#we're in the same kindred actually

[lokavisi]

My friend gave an absolutely beautiful sermon at our UU congregation yesterday about what healthy mysticism looks like. It's one of those things I can struggle to articulate when someone asks me how I could possibly believe in something so fantastical without scientific proof. Or when dealing with extremely spiritual people who think scientific fact has no place in their understanding of the world. This is one of those things that I wish everybody, on both ends of the spectrum, understood. So I'll let her explain it to you better than I ever could 😁

Side note: You can follow her blog on the Glasse Witch Cottage website or Facebook page. She has decades of experience in witchcraft and paganism and is a fountain of knowledge. And like myself, she is both UU and Heathen!

[teaboot]

What are your favorite ship typings?

Dual Opposites: Visibly Unsettling Person who is actually quite normal X Charismatic and Likeable Person who is Deeply Unhinged

Apes Together Strong: All the skills and abilities of a single super-functional person split up between two or more people. Separately dumpster fires, collectively a power team

Kindred Spirits: Person who seems silly, dumb, emotional, and shallow X Person who seems stoic, serious, and cold, but who share core perspectives, hobbies, values, goals, etc. Room for a third who is straight down the middle of the road and seen as the Real Adult despite also being just like the other two.

Same Hat: Two or more people who are absolutely the same in every stupid way and feed off each other's energy like a wind-powered electric fan

Simp Shit: Person A is Always Super Fucking Pumped about whatever Person B is on about, even if Person B is accomplishing nothing at all. Person A is over-the-top and wrapped around Person B's pinky finger. Person B thinks it's adorable and appreciates the devotion, and in turn is doting in their own way. And it's not unbalanced- they're both very much into it. Better not to ask questions.

Thank God We're Normal: Two or more people who are both freaks of nature bit look to the other for support, reinforcing their belief that they are completely normal and everyone else is a weirdo. Eat oreos and chili together out of the same bowl and look at you funny for gagging.

Platonic Soulmates: Two or more people who are so comfortable around each other that they may as well be married. Past-the-honeymoon married. The kind of married where sometimes someone pisses with the door open and someone wears the other person's underwear and everyone occasionally piles into a single bed to nap and bitch about shit.

Comfortable Enemies: Two or more rivals or enemies who, at the end of the day, respect and understand one another despite their differences and share a certain code of ethics that they will begrudgingly cooperate to uphold, then go right back to being catty bitches afterwards

Listed in number but not in any particular order

[thankskenpenders]

IDW's Knuckles 30th Anniversary special

I'm still working on finishing Shadow Generations and writing up a big thing about it (yes, yes, it's taken me a month to finish a four hour game, I know), but in the meantime we've got another new Classic era comic out from IDW! Let's talk about that.

The last Classic era release we got was the Fang miniseries earlier this year, which I mostly enjoyed but also found a bit underwhelming. It felt like we were getting diminishing returns with the Classic comics. Ian seemed to be struggling to make the Classic era feel fresh within Sega's current restrictions for that branch of the brand, a branch that by its very nature discourages experimentation and new ideas in a way that the ever-evolving Modern era doesn't. He was mostly just playing the hits, sticking the currently permitted Classic era characters next to each other in straightforward one-off adventures and letting the art team do their thing. We were getting the Ian who was happy to simply be able to take these toys out of the toy box. Again, these comics have been fine, and the art's always a treat, but the novelty of simply seeing a comic with the old character designs was wearing off for me when the stories didn't have as much meat as Ian's (or Evan's) excellent Modern era work.

And then along comes this Knuckles 30th Anniversary special, which is by far my favorite Classic Sonic comic Ian's written for IDW.

...I can't really talk about why it's so good without getting into spoilers, though. The short version is that it's a really nice little story about Knuckles and another character from the games, who's used as a great foil for him... except the solicit didn't even say which character it is, so I'm hesitant to say here. But if you're a fan of Knuckles, you should definitely just go read this. It's great. This one's mandatory reading to me.

And with that out of the way, let's dig deeper and get into the spoilers.

The spoiler zone

After an opening that very blatantly homages Tyson Hesse's old Knuckles comic (yes, the very same one that helped inspire the name of this blog), Knuckles realizes that Angel Island has drifted near the Northstar Islands from Sonic Superstars, and decides that the Master Emerald must be giving him a mission to train the archipelago's own resident guardian.

Yes, this isn't just a Knuckles comic. It's a Knuckles and Trip comic!

I was really delighted by this. I like Trip a lot, and it's nice to get this chance to expand upon her as a character. I think this is her first speaking role, even? I'm glad to see her stick around, and I'm glad to see her appear in the comics so soon, especially since we're still waiting for the mainline comics to incorporate Sage. She's still clumsy and fairly timid, like in the game, but without the looming thread of Eggman she gets to let loose a little. She's very exuberant and expressive and playful, especially thanks to Aaron Hammerstrom's fantastic art throughout the issue (complemented with inks by Rik Mack and colors by Valentina Pinto). It makes sense why she gets along so well with Amy. I hope we get to see those two interact more in the future!

Anyway, so Knuckles shows up on the Northstar Islands after contemplating his lot in life, and realizes that he and Trip have a lot in common. She's not as strong or confident as him, but they're both the last of their kind, these lone guardians of these ancient magical gemstones. He's showing up under the pretense of training her, but you can tell it's nice for him to have a kindred spirit, someone who might be able to really get him.

And then Trip's like... wait, you think I'm the last of my kind?

Yes, the Northstar Islands have actually been inhabited by a whole civilization of sungazers like Trip the whole time! We just didn't see them in the game because, y'know. Eggman was attacking. So Trip told everyone to find shelter and hide from the Badniks. (This actually makes a lot of sense, since you pass by this very village in Speed Jungle Zone. Somebody's gotta maintain those straw roofs and light those torches, and I can't imagine Trip managing all that upkeep herself.)

This also includes a grandfather for Trip, who's been training her as the archipelago's new guardian. Naturally, this has led to some speculation from fans about the old "mandates." In the wake of the Penders lawsuits and Archie's reboot, Sega declared that the comics could no longer create comic-original relatives for the game characters. Has that changed now?

Well, I'm hesitant to read too much into this. For one, as Ian has tried to drill into peoples' heads for years now, the so-called "mandates" aren't a set of concrete commandments from Sega, they just have some general guidelines for the brand, some of which have more wiggle room than others and some of which have changed over time. There's also the simple fact that Sega is working way more closely with the team at IDW, and that people like Ian and Evan are literally on the official Sonic lore team now. Ian can presumably work with the lore team and Sega to figure out Trip's family, and then go and work what they've decided on into a comic, so it's entirely possible Trip's grandpa isn't considered a comic-original character so much as he's a character conceptualized at Sega who just happens to have appeared in an IDW comic before anything else. The lines are a lot blurrier now with all this cross-pollination, compared to the Archie days when it was a separate creative team and a separate canon.

But, again, I don't want to speculate too heavily about what goes on behind the scenes. Regardless, Ian was able to use this comic to expand upon the world of the games and the characters that inhabit it, and I love it for that. It's the first of these Classic comics that feels like truly mandatory reading for the way it builds upon the games. These days we so rarely get to see communities like this in the Sonic world with their own cultures. It's not like we know anything about "hedgehog culture" or whatever. So this is a nice change of pace. The Northstar Islands feel totally different now that I know they've actually been inhabited the whole time, and knowing that Trip is part of an active community with their own history and customs puts a whole new spin on her as a character.

It also makes her a great foil for Knuckles here. He showed up on the island thinking he'd have a lot to teach Trip as someone who's got more life experience as a lone guardian, only to realize his assumptions about her life were completely wrong. Trip brags to her grandpa that Knuckles is gonna train her, but he quickly realizes he doesn't have much to teach her. She may be kind of cowardly, but she knows her way around the island, she can think on her feet, and she can handle herself well enough in a fight, in her own slapstick way.

He doesn't say as much, but you can tell Knuckles is embarrassed about all this. This clumsy kid is showing him up, even though she won't even really listen to his advice! He's also, perhaps, a bit jealous. It's not like he had a grandfather to train him in the ways of being a guardian. (Not in this continuity, anyway.) He doesn't get a whole village of echidnas to teach him about his heritage. He doesn't get fancy ceremonial armor. It's just him, a big green rock, and his two fists. He thought he had this whole guardian thing figured out, and he'd be able to give a kindred spirit like Trip some advice, but it turns out she's lived a whole different life, making him question if he even knows what he's doing. He quickly gets fed up with both Trip and himself, blowing up at her a little.

After reflecting a bit, Knuckles goes back to Trip and comes clean. He doesn't really know how to train her, because no one ever trained him. He figured things out on his own. If he had anyone there to raise him, they've been gone since he was too young to remember. He just knows he has to protect the Master Emerald. That's it. It's a pretty vulnerable moment for Knuckles, one where his dissatisfaction with his life comes to the surface.

Still, Trip sees things differently. He may be used to the fact that he lives on a giant floating island powered by a giant magic emerald, but she thinks that's, like, the coolest thing in the world. HER islands don't fly! And while Knuckles might wish he had someone to train him, Trip thinks that Knuckles becoming such a fearsome fighter all on his own, without even armor to protect him, makes him super awesome and admirable. With both of them feeling better, Trip takes Knuckles to Golden Capital to talk about her heritage as a guardian of the Northstar Islands a bit more, and Knuckles tells her that he thinks she'll be a great guardian before he heads home, once again feeling pretty good about himself.

While this is a pretty straightforward little story about how the grass is always greener on the other side, it's a very effective and sweet one that I enjoyed reading a ton. Aside from the fun of learning more about Trip and the Northstar Islands, it's just a great showcase for Knuckles. (It's definitely a way better showcase for him than his Paramount+ show, as much as I took sick pleasure in that show's baffling creative decisions.) There are also some fun details about his life in here, such as the fact that Sonic, Tails, and Amy have taken camping trips to hang out with him on Angel Island, and the fact that he trained Amy in using her hammer better.

