#yet more nonsense for my hypothetical show

[idreamofneonsheep]

Happy halloween

[khuzena]

Waiting room

Pairing: Dr ratio, Aventurine, Sunday x g/n!reader

Summary: You can love, get on your knees and wait on a miracle. There are things that are for you and aren't for you, you should know. It's for the better.

Cw. Heavy angst, no comfort, 1% fluff, manipulative men, toxic relationships, insecurities, death?, unrequited love, breakups, them neglecting you cos…, no closure, what is love?

A/n: hi, time to make you cry. I'm getting writer's block as I'm making a new novel!! It has the ‘your guardian angel’ fics plot but w my characters. 🥳

Dr ratio

He's a simple man, really.

Drown yourself in endless textbooks, advanced literature and neglect every other thing.

Like his thirst for knowledge; love is endless, affection is abundant.

Is what you initially thought.

It has been the 4th time this week that he turned down your requests, “Dear, you know I have no time for that.”

He does not try to sugarcoat his words, he does not try to make his tone less harsh, “I don't have time for dates, such a waste of time.'' He says it like it is, he says it like it's true.

Your eyebrows creased, annoyed at his flippant attitude, “What do you mean waste of time?”

Veritas takes one glance at you, then back to his nonsense book. To him, it was useless wasting his breath on arguing with you.

“Veritas, you said we'll go, you promised.”

He is cruel, his words flinty. “I do not recall making any atrocious promises to you, are you perhaps going insane?”

Insane?

“Insane? Last week, you promised me.”

“I did not.”

“Yes you did.”

He scoffs, as if offended, “If I did, then I was not thinking straight. I have a thesis due tomorrow. A date can wait.”

Veritas is a man with priorities and out of all of them, it seems, you were not one of them. He'd rather his books kept him company, not you. It's obvious, his pursuit of knowledge was greater than loving you.

He lit his lamp, taking his pen and highlighting some paragraphs, what was so important with them? You could not help but come closer, skimming through the contents, it was just some theory some genius society member wrote.

“You're miserable,” it might've accidentally slipped out, but it was true; he is, in fact, the most miserable of all men.

Veritas rolled his eyes, pushing his reading glasses and annotating whatever statement was written. The candle light flickered when his heavy breaths fanned over it, not paying mind to whatever you say.

Your patience was thinning, how long was he planning to play this damned game?

“Veritas.”

You call out once.

“Veritas!”

Again, in anger.

“Veritas”

The last time, desperately.

He does not respond, he does not care. Yet your voice was ringing in his ears in an unpleasant way, “Is this about the date?”

You were taken aback by his curt reply, it wasn't just about the date. “Is that all? Do you think that's the only reason?”

“Hypothetically speaking, yes.”

“Cut the bullshit, veritas.”

Veritas glares at you, as if making a statement; a bullshit one at that. He does not have time for mindless topics, he's overworked, he's tired, he's unsatisfied.

For a moment, you have the urge to yell at him. This shallow bastard has done nothing but fool you with aureate words, he writes poetry about you and shows you off.

He loves you because you are all he has. He may be an asshole but he loves you the way he knows how to love you.

Tonight, however, you are done with his bullshit. You do not argue further, he is confused. When you leave this room with no more qualms, when you do not scream at him, he is bewildered.

“Where are you going?” It's strange that he noticed you for the first time. Only when you get dressed up and when he hears the keys jingle, does he notice every single detail.

You adjusted the cuffs of your blouser, “I'm staying at a friend's”

“Which one?”

“None of your business.”

Stunned, he drops his pen. Why are you acting so off? You're driving him insane.

“What do you mean none of my business? Stop acting so childish.”

That was your last straw, childish? Childish? The fucking audacity.

“You are more childish.”

“How so?”

“You— do I even have to explain it?”

Nothing could quell your frustration other than being away from him for the meantime, “Yes,” he loves you, he wants to know. But even if he does, he never learns; so much for a genius.

