed to look powerful and raw but couldn’t look like a horrific wound. In some cases, as cool as the idea looked on paper, they just weren’t technically feasible, especially as they had to be able to fit on any number of different bodies

Bug report: “Endlessly spawning mounts! At one point during development, Inquisitors could summon a new horse every time they whistled, allowing them to amass a near infinite number of eager steeds that faithfully followed them across Thedas. “You could go charging across levels and they’d all gallop behind you,” Jen Cheverie says, “It was beautiful.” Trotting into town became an epic horse siege as a tidal wave of mounts enveloped the streets. Jen called it her Army of Ponies”

The giants came from DA Week, an internal period when devs can pursue different individual creative projects that in some way benefit DA. They also had a board game from one of these that they were going to put in but they didn’t have time. It’s referenced though. It was dwarven chess

Josie’s outfit is made of gold silk and patterned velvet, with leather at her waist. She carries “an ornate ledger” and she has “an ornamented collar sitting around her neck, finished by a brilliant red ruby, like a drop of Antivan wine in a sunbeam”

Iron Bull’s armor is leather. His loose pantaloons and leather boots give him agility to charge

On DAI in particular, concept artists took special care to make sure costumes would be realistic, at least in a practical ‘this obeys the laws of physics and textiles’ sense. “While on Inquisition, we thought about cosplay from a concept art perspective. Given how incredible a lot of [cosplays] are, I now am not worried about them. In fact in some cases in the future I want to throw them curveballs like, ‘All right, you clever bastards. Let’s see if you can do this!’”

2 geese that nested on the office building and had chicks were named Ganders and Arishonk (it wasn’t known who was the mom or the dad). Other possible names were Carver Honke, Bethany Honke, Urdnot Pecks, Quackwall, Cassandra Pentagoose, the Iron Bill, Shepbird, Garroose, Admiral Quackett, Scout Honking, HChick-47 and Darth Malgoose

Bug report: “The surprising adventures of Ser Noodles!” DAI was the first time the series had a mount feature, meaning this had a lot of bugs. A lot of the teams’ favorite bugs were to do with the mounts. There was a period of time where the Inquisitor’s horse seemed to lose all bone and muscle in its legs. They had a week or so where all quadruped legs were broken. It was a bit noticeable in things like nugs and other small beasties but the horse was insanely obvious. “The first time we summoned the horse [for this] and started running around, the entire QA exploration room just exploded with laughter.” Its legs flapped around like cooked fettucine, leading testers to lovingly nickname it Ser Noodles. At galloping speeds the legs almost looked like helicopter blades, especially when footage was set to classic pieces such as Wagner’s Flight of the Valkyries

For DAI the artists were asked questions like “What would Morrigan wear to a formal ball? Can Cassandra pull off a jaunty hat?”

On DAI storyboarding became the norm. John Epler: “Cinematic design for the longest time was the Wild West. It was ‘here’s a bunch of content, now do it however you want’, which resulted in some successes and some failures.” Storyboarding gave designers a consistent visual blueprint based on ideas from designers, writers and concept artists

Quote from a storyboard by Nick Thornborrow (the Inquisitor going into the party at the end of basegame sequence): “Until Corypheus revealed himself they could not see the single hand behind the chaos. A magister and a darkspawn combined. The ultimate evil. So evil. Eviler than puppy-killers and egg farts combined.”

A general note on concept art:

In the early stages of any project, before the concept artists are aware of any writing, they like to just draw what they think cool story moments could be. It’s not unusual for the team to then be inspired by these and fold them into the game as the project progresses

– From Bioware: Stories and Secrets from 25 Years of Game Development