It's just real good, and it feels like the most meaningful addition to The Canon out of any of these Classic era comics Ian's written. We're still gonna be getting more in the future, so hopefully this is a sign that Ian and the lore team have found that happy middle ground where they can keep the Classic comics familiar and nostalgic while also being able to branch out and expand upon things.

Speaking of future comics!

Coming attractions

The end of this issue confirms some things that are in the works for IDW Sonic. For one, we're getting a Chaotix 30th Anniversary special next year. Neat! They also mention some kind of Shadow one-shot dropping following the movie, however fans seem split on whether this is referring to a new story or just the "Best of Shadow" compilation one-shot that's coming out next month. So don't get your hopes up about that in case it's the latter, I guess.

And while we're still waiting for issue #75 of the main series, the IDW team is already thinking all the way ahead to #100, which should drop sometime during the 35th anniversary of the franchise in 2026. Clearly the team's still confident about the longevity of IDW Sonic and excited for the future. And I am, too! Bring on #75!

[love-and-deepspace-wiki]

All About Sylus

Age: 28

Evol: Energy Manipulation

Astrological Sign: Aries

Birthday: April 18th

Height: 6 ft 2

Occupation: Onychinus’ Leader

Workplace: Onychinus

Residence: Onychinus Base

Details:

Sylus is the most influential and dominant figure in the N109 Zone, said to have built his empire on illegal Evol weapons and Protocore deals. His primary objective is resonating with the protagonist. We know little about his past, but multiple references have been made to him having "disappeared" at some time in the past prior to his present return. His closest character connections include Mephisto (a mechanical crow) and Luke & Kieran (mischievous twins who do his bidding).

Appearance:

A distinctive feature is his red eyes, one of which contains an Aether Core that allows him to see people's desires. In his words, "It helps me see what people want the most. It exposes the desires that they refuse to admit".

While he can be injured and bleed, his wounds heal unnaturally fast. We first see this when the protaganist strikes him and gives him a small cut on his face. But after he swipes his hand over it, it Vanishes.

Interesting Facts:

Can dance (left)

Can play the organ (right)

Frequently enjoys wine and other alcoholic beverages

His vehicle collection includes: an SUV, a motorcycle, a car, a private jet

Often calls the protaganist "kitten" or alludes to her being a cat

Has a love of firearms, a large collection of them displayed in one of the rooms of the base

He owns a horse that the protagonist describes as "tempermental"

Notable Quotes:

"Is this how you greet a new friend? I guess you don't remember anything. Allow me to jog your memory. From your past to your future. To even all the crimes you'll inevitably commit."

"After all, you and I... we're the same. True kindred spirits."

"Family? The people closest to you might be the ones who want to kill you the most."

"Are you worried about me? Save that for the day you actually succeed in killing me"

[markrosewater]

The G/R color identity beast legendary (Baloth by the looks of it) in Foundations/Jumpstart, Slinza, screams "this could have been a legendary Kavu" in a way that whispers "WotC isn't ever giving us Kavu support, they're going to get the same treatment as Cephalids and Viashino as WotC culls most of their unique creature types in favor of generic types and any statements to the contrary are dishonest".

In years past, when you were asked on your blog about Kavu getting more print and being fleshed out as a kindred mechanical identity in addition to their clear lore/flavor identity, you pointed out correctly that they only exist on Dominaria and we'd have to return there to see more.

When we did go back Kavu were clearly shown as being present on the world still, even integrated into Yavimaya Elven society. But there were more cards showing/mentioning Kavu than there were actual Kavu cards; the Kavu that were printed in Dominaria were direct call backs to popular nostalgic Kavu from Invasion block like Titan or FTK, so it's clear WotC knows they have an unique identity and were popular/impactful when first introduced. And yet they still felt like afterthoughts, and their presence on Dominaria in the lore included just as a nod, or maybe a hedge so they were set up as being present if WotC wanted to tap them later.

The next time we went back to Dominaria, people asked about Kavu again and again there were ~3 printed, none with any intra-type synergies or support and no legendary. I think this stung a bit more because the plot of story at the time involved another outright Phyrexian invasion of Dominaria, which canonical was the reason the Kavu kicked into high gear and started flooding the surface of Dominaria. This is also true of following sets covering the Phyrexian multiverse invasion. So the fact they weren't a prominent creature type in multiple sequential sets that presented clear in world rationale for them being not just present, but everywhere, felt disappointing and felt like Kavu were just going to be ignored in favor of more generic fantasy creature types with wider appeal and better profit potential.

Given the near completely lack of Kavu printed when you had the opportunity to, and the lack of *any* kindred synergies on any Kavu that has been printed since returning to Dominaria, it feels like w/e you've said in your answers here before, the truth is WotC just isn't interested in fleshing out Kavu mechanical identities or designing legendaries for them. That WotC would prefer if players just forgot about them because you're just going to print beasts from now on. I have loved Kavu since seeing them in Invasion and I know I'm not the only player that feels that way. I personally think WotC is overlooking a free win with long time players in terms of nostalgia and food will, etc, by repeatedly making the conscious choice to not flesh out an existing Magic IP unique creature type.

And that's disappointing. But I'd rather have someone be *honest* with me about something and be disappointed with the answer than be strung along with dishonest or misleading "maybe :)"(s) and "we'll see te-he"(s) because you don't want to deliver a feel bad answers. Being told maybe when the answer is no, over and over, is far more feel bad, and only adds to the overall player perception of erosion of good faith and good will by WotC.

We're not anti-Kavu. We're just not looking to make every slot that could possibly be a Kavu, be a Kavu. We will make them now and then when appropriate, but it's something we do in moderation. There is no Kavu ill will.

[girl4music]

In celebration of XENA DAY I’m going to leave the link to this podcast episode that the She Nerds Out hosts did with Steven L. Sears right here and transcribe some of it for you that I find the most fascinating and validating in regards to how the TV show and TV ship inform and influence each other in that the story arc/plot/narrative always wraps around the characters of Xena and Gabrielle instead of the other way around.  

The way Steven (yes, a straight white middle aged man) talks about Xena and Gabrielle is remarkable to me. He has such respect and reverence and just absolute sincerity when he talks about them both as individual characters and as a relationship dynamic that is primarily and predominantly romantic in his eyes. He confirms exactly why I will always highly praise the creators/cast/crew for what they did with this TV show and this TV ship and the timelessly magical experience it has on me and I know always will have on me. I can't believe that I actually had a personal conversation with this man for over an hour because I feel like he is a kindred spirit of sorts to me. At least as far as my interest and passion for TV art/entertainment goes. The way I know and understand the characters on a much deeper level than the show itself could ever really represent them to and for me.

You’ve just got to love how Steven automatically and intentionally wrote Gabrielle as a comphet lesbian. And I resonate so strongly with his words about her story arc and her journey in terms of how it applies to Gabrielle’s love for and initial fear of loving Xena the way she thinks - at the time - she’s only supposed to love men. Of course she’s constantly “running home to mama” because that’s where she knows herself best even if she’s always felt too queer to be mama’s little girl. And there is that very quietly played theme with her where she’s constantly struggling with that internally which is so brilliantly communicated in both Steven’s writing and Renee’s nuanced portrayal of Gabrielle’s character. And that is exactly what a “comphet lesbian” is. It’s someone that habitually runs home even when they know they don’t belong there because it’s safer or more familiar for them than stepping into the dangerous unknown even when it feels so much more welcoming than home ever did.

‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ is a queer story from the get go. Episode 1 is very queer storytelling actually in the way that these 2 protagonist female characters meet each other and become family to one another. It’s “I feel like a stranger in my own home but I just met you and you seem to feel the same way as me - let’s just stop being strangers and be a home to each other.”

I would really recommend listening to the whole podcast episode because the whole thing is just amazingly in-depth and insightful but if you can’t do that please enjoy these transcriptions of what I think are the best parts of it that explain so much about where the creators/cast/crew’s minds were at VS where the network/studio/executive’s mind’s were at because it’s important to be aware that they were not queerbaiting or pandering or exploiting LGBTQ fans which many show’s creative teams and their network/streaming service platforms still do with their lead same-sex characters instead of take them seriously.

As I said - most of the creators/cast/crew agreed with the fans and even viewed the TV show as a love story between the 2 lead characters themselves. Especially the big names. Steven is a great example of that fact. And if they were just “fan-servicing”, then they were serving themselves just as much because they wanted canon Xena and Gabrielle just as much as the fans did. They may never have initially saw them that way but they clearly knew that it was the natural progression for them so they didn’t dispute it. They embraced it.

STEVEN: “One of the things we discussed at the beginning was a flaw that you find in a lot of TV shows that have 2 leads. Generally, 1 is the lead who has the name on the banner and the other one is the ‘sidekick’. And I remember saying - not as an ultimatum, I just casually mentioned it in the meeting - I said ‘I don’t believe in sidekicks. Sidekicks are the props that you kill off at the end of the first season so that people will tune in the next season. They’re kind of useless and they just exist.’ And everybody agreed with that and we did not want to get to the point where Gabrielle was just standing in the background going ‘Get him Xena! Get him Xena! Get him Xena!’ And I remember we angst during the baby tossing episode ‘cause that’s all she did. She participated by grabbing the baby but she literally was acting ‘Get him Xena! Get him Xena!’ And so we decided that Gabrielle had to have a solid progression that was not just a convenience for us. In other words we didn’t want to do this just because ‘well, we don’t want her to be a sidekick so we’re going to pretend like she’s important.’ We felt she had to be. And so obviously the relationship between the 2 characters folded in with that perfectly. So this was one of the episodes (‘The Greater Good’) where I said - I kind of posed the question in my mind - I thought ‘what if Gabrielle was the Xena of this episode?’ Which, obviously, is what came out of it.”

HOST: “Speaking of that episode though,… that’s one of the most iconic episodes of the show. Definitely of that first season if not of the show generally. So when you say that building up [Gabrielle’s] character and making her more important to the story and finding that through the relationship - was their relationship sort of just natural or was that something that you guys were like ‘yeah, no, this has to be a huge part of what the show is now.’”