“You neglect me, you prioritise this,” it was tempting to crumple his papers, “—over me.” So you did.

He is indifferent. He does not understand how and why it hurts you. So he tries to understand it from a logical standpoint, “So you want to really go on that date?”

“I'm tired of asking”

Tired of begging him to treat you right, to love you like you want him to love you.

He stays quiet.

“I'm tired of begging for something so small.”

“You didn't have to destroy my goddamn book,” he seethed and pulled the book from your hands, too absorbed in the damage of the book he does not notice how much he has damaged you. Veritas is too blind to see you holding back tears despite wearing his glasses.

The force surprised you, “Is that thing much more important?”

“What?”

“Answer me Veritas Ratio.”

It was merely just a book, but it was precious. It was a rare one, it annoyed him to immeasurable depths when you crumpled it so recklessly.

He does not answer.

“I'm leaving,” he's not sure if leaving meant temporarily, he hopes it is. He hopes you come back again tomorrow night.

So he waits. Tomorrow came, but you did not come home.

Aventurine

He loves you, he really does.

His idea of love is adorning you with jewels, showering you with riches.

Too much that you suffocate, it hurts. You can't breathe, soulless eyes stare into yours.

It's when you realise, he's trapping you. Does he think you're stupid? What does he take you for?

“Darling! I got you a gift!”

The 22nd one this week… Aventurine makes haste and runs behind you, wearing the necklace on you, it looks… okay.

You look like a doll, his doll.

But you are not a doll, you are human.

And like all humans, we all wish to be loved and cherished as an equal.

“Do you like it?” It would be rude to say no, but it does not fit you. Sure it accentuates your neck, but it's too much.

“I…” you traced your finger over the gem, “I do.”

“Great! I'll get you another tomorrow!” It is tiring. As much as planets worth of gold and extravagant jewels excite you, you would rather be in his presence.

You do not recall the last day he's ever taken you out on a proper date, you do not recall any time where he's been open to you about his past because you know damn well his name could never just be ‘Aventurine’.

You were sitting on the couch, sipping tea with your eyes glued to your book. Before you knew it, soft lips grazed on your cheek.

“You're back earlier than expected,” he smiles as he pressed another kiss onto you, “I ditched the meeting, for you.”

Oh how you hate it when he does things in your name just to make you indebted to him. Aventurine loves you, but love is transactional.

“Is that so?” He nods, wrapping his arms around you. “I'll buy you something again, we have another business trip in Penacony.”

It makes you wonder, does he think gifts are the only thing that'll make you stay?

He could see the reluctance in your eyes, “Is something on your mind?”

You bit your lip, “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.”

A deafening silence fills the room before he chuckles, he is everything but stupid. He knows, he knows you want to spend time with him, he knows you’d incinerate those gifts in a heartbeat just to trade even an hour spending time with him.

“Dear, I promise, next time,” he pressed light kisses on your exposed shoulder, but it isn’t enough: what truly is enough?

You want to push him away, with how ruthless he is with making empty promises so easily, “You said ‘next time’ last time.”

”I promise, I do.” Even he sounds unsure. You pick up on the hint of hesitation laced in his promises, he regrets it, but he thinks; he’s doing it for you, for the both of you.

“You said that too last month,” you scoff.

He tried to intertwine your fingers together yet to no avail, you rejected him, “Why are you acting up again?”

There’s only so many gifts can buy but he can never purchase the time lost that could’ve been spent in lazy mornings together yet he traded it all for credits. The second attempt, he forces a smile and even pulls a tiny ring for you, that gem you loved so much engraved in the centre. Words cannot express how much you despise these gifts because it was just a pathetic compensation for the neglect.

”Please, next month.” He took your hand in his and put the ring on your ring finger. “Okay?”

You cling to that possibility, to that sliver of hope when he is done with Penacony, he is relieved of his duties and he is finally free. That he no longer has to overcompensate for his absence and shower you with the time he’s lost.

You know next month won’t come, yet you are no different from a fool.

”Okay”

You wait upon endless tomorrows, two months have passed and none of his coworkers have any good news about his well-being. They’re sure he’s dead, but you still wait for that tomorrow where he is home to come.

Sunday

Love, what truly is love?

Is it when you praise your lover with endless ‘I love you’s?

Is it when you hold their hand and protect them for the impending doom to come?

or rather, is love just a fallacy built on a string of lies?

Sunday believes that he knows what’s best for you.

Before Sunday, you were allowed to make your own decisions.

Before Sunday, you actually had freedom.

The halovian swears he knows what’s best for you.

He makes sure everything you want or need, you get.

Sunday will kiss your tears away, even if he is the sole reason for them. ”It’s for your own good.” he says.

To strip you of freedom, to shackle you to him like a bird in a cage. His sweet kisses, his love, his everything; they’re all fucking poison. He does not hesitate to drown you in his poison if it means protecting you.

You cry out, “Sunday.” In desperate pleas.

But he will not listen, he’ll pretend he doesn’t hear anything.

He believes that if he gives you the taste of freedom, you’ll find a way to fly away from his grasp– he will not allow it. So he does what he’s best at, keeping you stuck to him.

”What do you want, dear?” He smiles at you like he’s never sinned.

You throw away the pathetic gifts he adorned you with, gold, diamonds and stones you could not name but they are not what you want, “I want to see my friends.”

”They’re no good, trust me.” Your friends once told you that you should go, that he’s toxic, but you were a fool to drown in him.

“What do you know about my friends?” He’s done everything to kill that flame inside of you, that hope that maybe one day you’d escape him and be free once again, you’re a fool, he thinks.

He clicks his tongue as he puts down his newspaper at the coffee table, ”They tried to take you away from me.”

”They did not, you know I would never leave you.” A blatant lie but it's stupid that you take him for a fool that’ll believe your words.

He only chuckles, your attempts to get away from him are futile, it’s pathetic it makes him laugh. “I admire your confidence, but you’re staying here tonight.”

Death has never been more alluring under his influence, but you can not die.

“Please,” you beg again, but he only presses his finger to your lips, “Shh…”

”One day you’ll thank me for taking such good care of you.” He gets down on his knees to kiss the back of your hand, “You’re safe here.”

He gets up to sit right next to you, he doesn’t flinch when you slap his face away when he tries to kiss you. The man only grabs your wrist when you try to push him away again. He kisses you with passion, in love but is it truly love when there is no trust?

There’s no use questioning his intentions, “This is for your own good.”

What good is there when there is no freedom? He thinks beautiful birds should be protected. Even if it meant being trapped in a cage, stripped of any sense of freedom, as long as you're safe, as long as you're here with him, he is content. "Dont give me that look."

Your eyes train on the way he rolls his eyes at your defiance, "Just let me go."

Sunday glares at you, his grip on your wrist tight, you're sure he's about to tear it off. "No."

When will you stop acting like a child?

The halovian is too far down the rabbit hole of self righteousness and his obsession with you that he if he needs to tear you limb by limb to keep you close to him, to keep you from rubbing away, he will do it.

His phone rings, it must be business calls again, Penacony sure is in a state of chaos when it's crumbling down. He lets go off you to take his phone.

"Yes yes... Sunday speaking."

You dont understand what they're murmuring about. All you could register is it's something about his sister.

His facial expression turned grim the more time he spent on the phone. The phone call ends and he puts it down, the life from his face drained but when he sees you, he is relieved.

You are still here with him.

He intertwined your hands together, you can feel anger and despair that he's exuding as he stares at you like a deer in the headlights. "Please, promise me."

"You'll never leave me too."

It doesn't sound like a question, it sounds like a statement.

You'll truly never know what freedom is, for that is only a privilege that you can never have. In his arms you cannot cry, because he'll drown you in his lies again and again.