STEVEN: “There’s no yes and no for any of that so… the thing is that every TV show - unless it’s adapted from a novel or unless you actually chart out 5 seasons right at the beginning - which a lot of TV series now are doing because of the way that we stream. They’re basically novels - at a certain point as you begin to develop it, it takes on its own life. With everybody’s contributions the characters become real and just as all of you are real, I could write stories that you could do, but you will live those stories differently. Even if you do them together, you’re going to live them individually. So when we started out the series we were looking for having a successful series. We wanted to have fun - everybody in this business wants to have fun - and we wanted to get another season. But, in the way that I write - and fortunately in this particular group we all had the same mindset - we don’t believe in doing action for the sake of action. We don’t believe in doing comedy for the sake of comedy. We don’t believe in doing anything that’s not rooted in character first. So when we started the series I had made a comment about their relationship. I actually said ‘we’re going to have a very large gay/lesbian following’ and some of the people in the office were like ‘why would you think that?’ and I said ‘well,… my first show was 3 guys on a boat.’ And back then you didn’t have the internet for fanfiction but there were news magazines that went out that fans would put together. Fanzines. And - of course - I subscribed to 1 4 Riptide and almost all the fanzines dealt with their relationships with how they regarded each other. On every level. Romantic levels and just on brotherly levels or anything like that… but their relationships were a lot closer. So what I realized with all the subsequent series that I was doing - every time there were 2 leads of the same gender, this type of fanfiction was out there. Now as a backstory, I come out of theatre. I’ve been doing theatre since I was 12 years old. So being around the LGBTQ community was just… Tuesday, you know? So, for me, as I kind of explained this, I said ‘any time a dispossessed group of our society finds validation in any of our media - they grab it. Because they’re not given it, they have to grab it.’ And I said ‘so, you know, it’s going to happen.’ And thank god nobody went ‘oh, we have to avoid that’ or ‘we have to stay away from that’. Okay? Nobody in the room … So what we just figured was like we’re just going to let these characters evolve the way they evolve. And anybody looking at these characters and the way they came together and the adventures they were going on - I mean in retrospect,… was it really a surprise that they would have this incredibly close bond as they went forward? I mean however you ship it, it doesn’t matter. That bond had to happen or Gabrielle would have been totally unnecessary. We would have gotten rid of her. She would have been an annoyance. As opposed to us embracing the annoying aspect at the beginning and then allowing the audience to watch this incredible growth that she never would have had without meeting Xena and the incredible growth that Xena had that she would never have had if she hadn’t met Gabrielle. I’ve always said ‘Sins Of The Past’ was a suicide episode. Xena was trying to kill herself. She had nothing left. When she buried her weapons she was saying ‘I’m leaving myself open to the next warlord to kill me’ and then she hears the noise in the distance and she goes over there and she sees this young girl standing up against warlords and there’s a part of her that says ‘I was like that. That was me. What happened?’”

STEVEN: “I will say though that as the show became more popular the studio backed off on a lot of things with us because we were doing well and they trusted us. I want to look at it that way anyway. The President of Universal Television during that time was a guy named Dan Philly and I knew Dan since I started. He was actually one of the studio executives from NBC for Riptide. So I knew him from back then. Really cool guy. Awesome guy. And he was like ‘look, you know if this is working, people are happy, you seem to be walking that line…’ - which I always snickered at - it’s ‘cause ‘yeah, cause we’re NOT walking that line’ - he said ‘just go for it.’ And he was also one of the old style studio executives where if they wanted something they would trust you. They would turn to you and they would say ‘can you have a little more titillation? ‘Cause we like that. That helps. Give us more titillation.’ But they wouldn’t tell us to do it. They wouldn’t say ‘this is how you do it.’ They wouldn’t say ‘redesign their costumes so that their boobs pop out.’ They would just leave it to us. And so we would say ‘oh, this scene where they’re in the tavern talking about these really intense things that are going on in their life - we’ll put it in a hot tub!’ And that actually is how the hot tub tradition began because we thought ‘well, that makes it titillating’ and yet… we used it for the story and… it actually is kind of a bonding thing… ‘so put it in there.’ They’re watching the dailies and you hear [Lucy] say ‘where’s the soap?’ and we go ‘do we leave that in?’ ‘Yeah, we’ll leave that one in.’”

HOST: “As far as from the fan side of it, I don’t remember when the term ‘subtext’ started to become a word that the fans threw around and it obviously has become it’s own thing: the subtext of the show. But it sounds to me like it was just very organic for you guys. But when did you start to hear of the fans - LGBTQ+ specifically - latching on to what we would call ‘the subtext of the show.’ Was there like any kind of feedback you were getting? Were you then more inclined to kind of give us a little more like ‘wink wink, nudge nudge’ moments like the hot tub? Were you receptive to what the fans were asking for?”

STEVEN: “Yes and no. With the internet obviously we had direct access to the fans and we always made it a rule that we were not going to follow where the fans wanted us to go. We hoped that they would follow with us. But at the same time we kind of adapted things. I remember - because of my geeky nature - I was the one who was online first. I was really into that. I was the one who found the first AOL chatroom that Laura, a little 14 year old girl had set up for Xena. So I was listening in. And for those of you who remember back then, I never hid who I was. I wasn’t a lurker. I would go in and I would say ‘this is who I am’ not because I wanted everybody to go ‘ooo’ but I would say ‘talk freely.’ I said ‘I will leave the room if 1 of 2 things happen: if 1. you start talking about episodes you want to see because I can’t ethically listen to that or 2. if I become the centre of conversation ‘cause that’s not the point.’ I said ‘if I do that, don’t take offence, that’s just my own little ethics.’ But I was able to listen in. And so I do remember that at the beginning of this I told Rob this was going on and he said something to the effect of ‘yeah, well, it’s good they’re talking about the show but, you know, we don’t really care what they’re saying there, we’ve got to keep focused.’ I’m like ‘okay.’ And like an episode would come back and he would come out and come into my office and he’d say ‘so umm,… what do the fans think?’ And again, I was kind of looking for this because of my background so I was a little more aware of what was happening. The early discussions among the fans of where this was going was extremely interesting to me and I tried my best not to get involved in it because I wanted everybody to interpret it the way that they wanted to. I’m always amazed by the Xena fandom. I’ve been on other shows that have fandom and certainly a lot of my friends have huge fanbases on their shows, and I’ve said this when I’ve been on podcasts for other shows: the Xena fandom is the most incredible fandom that I’ve ever been involved with for a number of reasons. And one of them is that at the beginning - keeping in mind this was obviously in the middle 90’s - there was still some contentiousness as if people were trying to protect the girls from being lesbian. It’s like ‘we have to protect them, don’t say that!’ ‘Oh, okay, good, you’re going to protect me from what? Being a straight white male. Oh, thank you very much.’ So it was a little bit of that going on and there was some fire that went back and forth. I remember a few of the transcripts that were just so amazing. I kind of kept track of them. And what I started to see though with the Xena fans - which I loved - is that the people who wanted to maintain their shipper stance became friends. They began talking about it with respect to each other as opposed to ‘no, you’re that camp, I’m this camp’ and then the major contention was ‘do we ship Xena with Ares?’ And I’m like ‘okay, so what you’ve done is you’ve defaulted to the idea that she’s already with Gabrielle and now you’re just talking about a jealousy thing.’ And I’m like ‘that’s totally cool. I love that!’”

So the characters evolved. Now had they evolved in a different direction, well, we’d be having a different conversation here. Going back to the studio, one of the things that did come up was the studio did say ‘can you somehow remind people that, you know, Xena still likes guys and Gabrielle still likes guys.’ But they never said that they can’t like each other. And I’m thinking to myself ‘okay, what you’ve described to me is either the ultimate bisexual or what you’ve described to me is’ - and I don’t have a word for this ‘cause, you know, straight white male, how would I know this? - ‘is many of my friends who are a lesbian but denied that identification and fought themselves, and then finally came out - liberated themselves.’ So I said ‘you’re kind of describing that.’ And I remember thinking to myself ‘and that’s going to be Gabrielle.’ That she’s going to fight a lot of this internally. And so, you know, when we got to the Perdicus episode - with the marriage … you know we all get together and we would talk about how we’re going to put it together and some of us would come up with little things that go into somebody else’s script and it’s always the original writer that really is the owner of the script, but we always contribute things. And I remember we got to that thing and I’m like ‘okay, I know where I’m leaning on this’ and I’m going to lean into the curve on this one because what’s happening with Gabrielle is that she’s gone this far with Xena and suddenly this reminder of what her hidden past was - what her past was when she - well… you could say ‘denied’ -  there’s a time where - this is difficult for me because I’m not a gay woman so I can’t speak with authority from this. I can only say I’ve had friends that have gone through this - where their coming out process is so scary that sometimes they - what I call - ‘run home to mama.’ And mama is where they were - at least they could deal with it - it was familiar enough. So when Perdicus comes in,… she’s questioning a lot of things and she thinks ‘okay, and now I’m questioning where I am and why I’m here,… so I’m running home to mama because Perdicus represents my childhood, my past, my village.’ And that scene where Gabrielle and Xena have that discussion before Gabrielle goes off to marry Perdicus - again, I always remind myself I’m NOT that orientation, I’m NOT that gender, I’m NOT that - but that scene still sticks in my mind because it broke my heart because she’s looking right at the woman who is her destiny and she’s saying ‘I’m so scared of you because of what you’re going to reveal about me and so I’m going to run away to something I should never have been apart of.’ And I’ve seen people go through that so that scene still sticks in my mind. It’s literally in my mind. I see the entire image of that scene.”

HOST: “When you say that - obviously you’re not a gay woman but you know humans and you know people and at the end of the day those characters were very human and - I hate to say it, love is love - it’s very cliché, but it is, right? Of course, why wouldn’t you understand what those 2 character’s are feeling … Because you’re a human being who understands the concept of love. But I love what you said. It’s like, yeah, of course, Gabrielle knew what being married to Perdicus living in her old village would be like. Like you said - she could endure that. She’d been there. She understood it. If she stayed with Xena, it’s scary, it’s the unknown and it’s that great inner conflict in her. I hadn’t really thought about it but that scene is very heartbreaking and it’s got to be one of my favourites.”