On the bright side, you are never alone. You will always have Sunday, whether you like it or not.

Note: bye i got extreme writer's block at Sunday's part I had to take almost a 2 week break bc i rlly have no idea what to write for him oh my god. I absolutely did not give them justice 😥

Written by @khuzena. Likes, reblogs and comments are always appreciated. ♡ 

[zwolfgames]

Idk, but I think bg3 reader would try to leave the group, if they know about their yandere personalities, lol. Please, your bg3 works are so good. I expect the new one

(So, not a continuation of the last drabble. This is hypothetical for now. Also it deleted my answer the first time :( so this is try two, it may seem a bit rushed. And I got a bit off track, woops.)

Warnings: mentions of yandere stuff I suppose.

Y/N in this au (aka teen tav) really isn't stupid, sure they grew up in a village with just their mother and pulled random spells out of their ass like a true sorcerer, but they're not stupid.

The party started with variable reactions to a minor in the group. Act 1 doesn't showcase a lot of Yan tendencies due to everything still going kind of fine and everyone getting to know each other.

The yandere part really starts in act 2 when they enter the Shadow cursed lands. Unlike the normal region of act 1 are the Shadowlands riddled with danger.

The party quickly gets their wake-up call after things like Kar'niss (who gets his little momemt) and the other bosses and dangers. Katherine Thorm, being a threat, also doesn't help ease the party's feelings.

The group would go from silly to way more protective in act 2. But Y/N can't do anything about that yet. The shadows would eat them alive, or someone else could get them. Better left with unease rather than dead, right?

I've purposefully mentioned Y/N's mother in the drabbles to show the main goal of the reader, which is to return to their mother. This goal is being held back by a party of people who no longer seem intent to part ways with you once this is over.

Sure, Y/N wanted their cool adventure with heroes like Wyll Ravenguard, but staying with them permanently? Haha... no.

So after the wake-up call of act 2, Y/N would take their chances at escape in Baldur Gate. The thing is, though, Y/N isn't from Baldurs Gate. They don't know the alleys like the back of their hand in the same manner that Astarion does. They didn't grow up playing in the secret passageways like Karlach...

This is a dangerous game you're playing. The more you wiggle, the tighter their hold. It's just how it goes with people who have faced enough to lose it.

They handle you in different ways, of course.

Wyll, Gale, and Halsin strike me as the type to have wanted to protect this poor kid from the start, so their resolve just strengthens to unnecessary levels. You wouldn't mind just being carried to bed by a bear man, would you? He knows some good elvish lullabies.

Lae'zel is her own separate category, she's a githyanki, they have very diffrent ways then most folk on faerun. I'm basing her motherly ability on the prologue where she raises the gith egg. She may not be affectionate, but she does not want you out of sight. Expect training.

Karlach and Astarion surprisingly go together here. They don't seem like the parental type. More of an aunt/uncle. Would try and stay your friend. Guiltripping from Karlach that she may or not be aware of herself, and straight up manipulation from Astarion. They both had a bad past. You can stay, right? As a little gift from the gods?

Shadowheart didn't like you from the start, not a fan of kids. Her yandere strikes a lot later. First, she had only been worried about your health as a cleric. After her arc at the end of the shadow cursed lands (freeing Dame Aylin etc) she gets a bit of that parental feeling nonsense too. Though I'd say she shows it the least. You'd be tricked easily into thinking she's the only normal one in the party.

Minthara, I'm unsure if I can find a good way to let her join, but she'd be similar to Lae'zel, just crueler and definitely bot secretive about her want for your stay. If you ask her directly, she'd just plain out and say that if she catches you, you're getting bound.

Jaheira, natural mom, she's got kids, protected the kids. Don't expect her to be sweet, but you're definitely not going out of sight.

Minsc joins in Act 3, so really, he doesn't have the time to get to know you, he's funny, you're funny. Friends. Not that the rest appreciates the time you spent with him. They're scared you're gonna make up a talking animal next.

All in all, Y/N would try and escape. It just isn't very likely to succeed. If you get far... well, there are other beings out there still after you, you know?

Just forget your mom. Aren't they better family now? Your mom didn't teach you spells, did she? Or swordplay? Maybe how to make balms?

Cmon, they're the best option. Stay.

Just an answer lol, hope i didn't make anyone too OOC with just this. Xd.

[morphodae]

Venti x Reader

Hurt/Comfort ; can very well be read as platonic a/n: Reader has a Vision (this blurb is part of a scrapped work of mine)

•─────────────••─────────────•

Stars brought about hope as they spread their promises in a wide span across the night sky. Neverending and peaceful, their distant glow told tales of humanity and gods alike. Perhaps that’s why you were drawn to such a sight, sprawled on your back as the cool breeze of Starsnatch Cliff tickled your front.

The idea of something greater brought you peace as much as it spurred uncertainty, yet you decide not to dwell on it, for your mind holds boundless thoughts whipping around in a dance of equals. Venturing out to the starry cliffside, with fingers plucking absently at strands of grass, you allow your mind to empty, soaring off into Celestia and becoming one with nothingness. Tonight, you would continue to bask in its warm embrace of solidarity.

Your tired muscles had long grown numb to the overuse it experienced daily, even as a Vision holder. A refreshing reprieve from the long days you did dirty work for the Guild always had you going back to the picturesque cliffside, staring up at numerous constellations littered with hypothetical tales.

As you reach out to trace the nonsensical patterns, you feel a small gust of wind from behind, blowing small strands of hair forward. Your hyperactive senses, trained to perfection over the years, can easily recognize the familiar scent and feeling associated with the presence behind you.

“Another late night?” the cheery bard remarks, “let’s hope my company can relieve your mental blight.”

You find the corners of your mouth lifting into a passionless smile at the rhyme, the young bard’s presence always seeming to find you on that cliffside when you needed company the most. Yet, you do not move from your spot staring up at the night sky, nor did the green-clad bard feel the need to converse any more than needed. Countless nights spent in mutual, yet comfortable, silence had given way to unspoken understanding between the two of you. In fate's own way, you consider the bard named Venti a good friend.

“If you do not wish to talk, perhaps my lyre can lift your spirits?” Venti smiles, sitting cross-legged a few feet away.

You sit up on the grass, offering the young bard a nod and a smile. “You know what? I think that sounds like a lovely idea. Thank you.”

“Always so polite!” Venti beams, long fingers already beginning to warm a tune on his lyre.

The soothing strumming of music fills your ears in a melody that could lull you away to a peaceful alternative. Ever grateful for your visitor's respect, your mind can finally rest from its nightly strife of overwhelming fatigue.

One day, you would find your worth and become even stronger to protect the ones you love.

Those closest to you were there as long as you could remember; bringing you a beacon of blazing joy in the darkest moments where humans showed the worst parts of themselves, eating away at any light that dared to glow from the innocence of a child.

No more lives would be lost if you could help it, not if they meant everything to you.

But — everything had its time and place.

For now, Venti was a perceptive god, you note. His identity long known to you from a celestial traveler after the dragon Dvalin’s defeat not long ago.

Closing your eyes, letting the sadness seep away into nothing, you supposed that even Archons could be good friends capable of just as much love as you had.

As the night stars twinkle above in harmony with Venti’s song, so too does the Vision secured tightly over the fabric covering your heart.

•─────────────••─────────────•

[autisticlalna]

Heyyyyy Leooo!!

So! It's almost 2:00am over here but! I have an idea.

What if T!Viking is Dom!Viking pre-ghost? Dominion Viking didn't know who he was, but he does know that the Dominionerds just showed up one day, IMPLYING that there was a before, and there also wasn't any overlap between casts excluding Viking. Now I don't know the full cast of TSMP but I believe that the world could hypothetically fall apart if, say... The time sibling was misplaced and the space sibling died.