STEVEN: “When she left the village that little girl was looking at adventure because she was bored. She had no idea what she was getting into on every level. Not just the action level, the adventure level, the danger level - but the emotional level. She had no idea. So then she got to a point where that all scared her. She was more scared of that than she was about the adventure and the danger. Warlords did not scare her the way that this scared her. And, you know, it was a huge turning point. Now whether you ship one way or the other way on this, it still works because she had to find her destiny. And I also make a little distinction in my mind that Gabrielle’s destiny was not to be with Xena. Gabrielle’s destiny was to be with herself and to love who she chose to love. It was to find her happiness and BOOM… it walks into her life. And that is the scariest thing that can happen to a person and it’s hard to admit it. So I’ve often described the relationship at the beginning as: because Xena was much more experienced Xena was much more focused on what she had won and lost in her life and she had a lot of repair work to do in her life. Gabrielle had a lot of growing to do. So when Xena and Gabrielle came together, I made this distinction: I said that Gabrielle loved Xena ‘cause ‘AWESOME! XENA! The legends, the things I’ve heard about you!’

So Gabrielle loved Xena… but Xena was IN LOVE with Gabrielle… from the moment they met.”

[mamawasatesttube]

oh my god I need to tell you. so I. a while ago I did a whole bunch of research on touch starvation. and did you know babies literally die if they aren't touched and held. and did you know regular physical contact between a child and their caretakers is important for the child being able to self-regulate their emotions. and did you know that when someone hugs a child what happens is it syncs up their nervous systems. if the child is upset or scared their heart rate calms and they produce less stress hormones etc. and through that the child's body learns to do that on its own. so babies that die from lack of physical touch are literally dying of too much stress. and children who don't get enough touch can have problems like stunted growth, weak immune systems, low weight, and stunted mental and emotional development.

AND KON WAS GROWN IN A TUBE. HED NEVER EVER BEEN TOUCHED. AND THEN HE LIKE, ALMOST NEVER GOT TOUCHED IN A GOOD WAY

I mean granted, the scientists probably figured out a way to inject some kind of cocktail of hormones and chemicals to stimulate the physiological effects of touch so that kon developed properly but like. he never actually experienced it

Cadmus is like, we're gonna make a teenage clone in a test tube, this surely will not result in a kid so desperate for human connection that even terrible relationships will feel good to him

also I just think the first time kon got one of Martha or Jonathan's hugs he must have felt like he died and went to heaven. and at the same time felt really weird, like WHY DO I FEEL IT IN MY BONES WHY DO I WANT TO CRY

WAAAAHHHHH YEAH ABSOLUTELY YES YEAH DEFINITELY YES. touch-starved kon who doesn't even realize how desperate for human connection he is. this kills the man (me)

i just think if you put him in the middle of a group hug pile between ma, pa, and clark, he'd literally start bawling. he'd have no idea why and he'd be so embarrassed but he would just be so overwhelmed. because he has never had prolonged sustained physical affection in any healthy relationship before and he's only little and . AUGH!!!!!

incidentally the touch-starvation is part of why i think kon and bart are so so tactile especially with each other. "raised in a tube" and "raised in vr" both do not very much healthy human connection make. and bart's at least got his family around him but he still sees a kindred spirit in kon. so they will both simply snuggle even while bickering wildly about every topic under the sun just for bickering's sake. any and all friends are more than welcome to join the snugglepile; the toll is just that they have to put up with the konbart bickering game.

but god. god yeah. yeah it ruins me a little bit. he's just a little boy :( and he doesn't even know.

[resident-idiot-simp]

How do you think 09 v Reboot MW would fair in the SPN verse?

Would be creatures or hunters?

how’d they react to the characters from SPN and in a fair fight who would win?

YOU HAVE UNLOCKED SOMETHING IN ME!

Okay this whole thing is very complicated let's break it down.

First of all I think either could be both depending on the vibe you are going for but here is my first thoughts on it.

22-

Soap: hunter

Ghost: creature (werewolf or vampire maybe)

Gaz: hunter

Price: hunter

09-

Tav: toss up maybe originally Hunter turned creature I want to say vampire..... For Obvious reasons

Riley: creature (I would like to say Wendigo I really would but that might not fit quite in the universe... I'm going to say it anyway)

Roach: creature (Hell maybe he could be a Phoenix that would be very interesting considering they're all dead)

Price: Hunter but like Gordon vibes

React is a good question... There are so many characters I could go on about... Honestly it might be easier to ask about a specific character but I'm just going to do a vague overall. So TFW + Gabriel (because he is the best character)

Sam- He likes all the 22 boys honestly (probably a particular liking in Soap) he probably is just curious about their lives. 09 probably extremely hesitant but even more interested. He hates Price because Price is far too much like John.

Dean- He finds a keen spirit in Ghost and finds Soap fascinating. Hates 09 Price and probably wants to kill Riley. Tav is off-putting and he is confused by Roach and asks him a metric shit ton of questions.

Cas- He really don't care about any of them except for Riley and Roach probably he just wants to understand how they function and why (09) Price isn't dead

Gabriel - He loves the 22 boys and will treat Ghost like a pet. Soap is displeased but can't do shit about it. He finds Soap fun to poke and prod at and likes to call Price a child.

09- He wants to put Riley in a jar and study him. And he is so found of Roach (kindred spirits those two both can't FUCKING DIE) . Tav gets the trickster special because he isn't found of where he is headed and Price is free game to hunt.

(there is more Gabriel because I understand how far better then any other character.)

And in a fight?? That's not really a fair question... Because it's the Winchester's..... They can beat any character in fiction let's be honest here.

Castiel alone bodies. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ BUT I don't think that's the answer you want. So instead let's break it down.

They both have military tactics they are both honed in their craft. Tactics wise I don't know who actually wins It might be a toss-up. Would I like to give it to the Captain? Yes! Would he actually come out on top? I'm not sure.

Fighting wise again toss up they really are evenly matched in my mind.

The thing is the Winchester's have the advantage they know more than any hunter in the world because of the bunker.

If we're not counting just how overpowered the Winchester's are for the numerous reasons they are not only because God made them that powerful. They are honestly two sides of the same coin so I'm the end It might just be a draw ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[sarnai4]

Match Made in Valhalla

A very underrated duo to me in RTTE (spoilers) is Dagur and Sleuther.

The way Dagur got both dragons was honestly perfect to me. He started of with a Gronckle because no one in their right mind would give him a dangerous dragon. Then, what does he do? He Dagurs all over the place and somehow makes a Gronckle cool enough to even outmaneuver a Razorwhip. After that, he gets his first already cool dragon. That's fun as it is, but the emotional side makes it so much better.

They're kindred souls. It's possible that Sleuther (or Strykie as I prefer since Dagur always calls him that) used to be less violent before he was captured, but that's not the Triple Strykes we know. We see the one who is ready to kill anyone if he needs to. No hesitation, just violence. Does this not sound like early Dagur? On top of it, they both had adjustment periods with the Riders. Strykie was so difficult for them to train and Dagur still isn't someone you can really tell to not do something if he wants to. Putting these two together shouldn't work. If anything, it should cause them to just be more aggressive since neither really wants to stop, but look at that adorable picture. They're able to understand each other more than the other dragons or Vikings could. As great as Shattermaster was, we didn't see these tender moments between him and Dagur. They were great friends and he was a great starter dragon, but these Dagur and Strykie can relate to the anger they have inside and help keep it down.

We've already seen that Dagur has nightmares. A headcanon of mine is that they both do. Whenever fatigue hits them so much that they can't remain awake to avoid that anymore, one stays guard for the other. When Strykie has a nightmare about his time being forced to fight, Dagur can soothingly wake him up and assure him that he's safe now. When Dagur has a nightmare about (pick a topic. There's plenty to choose from), Strykie is able to do the same.

Also, there's the added cuteness of how they met. Dagur and Shattermaster saved Strykie from getting attacked, then he returned the favor. Strykie is actually the first anything (dragon or character) to choose Dagur, but he did. He waved his stinger and sort of said, "We're friends now." It even took Dagur off guard, but I still think that little moment of Strykie letting him know that he can ride on his back and Dagur realizing that he can is adorable. If I can find an image later, I'll try to add it, but it might have that little search thingy from Pinterest if I can't spot it on Google.

I wish this had been explored some more, so a future fic of mine is going to delve into how they can help one another in these ways. I don't think there's anyone else who could truly get it the way that they would. None of the other humans or reptiles have been prisoners the way that they both have or have done things that would haunt them. Who knows how many dragons Strykie was forced to kill and what mental space he put himself in to be able to stomach it day after day. We already know Dagur has guilt he'll never recover from since he's killed an island + worth of people. Their other friends could support them as they try to change, but they're the only ones who could just look at one another and already know what's being felt because they'd each felt it before too.

[cannibal-nightmares]

Trick of the Light

Stein navigates coping with a personal loss. Post-anime canon.

Not sure how many chapters this will have yet. Maybe 4 or 5 or so; possibly just 3, potentially 6.

Soul Eater - Stein, Spirit, & Marie (ships are up to interpretation, SFW) // blind!Stein, ships up to interpretation, friendly banter, hurt+comfort, acceptance, coping, learning to live again, recovery Chapters 1/? Current word count - 1,879 -- [AO3 link]

"So, we're not going to the cabaret club after all?"

"No, Stein." Spirit chuffed with a playful shove.

"But I could twist your leg."

"Very funny."

Stein brushed his hand to Spirit’s knuckles and readjusted to meet their palms in interlocked fingers. It was a comfortably tempered day as the setting sun blistered through the breeze, the two taking in faint music from the passing buildings and the smell of food and autumn on the wind. While the cobbled brick walkways were ever-familiar to the professor, that evening he allowed his weapon to surprise him on their catch-up reunion with their colleagues.

Alright, he would admit to himself, he wasn’t exactly interested in the decision-making of the like.

“It’s here,” Spirit slowed and gestured to move in front of his partner, reaching out and holding the door open for him.

A nod, and they were quick to notice the restaurant was characteristically empty for an awkwardly-timed Tuesday night, perfect for more open conversation and intimate focus undistracted by bustle; along the front wall, a few tables down from the entrance, three kindred souls were already chatting patiently.

“Did Naigus not make it?” Franken couldn’t help a grin, touching the edge of the table on his approach.

“Stein! Death Scythe!” Exclaimed Sid from the corner of the booth. “No, Naigus is attending an emergency operation tonight, something came up after a recent mission.”

“I hope everything’s alright,” Spirit worried aloud, gently patting Stein’s back before he scooted into the seat behind him; across from the knife meister and now next to Albarn sat a still-studious woman who rustled papers out of the way to make space at the table.

“We were actually just discussing it,” Azusa remarked. “The kids are sure to make a full recovery, but the fight they had to put up wasn’t anticipated to be at that caliber.”

“On a leisure trip away from home and yet you all still find work. It’s something to be remarked.” Stein made effort in slight jest to face the remaining guest, soft and anticipatory.

“Tell me about it…” Marie sighed, but her wavelength readjusted to ensure a sort of calm resolve.

“I can’t pretend I didn’t bring it up,” Sid chuffed. “You know the kind of man I am, I can’t help but keep my head in the game.”

“And I can’t help but entertain him.” Azusa straightened the files with two taps to the table.

Stein instinctively rolled his eyes with a balancing polite chuckle. “Of course.”

"It's been so long since we've seen you,” said Marie in ordered relay.

"I would say the same." Stein held back an amused sprawl making his place next to his weapon until Spirit pushed him in the shoulder.

"Shut up, Stein." He laughed.

“If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry.” Franken snapped sarcastically.

“It’s a relief to have you in good spirits.” Sid chimed, sitting back, the leather squeaking out from behind him.

Stein gestured outward generally with a lighthearted shrug. “There’s too much work to be done to maintain anything different.”

“And that’s where he got his praise to give to us.” Yumi dared to joke, her words muffled in her cup.

Too caught up in the group’s banter, the waitress managed to startle the professor at his side.

“Welcome in, gentlemen. Could I get you something to drink?”

“Ah, just water,” Franken answered for them both. He slapped a firm hand onto Spirit’s shoulder and playfully wobbled him. “He’s my designated driver, you see.”

“Cut it out.” Spirit half-huffed.

“I gotcha…” She humored him. “Did anyone need any more time deciding?”

“Oh, Stein, are you familiar with the menu?” Marie asked, worry crossing her tone. “I just realized we forgot to ask.”

He smirked. “Spirit said he’d surprise me. That was apart of our deal tonight, that he’d take the lead.”

“And <i>fortunately for you,”</i> on cue, his weapon teased, “I also know what you like.”

“There’s that, too.”

One by one, the server took everyone’s dinner requests, navigating the occasional rhythmic raillery between the familiars. The dinner was a celebration of returns and recovery from their last group-assigned collaboration from almost a year ago to the date; Sid, of course, continued to be a local character who kept up his presence, but the likes of Azusa remained steadfast in her duties. Marie, despite her begged insistence against it, had been quickly swept back to Oceania after their last mission together.

She wrote to Stein, and she did receive letters back in his voice, but not in his handwriting.

Over their glasses, Barrett and Albarn got wrapped up in a usual back-and-forth about Shibusen on new students and policy and technique, Yumi occasionally dropping in to make note of history and comparison and statistics. Marie and Franken quietly listened to themselves, one of which was slightly uncharacteristic. In noticing her undoubtedly unintentional silence, Stein reached out an open palm with his elbow on the table, a gentle though disarming smile washed his countenance to assure the gesture. She shortly exhaled with the same reflection and accepted his fingertips, her thumb rubbing under his knuckles. There was a small lull in the partnering conversation upon noticing the exchange, but it naturally continued on after only a pause, laughter of the friends once again brightening the atmosphere.

In a moment, they were interrupted with their meals brought to them, dishes distributed noisily among the guests. Naturally, they all settled again, the warmth of their souls matching with each other in the warmth of the food.

Stein traced his plate and met a sushi roll with his chopsticks. “Which one is this one again?”

“Futomaki.” Spirit commented. “And then the one above it is the unagi.”

“Right.”

He bit a section of the roll with sincere thought.

“Hmm.” He pretended he didn’t want to smile. “Eel. You do know me.”

“Yeah, and you should know me, too—” Spirit moved to steal a bite from Franken’s plate, but was timely defended with a sturdy arm.

“Too well.” In the deflection, he reached over and jabbed his chopsticks into his partner's dish, popping a piece into his mouth without even acknowledging what it was.

“Oh,” Stein murmured with a revolted grin. “Cucumber, how typical of you.”

For once it was Spirit to wield a malicious giggle. “Checkmate!”

Something in Azusa’s wavelength shifted that brought Stein to refocus in front of him, Marie excusing herself abruptly from the table.

“I’ll be right back…” She tried for manners, but turned away too quickly before expressing her apologies.

“Marie…” Yumi moved to comfort her out of instinct, but could not make any sort of gesture fast enough out from behind both Death Scythe and the professor.

“I noticed she was quiet, but I must admit I figured you had it covered.” Sid remarked in reference to the doctor. “Do you know what’s going on, Stein?”

Azumi answered for him. “She’s still upset about the outcome of the battle with The Gale from last year.” She must have glanced to Stein after readjusting her glasses, but he was too focused on Marie’s departure. “She said she didn’t think she’d be ready to see you again, but I told her I thought she never would be.”

“Any time sooner is better than later. It doesn’t make it any more easy.” Spirit rubbed Stein’s back, to which he didn’t seem to react to in his thoughts.

“I wish I had known.” Barrett sighed. "I'll check on her." Stein had long-concluded the second Marie had gotten up to step away. "Oh-- Did you want me to go with you?" Albarn’s attention honed.

“No, I’ll find my way.”

“Ah, alright.”

Stein took balance from the booth and wandered away from the group, tracing the trail of the distressed soul to the rear of the restaurant; he tapped along the edge of the beverage bar for a sort of self-reassurance to meet a push door at the back wall.

“Marie?”

Quick to withhold a surprised gasp, the weapon paused to hold her breath. She let it go in mere seconds in its futility.

“I’m here, Stein.” She said forlorn.

He let the door close behind him, stepping to the bathroom counter next to her. Because he knew she wouldn’t do it, herself, he released a forced sigh.

“I don’t have to ask about the elephant in the room.”

Marie reflected his breath and brought a soft hand to his shoulder.

“I’m—”

“Don’t apologize.” He warned. Stein intended genuine cordiality, but if there was one thing he wasn’t going to accept, it was an apology for the wrong reasons.

He corrected his tone in an earnest questioning. “Why are you actually upset?”

Mjolnir had to return her hand to wipe away silent tears. “It’s just… You’re still you. I’m happy for you.”

Stein bit his tongue and held the pause. So, then, why are you still emotional about it? He desperately wanted to snap. He wasn’t mad at her, but he wanted to be. He knew the answers to his own question, it was just frustrating to him that she hadn’t actualized or accepted them for herself yet.

In their momentary interlude, the bathroom door swung open and halted with a start, surely at the sight of Stein.

"Oh!” A woman nervously chirped from behind him. “Uh, sir? You're in the women's room..."

"You don’t think I know that?" He barked, whipping around with unintended aggravation, the loop of the tall white cane in his hand slipping over his wrist in the jerk and clattering to the floor. He didn’t care that the stranger yelped and scurried away.

Marie picked up the stick and returned it to his fingertips, more shaken than she was before.

Stein sighed, re-centering himself, recollecting, and only hoped the death weapon would do the same. “I took my time to grieve. Have you?” He waved his hand in correction. “Don’t answer that, just think about it.” He took his orientation away from the counter top as he rubbed calloused fingers between his brow; Franken knew he had to steady her wavelength if he wanted her to listen to anything he had to say, and it surely wasn’t his intention to scare her into focus. The professor finally held out his hand and she took it after a sniffle.

“I don’t like thinking that a lot better could have happened for us. It’s counterproductive when the opposite is true, too.” He squeezed her grip. “I resent losing my sight, I don’t resent you.”

Eventually, she nodded in pair with a small handshake and an audibly trembling breath to confirm her crying, returning the squeeze. Stein moved to hug her and she hid her face in the smell of his cologne.

With the timing, he considered to joke. "Spirit asked if he could come with me to comfort you, but I think too many women's rooms have seen enough of Spirit Albarn." Marie instantaneously broke her tears with a huffed laugh.

“Oh, Stein…” She pulled away with a relaxed smile, the shattered pieces reforming within their resonance, looking up to his misplaced gaze.

“Come over to our place tonight after dinner and we can make sure everything gets put back in the right order.”

She hugged him once more.

“I would love that.”

[goddevouringserpent]

WOTR Companions First and Final Impressions

taking the open tag @the-raging-tempest left over at Discord cause I really really wanted to do this hehehehe :3 it was very very fun, even if time-consuming, so I am open tagging anyone who wants to do it! (& please do feel free to tag me in it because I very much want to see 👀)

the first impressions match the first actual interaction my KCs had with the companions, for which I am using the first real dialogue they ever had; so, for example, although they both technically met Camellia at the Kenabres festival, I am counting the first meeting as being in the caves under Kenabres.

First impressions

Seelah

Irenni: "A spot of hope in the middle of so much destruction! You lighten my heart with your presence, lady knight."

Kaija: "Paladin of Iomedae, huh? Well, you don't seem as stuck-up as the rest of your kin, at least. Mind your own business, I'll mind mine, and we should get along fine."

Camellia

Irenni: "So poised and elegant... I'm surprised by how nonplussed you seem, but in all fairness, you look high-born, and I suppose nobles are taught to conceal their emotions."

Kaija: "Ugh. Do we really have to babysit this spoiled brat? Hope you actually know how to use that rapier of yours, pretty girl, 'cause I'm not sticking my neck out for you."

Lann

Irenni: "A valiant warrior with a noble heart, I can tell. 'Tis a pity you downplay your own worth with such ferocity."

Kaija: "I know your type. You hate who you are, don't you, underground crusader? Tale as old as time. Shed those chains already—they'll never see you like you want them to see you. We're all just horned freaks to the respectable folks."

Wenduag

Irenni: "You are so angry... We mean no harm to you or yours. Let us help, please. We can only save each other if we stick together!"

Kaija: "There's a shrewdness in you, isn't there? You're a clever one. A survivor. Dangerous. It's fine, I can work with that. You're nothing new to me, huntress."

Woljif

Irenni: "I hope I'm not making a mistake by helping you. You seem harmless enough, but that shadow... There's something wrong about it. Do you even know the nature of the magic you wield?"

Kaija: "A kindred spirit. You're the only one here who understands. I see it in your eyes. We have the same look, you and I, the same kind of dirt under our fingernails, the same bloodied teeth. I've got your back, for as long as this arrangement lasts—way things are, turning my back on you would be like turning my back on myself."

Ember

Irenni: "Oh, you sweet soul... 'tis fortunate Andoletta watches over you, but still—you should be somewhere safe, enjoying your childhood, not bearing witness to the horrors of war."

Kaija: "I can tell there's some sort of strength in you, but you've gotta toughen up, kid, or the world will chew you up and spit you out."

Daeran

Irenni: "You behave as though you knew exactly what to say in order to vex me, Count Arendae. I ought to chastise you for being so irresponsible and inconsiderate, but you would not care at all. And... truth be told, you are fascinating, in your own way. A weakness in me, perhaps. We shall see. In the meantime—make yourself useful."

Kaija: "Hello there, yet-another-noble-prick in the endless assortment of Mendevian noble pricks! At least you're fun to be around, I'll give you that. Maybe someday I'll crash one of your parties. You might even thank me for it."

Nenio

Irenni: "A fellow scholar! Oh, this is so exciting. I cannot even blame you for your... peculiarities; truly, all of us who share an interest for the academic can sympathize, to one degree or another. I do so look forward to trading theories with you."

Kaija: "Heard about people like you, here and there. Strange stories. Sad, often. Leave it to a genius to lose her mind—there's a certain irony in it. But I think we'll work well together, long as you follow my lead."

Galfrey

Irenni: "Everlight, I feel so inadequate. The Queen of Mendev! Here! Sitting at my table! It is a pleasure and an honour, Your Majesty, although I wish the circumstances were different... and I wish I were a bit more put-together for the occasion..."

Kaija: "Bah. Mendev's golden figurehead. Must feel good, to come marching in and have everyone prostrate themselves at your feet, even though you did absolutely jack shit. Don't expect any special treatment from me, Your Majesty. Far as I'm concerned, you're just some freeloader at our table."

Sosiel

Irenni: "A servant of the Eternal Rose is always welcome! I see a sincere kindness in your eyes that puts me at ease... and Sarenrae knows that is exactly what I need right now."

Kaija: "Nice to have another artist nearby. Not many of us here. And there's a steel in you, a fire. It burns low, more a simmer than anything else, but I can tell. I've been there. No wonder, after the losses you've experienced. You'll do fine. Channel that fire."

Regill

Irenni: "Hellknight, is it? Hmph. I guarantee you will disagree with my methods, Paralictor; I hope, for both our sakes, that you are still willing to obey my orders."

Kaija: "Credit where it's due, you're one hell of a fighter. Don't really mind the stick up your ass if we can use it in our favour. 'Sides, a little spot of pragmatism might do us some good in the long run. Tired of all the crusaders with their heads in the clouds."

Arueshalae

Irenni: "My heart reaches out to you, as yours does to mine. I am aware it is ill-advised to trust a succubus, but, as servants of good, ought we not embrace any demons who choose to leave behind the stain of evil and embark upon a different path? Is it not our duty to aid them in this difficult journey? I open my arms for you, Arueshalae, even if it means the death of me."

Kaija: "I should be suspicious, and yet... I heard you. I saw you. In the temple of Desna, and in the shrine. That... that can't just be a demonic trick, right? There are some things the Abyss can't touch. But an ascending succubus... Demons aren't capable of redemption. It isn't in their nature. It's what everyone says, isn't it? But... but maybe... Maybe there's a chance... Maybe, if you..."

Greybor

Irenni: "Why in the world would you refuse to address the demon invasion going on, but take on an assassination contract? I am astounded by the greed and selfishness involved in your thought process, but, most of all, I am baffled by your short-sightedness. There will be no gold to reclaim should the armies of the Abyss prevail, good sir."

Kaija: "'Go and get reinforcements from the Defender's Heart,' heh... You don't know who you're talking to, master assassin. Don't need help to kill these demons. Go ahead and take care of your mark—just don't get in my way. Wouldn't want ya to have your limbs cleaved off."

Parting thoughts

Seelah

Irenni: "What a joy, to have shared this fight with you. You have kept me steady, grounded in hope, and I am so glad to have done the same for you. Do not let anyone extinguish your spark. It is people like you that give our struggles meaning."

Kaija: "You've proven me wrong, time and time again. Never thought I'd be happy about that, but I guess there's always a first time for everything. It's been an honour fighting at your side, Seelah... And an even bigger honour drinking at your side!"

Camellia

Irenni: "I... I tried, Camellia. I really did. I would have helped you, if only you had been truthful. But in the end, I... I did what I had to do. I am not proud of it, but you forced my hand."

Kaija: "I keep telling myself it was for the best, and maybe one day I'll believe it. We would've ruined each other, beloved, you know that as well as I do. Better to stop when... when we still could. But that doesn't mean I've stopped loving you. I never will. You'll always have a part of me. Wherever you go, whatever you do... be safe. Think of me, from time to time. I'll think of you."

Lann

Irenni: "It is so good to see you happy, at long last. You deserve it—you always have. You have performed all your duties admirably, Lann, both towards the crusade and towards your people. Find comfort, now. Live the life you want. May your aim be ever true and steady, my friend."

Kaija: "You've got to let go, at some point. Move on. Bury it or it'll bury you."

Wenduag

Irenni: "I bear you no ill will. You were deeply wounded, I can tell that now, and my only regret is being unable to heal you. May you find peace in the afterlife."

Kaija: "Hasn't always been easy, because I'll be fucked if you don't like to make everything as hard as possible, but... Here we are. Looking at us from where we stand at the end, I can say I'm glad to have met you. Glad to know you. You've found your own power, your own strength, and—I respect you, for that. See myself in you a little bit. Who would've thought, huh?"*

Woljif

Irenni: "I am so, so proud of you, and deeply ashamed I ever doubted you. So many would have fallen prey to the temptation of demonic power, but you... I know it was what you had wanted all your life, and yet you found strength enough in yourself to refuse it! I am humbled by you, Woljif."

Kaija: "The light of my life. That's what you are. Can't say I believe in soulmates or none of that, but I do believe in choosing someone over and over, with your whole heart, every day of your life, and... Well, I'll keep choosing you, over and over, for as long as I draw breath. You've changed me, deep to my core, and once upon a time I would've fought against that—you would've had me kicking and screaming to get out, heh—but now I wouldn't have it any other way. Wouldn't have you any other way. I'm with you, dearest, 'til the end, through thick and thin. It's you and me."

Ember

Irenni: "Your kindness is brilliant, Ember. Blinding. I hardly understand it myself, and I have felt the touch of Heaven! I know you do not believe in divine intervention, but... I cannot, in good faith, claim our meeting to be a coincidence. Both of us, devoted to mercy and redemption and salvation... We are the company we keep, I suppose, but we are altogether too similar in ideals for it to not mean something. I shall be pleased to accompany you further, should our paths meet again."

Kaija: "First time in my life I've ever been so thankful for someone getting their thoughts in order. You were heading down a bad road, kid. Putting yourself in danger. And—d'you think I could've lived with myself if I'd let you and you'd gotten killed because of it? I know it feels bad to have to temper your expectations, but you'll thank me later."

Daeran

Irenni: "Ah, my love, what I wouldn't do for you. We have not had an easy time of it, have we? A rocky beginning, a middle fraught with difficulties and obstacles... We have been our own worst enemies, in truth. But there is not a single thing that I would change. I am honoured to love you and to have you love me; to know you and to have you know me. I am so fortunate that you have chosen to trust me with your life, your heart, your freedom, even. I will keep you safe, no matter what it takes. You can rest lightly in my hands—I promise. You will never regret letting me love you."

Kaija: "Not too proud to admit I misjudged you. I mean, in a sense I had your measure as soon as I met you, knew exactly what kinda person I was dealing with, but in another sense, you've surprised me. Never thought I'd find a real friend in you. My best friend, even. Life's full of little jokes and twists, isn't it? I think we can both drink to that, and not just because we'll take any excuse to drink. So—here's to your health, Count."

Nenio

Irenni: "I... I don't understand. Why would you ever want... What led you to... to make the choices you made? You are worth more than that, Nenio. I pray it is not too late for you."

Kaija: "Somehow what's going on with you is less outlandish than what I thought was going on with you. It's fine. Seems like a lot, but you'll pull through, if you really want to. I believe you can."

Galfrey

Irenni: "You carry your burdens, and I carry mine. I neither envy nor resent you. Let us part in peace. I wish you well, Galfrey of Mendev."

Kaija: "Fool. If you keep holding your chin up, your neck'll snap. We're not on even footing anymore—I've long since surpassed ya, and you know it. Write a letter to your goddess if you're so mad about it."

Sosiel

Irenni: "It is good to see you have healed. You were teetering on the edge of something so grim, far from the light of Shelyn, and although I had faith in your ability to remain steadfast, I worried for you, Sosiel. Yet you have so gracefully recovered from the blows life dealt you. A soul as gentle and good as yours deserves nothing but that, my friend."

Kaija: "I know it wasn't what you expected, but did good. Kept your spine straight when it counted. Didn't back down. Opened your eyes. So that closure you got, Sosiel, those answers—that was all you, in the end. It was your actions that saved both of you. Take pride in that."

Regill

Irenni: "We have not always seen eye to eye... quite the opposite, in fact... but in the end, I am glad to have fought alongside you, Regill Derenge. I think, in better times, we could have been friends, but war can make strangers of us all."

Kaija: "Surprised at how well we work together. Or maybe not. It's all in the fighting mettle, after all—we're warriors through and through, and I guess even through our differences we could recognise that in each other. Steel calls to steel. I respect you, Regill, and I'm pretty sure the feeling's mutual. Wouldn't be where you are now if it weren't, yeah?"

Arueshalae

Irenni: "There are too many things I should have told you, too many things I should tell you... but now is not the time. Later, once we are free. Then I will... Everlight's mercy, I just need you to know how deeply I care for you, how much I treasure and cherish and admire you, how badly I want to—augh, later, Irenni, later!"**

Kaija: "You say that I saved you, that you owe me so much, but c'mon, Arue, don't sell yourself short: you saved me every bit as much as I saved you. A mutual thing, yeah? Pulled each other outta the Abyss. I'm so proud of you, sister, and so grateful for everything you've done."

Greybor

Irenni: "Truthfully, I was not expecting you to take my advice to heart, and I am pleasantly surprised you have chosen to do so. I wish you an uneventful life, Greybor. Enjoy every moment."

Kaija: "A professional, through and through. We did some good work together. You've a... productive future ahead of you, I'm sure—who knows, maybe I'll require your services sometime, hah."

*Kaija's parting answer for Wenduag is largely a placeholder because this is my first time recruiting Wendu (I'd wanted to before, but I couldn't rationalise how/why Kai would, until now) & I am still figuring out their dynamic. however, I feel there might be... Something there. as in, the inklings of a very interesting ship dynamic. and I can never say no to toxic yuri, it's my kryptonite, soooo I am just kinda leaving that reply there for now lol

**Irenni romances Arueshalae, but only after the game ends. during the events of the game itself she's too busy dealing with her feelings towards Daeran to even try and address her feelings towards Arue. they are very much present, Irenni just... sets them aside, for the time being, because she already has enough on her plate emotions-wise as-is LOL but after everything is done, they become an item :3

[hippieghost]

@that-sure-is-a-person

Hope you don't mind me making this it's own post but I wanted to go more in depth than a comment would make. I'm breaking this into two parts: deck building and obtaining cards

Part 1 - deck building and what to build around

If you're just starting to get into MTG, the biggest advice I can give for deck building is to focus more on card synergy than on building a big collection.

What I mean is this - there's a lot of strategies that work really well in mtg, but it can be really overwhelming building a deck when there's so many options available. The best way to counter this is to pick one strategy and make sure your deck does it well.

For this example I'm gonna turn to the current set, and find a card that we can use to build around. Bloomburrow (the most recent set at the time of this writing) is mostly focused on kindred decks, meaning decks that do well when you have a lot of the same creature type. For this example, I'm going to use this guy:

Squirrels. Sure. Why not?

We're gonna kill our opponent with squirrels.

So the above creature has a power and times of 2/2, with it's ability, if another squirrel is on the field, it becomes a 3/3, and so on. He's a rare, so might be a bit tougher to come across, but easier to get our hands on than a mythic rare card.

Let's see what cards work well with him.

Ah, here we go.

Notice how each card here synergizes with squirrels. Our dreyleader is uncommon, and arguably better than the rare we built the deck around. It doesn't have a constant +1/+1, but it starts out with counters that functionally give the same thing, and it keeps those counters if your creatures start to die. It also gets another every time a squirrel or food enters the battlefield under your control.

Squirrel nest and chitterspitter will be great for pumping out more squirrels, but chitterspitter has the extra benefit of giving your squirrels a buff by sacrificing one. All of these buffs stack, so having squirrel horde and chitterspitter both out will give the horde +2/+2 for every squirrel.

From here you can throw in more cards to pump out tokens, or other squirrels that have other effects. There's a few ways this can go, but finding 2 or 3 cards to base your deck around helps alot.

A few other notes -

In most formats you can have a max of 4 of any card. You have to have a minimum of 60 cards in a standard deck.

But Cece? You say, what if I want more than 60?

That's the devil talking. The closer you are to 60 cards, the more likely it is you'll draw one of the cards you actually need.

What about land?

This really depends on the deck. Arena uses 24 as the default, but if you have a lot of cards with low mana cost, you can go fewer. If you have a lot of resource heavy cards, you need to go higher. This deck seems to revolve around cards with a mana cost of 3, which is fairly low. We can probably get away with running fewer lands.

My suggestion: count the man's symbols in the top right of every card. You should start off with about half of the total number of mana symbols for your lands, and then adjust from there.

Part 2: obtaining cards

Since you're playing arena, you get a chance to practice already. The easiest way I find to get cards both in arena and irl is by doing drafts.

Drafting is fairly simple. You open a pack, pick a card you want, and pass the pack to the left. At the end, you use all of the cards you've picked and some lands to build a 40-card draft deck. You then compete against other drafters in best of 3 matches to potentially win more packs of cards.

Best case scenario you get the top prize, but most players will usually come home with an extra pack or two.

In the worst case scenario, so long as you picked cards that work with each other, you go home with the same amount of cards that you would have by spending the same amount on booster packs, and all the cards you picked out are cards you chose yourself instead of random ones.

MTG arena has a quick draft that's pretty easy to get into, and is good practice for the real deal. Don't bother spending gems on the deluxe draft. Just save your coins from playing until you can quick draft.

If you don't have drafts near you, then I'd suggest getting the larger packs that come with lands. You can usually get at least a couple decks built out of it. Most sets usually also have starter decks that you can just buy outright and tweak as you go.

A few other points -

1. Multi color decks are fun, but generally more difficult to build in a balanced way because you have to rely more heavily on balancing your lands to get the cards you need. I suggest no more than 2 colors per deck if you're a newer player until you get used to seeing how they mesh with each other.

2. Rarer doesn't always mean better. Some of the best cards in the game are commons. Focus on how they talk to each other instead of how valuable they are when building. That super rare card you pulled is useless if it doesn't have anything to work with!

3. Try every strategy at least once. My least favorite color in magic was black when I started. Now it's the color I personally do best with.

4. If all else fails, my fallback strategy is to take all my red "burn" spells (anything that does direct damage), mix em with some cheap creatures with high attack and low defense, and play super aggressive. This is called "red deck wins" and is a great way to make people mad at you.

Any questions let me know! I'm always happy to help new players get their feet wet!

[lottieurl]

Mid-Year Book Freakout

tagged by @asalesbian (thank youuuu)

number of books you’ve read so far: 24

best book you’ve read so far in 2024: CHAIN-GANG ALL-STARS BY NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH. i need everyone to read that it's been like. months and i still think of it so often. the short story collection by the same author is also up there he's just so good

best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024: haven't read any. pretty much only stand alone books or just the first book in a series (like she who became the sun or the three-body problem)

new release you haven’t read yet but want to: private rites by julia armfield!! i HAVE the book. signed! but i wasn't in the right mood and it's important to me to read this one in the right moment cause julia's writing is to me like what i imagine religion feels like to some people lmao

most anticipated release for the second half of the year: nothing really? i rarely wait for a release it's like a few authors who i love enough to even be aware they have something new coming out

biggest surprise: bunny by mona awad in part cause i had no idea what's it about and actually haven't heard of it much before except for remembering miles @chappelroans mentioning something gay that happens and because of it going into it with completely different expectations fbsbdbd loved it tho it was a great kind of surprise and why i read cat's cradle by kurt vonnegut this year lmao i had a craving for weird books

favorite new author (debut or new to you): NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH. really loving mona awad as well and i only read one book by susan abulhawa but her writing is absolutely incredible and i need to read more of her

newest fictional crush: this doesn't really happen to me with characters from books sorry

book that made you cry: CHAIN-GANG ALL-STARS. I WAS SOBBING. also our wives under the sea special shout out cause it made me cry even more on my re-read

most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): can't choose one. already posted pics of private rites and i love that cover (tho i want to get the american one as well when it comes out) so other than that

love those two a lot. there are different versions of the covers for both and i was specifically looking for those. also

something about how floppy this book is makes me happy fbsjsjsj

book that made you happy: i'm afraid that's just not the kind of books i read

what books do you need to read by the end of the year?: PRIVATE RITES. other than that i need to finish are prisons obsolete? and on earth we're briefly gorgeous (this one i'll probably get to around the same time as private rites) and i'd like to get to siren queen by nghi vo (started last month but with moving and work being busy i just had no time), martyr! by kaveh akbar, sula by toni morrison, just about anything by shirley jackson, piranesi by susanna clarke and kindred by octavia e. butler

tagging: @kdramamilfs @fugglecases @sapphicscience @chappelroans @staghunters and everyone who wants to do this!!

[rose-tinted-kalopsia]

LMAO ok cw sylus thoughts that i'll post bc i've been trying to wrap head around that trailer anyway 😆😆

more expanded uh... here? 😭

crazy how little glimpses in the trailer make me want to pick apart his brain and go back to the insane amount of potential he has BUT

it's interesting personality-wise because i was actually pegging on the "elegant villain" trope and i'm just surprised they actually made it a reality LMFAO

like he's actually giving. classical music themes... tension-filled slow dancing... enemies to lovers.... kinda vibes... and like a cocky ish attitude that comes off as more of condescending and mocking than annoying/with the purpose of getting on your nerves... because he knows he's in a position of authority over you or something...

and it actually feels like he would say something like "you are as weak as all the rest" and "power beyond reckoning... and you use it as a crutch. such a waste." but also "you'll always come back to me." "looks like you can't resist, hm?" and it's interesting because of the intonation used in all the dialogue we've seen from him so far??? because it's—mocking, undeniably.

but also...

dunno how many of you have played pocket mirror or if it's intentional to have his wording that way but the things he's saying are actually quite manipulating—arguably the same techniques enjel uses on goldia in pocket mirror—especially considering him and mc just met

he says things like:

"you went through all that trouble to get into the N109 zone... i should fulfil my duty as your host"

"you still have to find someone who can pay the price"

"since you can't escape..."

and my personal favorite:

"after all, you and i... we're the same. true kindred spirits."

and despite the mocking/self-assured tone he takes on, the words he says make the sentence about mc... which in turn... like, when you do this? and you make what you're saying about the person you're talking to? it subconsciously makes them feel "special" and "seen". and whether they like it or not, a part of them already has some trust in you. humans are selfish and it's a real thing 😭✋

and maybe mc doesn't have much of a choice considering she's trapped, or maybe she just needs the information that badly she's willing to risk it, but it's also likely that his word choice plays a factor into why she's going along with whatever shenanigans are going on

because it's sneaky, right? they just met, but he's going to play the card of "i'm not the enemy, someone else is, so let's work together" and whether that's true or not, damn like it takes some mad convincing skills to get someone to believe that sometimes 😭✋

and then you'd think like, there's also his story, and why he's the way he is, and how much mc might mean to him... how underneath all the high, mocking attitude he's got going for him rn, there's gotta be a sense of yearning and need for mc for whatever reason as he realizes he needs her, for whatever reason, and it starts to become less of a game and more of reality to him as time progresses and the mocking slowly begins to fade into a person who's gotten himself into this situation too fast he forgot to pick up the little pieces of himself along the way and— and—

[tobiasdrake]

The very last bauble. The very last hangout. As we move towards the conclusion to it all, we've heard from Vivia about what he wants us to bear in mind. Now it's time to hear what guidance Yakou has to offer us.

Oh, okay, we're gonna give him a pep talk. Disappointing to the very end, aren't you?

Really. We're really going to spend the last hangout yet again shilling the OTP that remains mired in the exact same place it was in way back in the Chapter 2 rooftop epilogue?

The answer, Yakou, is that it's not. Things are not going. There's been lots of blushing and lots of awkward pauses but nobody has said or done a single thing yet because writers despise romance despite how hard they try to inject it into their stories.

Ooh, Yuma doesn't know but that is a painful question.

*spit take* NOT SOMETHING TO BRAG ABOUT, FUCKING HELL.

God fucking dammit man. Even if you're making it up, "I was so great at cheating, you wouldn't even BELIEVE" is a terrible thing to make up. It doesn't need to be true to reflect poorly on your values.

I'm going straight back to the homunculus testing site so I can push you dipshit ass off a cliff.

This is the worst final hango--

Why was that Fubuki's final conversation topic!? Ew ew ew ew DX

This is the second-worst final hangout!

...wait.

Hold up.

Is he talking about actual kittens?

Or that, I suppose. Still, the way he chose to play this up has caused my opinion of him to nonetheless sink lower. It's not about whether he did or did not "three- or four-time". It's about the fact that he considers the image he tried to sell to be an admirable presentation of masculinity in the first place.

"LOL It's so cute how they'd get jealous whenever they'd find out about my other girlfriends!" This kind of casual misogyny is exactly the kind of behavior that makes me loathe "guy talk". Men will take one look at you, see a kindred bro, and then proceed to say the grossest shit to you with absolutely no filter whatsoever.

Too late, damage already done. There is no salvaging your reputation from here.

Now we're getting to the meat of it. I expected Yakou to give a counterargument to Vivia, but they seem to be on the same page.

Vivia asks, "Is it always right to reveal a cruel truth?"

Yakou says, "You need to put Kurumi's wellbeing first."

These both feel like things that are going to be important for Yuma to carry with him in the final confrontation with Makoto. Which is why the two baubles were put here.

It's not, and I hate that you think that. This exact mindset, that men only exist for women and nothing else, is a major contributing factor to toxic masculinity.

This conversation must be, like, right before Chapter 5. Yakou's getting ready to carry out Huesca's murder. That's why he's trying to connect with Yuma like this.

Yakou Furiou. I didn't think very highly of him when I met him. But then I got to know him and see new sides to his personality. And through that journey, I was able to learn that I was overestimating him and adjust my opinion even lower.

I don't like Yakou on a personal level. I don't hold his drinking or his grief against him. He's a damaged man who's been through some trauma. But he's also a frequent obstacle who has gross opinions and mostly gets in the way.

Nonetheless, I still stand behind him 100% in the murder of Dr. Huesca. Like I said before, I'm not fond of Yakou the Detective but I adore Yakou the Murderer. That we were all able to pull together and carry off the Crime of the Century to avenge Yakou's wife and assassinate the most well-guarded man in Kanai Ward?

Yeah. I'm proud of that. We did it. Huesca isn't Yakou's victim. He's our victim. We made this happen for Yakou and I have no regrets about it. I'd kill Huesca again if Yuma would let me. Shove him over that railing and let him be a malfunctioning immortal in a pit at the bottom of the secret lab.

Yakou isn't someone I would want to hang out with for an evening. But I'm glad he found his closure, even if this was the only way he could.

[mydysfunctionalvampirefamily]

Wow status really gives you nice accommodation. Wait they're together? Interesting.

Miles focusing on the bed, to step away from his fucking emotions again.

Miles is bloodbonded to his sire, right?

Wynn is really doing her best to get through to Miles. I think she really got the only angle that might work. Speaking to his protective side, but at the same time it could trigger his oh yes wanna bet?

Oh Wynn, sweet baby. They're doing a good job sussing things out though.

Wait what??? Is Miles suggesting Wynn gets bloodbonded to him??

Miles being a shit to Wynn is kind of comforting.

For fuck sake, fucking Jan Pieterszoon. I dislike him he just feels like such a wimpy guy. He looks ashamed??? What is happening??? Is this real???

Pieterszoon didn't know Miles wasnt given his own room???

Pieterszoon, you're so behind the times. You're telling them stuff they have been knowing for a long time.

I think it's very naive to think you can just de-escalate the sabat thing.

Omg omg his sire is actually telling him they're going to destroy him!!

"I can't let them all die." 😭😭😭 He cares!!!! See Wynn!!!

Wait he is just doing smth useful for the first time, and now he's going to flee?!?!

A new sword? 👀 "hopefully it's deserving of its prince." that is very sweet!

Johnny, you're encouraging Neil a little too much? He's going to lose his mind.

Neil confessing his greatest fear is facing the end of the world all alone. 🥺

William Biltmore?? Isn't he the one that Neil stole a book for?? Johnny is quite famed?? And neat? Lmao I don't think anyone has described Johnny as neat before.

Lmao just all kinds of malkavians in this room with Neil and Johnny just being so confused. 😂

Astral projections too???? Lmaooooo

Noooooo not Quinten😂

Johnny just sitting there like what the fuck?!?!

Neil is doing a good job though talking about gehenna.

Johnny just having no idea what is really going on.

Wait what? Pieterszoon and Vicose? I'm as confused or more as Johnny.

What is Miles planning?? 👀

Consequences? When has Miles ever considered those? He is above them.

Wow, he's going to pass on this? For now? Damn that's impressive. Wynn, good job! You got through to him.

Wait what??? Oh this is good? A bloodbound sword?

So does Neil get the vision of the dragon to prevent it from escaping or to fight it?

Neil loves Wynn so much. 🥺

I'm glad they're figuring it out with Wynn and Miles.

Conversation???? That's what we're calling it now??

Maria is such a bitch omg. Such strong you might be his latest fleeting fancy, but he comes home to me and I take care of him energy.

Oops Maria, seems you're wrong again! Baaaaiiiii bitch!!!

Okay but we have now see 2 ghouls that have hated Britta for what she meant to their idk what you call it dominor? Is that what Lex said?

Of course Britta has sympathy for Maria, she is so sweet.

What????. Oh my God. Pendragon!!!! Showing your cards about Britta to the fucking justicar, because you want her safe?! That is... Wild? Unhinged? Insane?

You're asking her to move in with you?!?!

Okay I'm sorry, you you talked to this woman 5 times? Threatened her life 4 times, got rejected by he once and made out with her for a bit. You're just ready to put your whole life and all on the line? What the fuck. I mean not that Britta is not worth it but this doesn't make any sense? Is this me being ace-adjacent(acejacent if you will)

Show me you're a fucking elder vampire who hasn't had to feel human connection in probably hundreds of years who doesn't seem to have any empathy and isn't used to anyone disagreeing with him and saying it out loud without telling me. "I will send 10 kindred, more experienced than you, in your place, if you're simply worried about them getting the help that they need." No bitch, she wants to be with her fucking family!!!

Please PUHLEASE don't act like you're doing this selflessly for Britta, a gift to her! You're doing this for yourself because you want to keep her!!!

He's gonna make Miles make Britta stay behind. Damn that would be cold and fucked up.

He killed someone for the Ventrue for Britta? Why is that kind of hot???. I hate this. I do not want to think of this fuck like that. 😂 Fuck you Pendragon.

Lmao "Neil never mattered at all." 😂 Okay he earns some points there, that's funny.

Lmao Pendragon is not used to not getting his way, but lbr that is also why he likes Britta.

"you will not have this opportunity again" LIE like you're just gonna let her go. No one believes that.

Britta is just the sweetest most loyal lil bean there is. 🥺

'everyone who cares for you' including you 😏

He said please?!?! Damn. This is serious.

WHAT?!?! Britta you're gonna let this insane man just put his hand on your neck while you basically spit in his face again and reject him?!?! Okay not rejecting because she wants to spend time with him. Yes disobedience Lex that's a good word.

He almost straight up choked her yo. I mean she wouldn't have diednor well he squeezes her head off I guess?? That's messed up. But he did stop himself that has for to mean something.

Wow. Damn, who thought he could say actually say something romantic. Like not scary romantic, or creepy, or manipulative, but just normal romantic. "On every occasion that our paths have crossed, politics, war and secrets have interrupted us. What if just this once we don't let them."