And from there on we see gilded, and that's immediately followed by SBK, and so on and so forth-

This was utter nonsense huh

OH MAN. OKAY. so viking has talked a bit about Ideas for dViking's backstory, with his cause of death being some sort of magical experiment going wrong. a very long time passed after, with dViking wandering the world and finding the Book along the way (which may have been written by someone he knew), and then the other dominos showed up. but that's the most we know canonically (or semi-canonically i guess, seeing as this was discussed post-Dominion as "this mightve happened", same as Blue and Yellow)

speaking of Blue and Yellow, an early early theory for TSMP (like, "start of february" early. "in response to the first fire conversation" early.) was that tViking was Yellow. that he'd gotten separated from Blue somehow / had survived being killed by her and was now Being A Bastard in TSMP. i think that take's fallen to the wayside with the more we learn about tViking, though.

Gilded being a sequel to Dominion is something ive been thinking about a lot, because i made a joke in the big powerpoint about dViking getting knocked into the void in Dominion -> idk, pops out of the void for Gilded -> gets punted back into the void. and now we have Skyblock Kingdoms, which is above a void. im trying to bat myself with a broom before i get too deep into the "summertime = dominion" theorizing, but like... if that conversation in Gilded is canon and not just a bit about how Josh and Viking were in Dominion together, then it very much is a possibility.

if we do take "Gilded and SBK is post-canon dViking" as a possibility, though, then that means he's Blue. because, yknow, Yellow died, Blue won control over Viking, fell into the void. which im not sure anyone but me has put together yet because fandom-wise we've kinda been treating dViking, Yellow, and Blue as completely separate entities (which muddled things for me for a while). hell you can see this in some of my own posts where i keep specifying Yellow and Blue when talking abt post-canon dViking bc thats how theyre often brought up. this is a tangent sorry lmao

[loz-untold-myths]

UNTOLD MYTHS

A collection of Legend of Zelda fanprojects (stories, art, hypothetical game mechanics). Expand for info + links to first chapters of storylines. (AO3)

About:

Untold Myths is a blog for me to post all sorts of my little LoZ-related ideas just to get used to that sort of thing. There's so many of them that I couldn't name the blog after just one, so I made a collective name for the group of ideas I'll be showing here.

This fun little "project", if you could call it that, is sort of like a practice run for actual game making in the future. It's also a way for me to share the same fan made LoZ iterations I've been drawing for quite some time. Some of them are connected in certain ways, some not.

Some stories will be longer than others.

If you aren't one of those people obsessed with the Zelda timeline, that's fine! That isn't a main focus here. If you are, then I will specify that Untold Myths features stories based all over the place. Some are in the same general continuities as the games, having had similar events play out (although not always exactly the same), and others are alternative timelines from the very beginning.

Background:

For the last three years or so, I've really gotten into making games. And given I've always loved The Legend of Zelda, it was only inevitable that these two obsessions would converge at one point. I have been sketching and writing out ideas for little LoZ fan games for a while now, and I am finally ready to post some of them!

That being said, some ideas (I really gotta find a better word for them since they're fan games but I likely won't ever actually program them or share them because Nintendo might not appreciate that) are more developed than others, but they'll all have names to differentiate their stories and such.

What you'll see:

Concepts for hypothetical LoZ fangames or comics.

Doodles, sketches, character art, etc of said ideas.

Small writings or comics relating to these ideas.

Theoretical game mechanics for the fun of it.

Tons of LoZ AUs or ATs, basically. I really like making character-driven stuff or whatever is fun to draw.

For anyone who is a fan of Zelink or just ships in general, there's... Going to be a lot (but I try not to make it overtake actual plot or character elements).

Whatever other nonsense comes to mind at like 3 AM.

If there are any questions, the asks are open to be answered at any time! There is also a Discord server. If you would like an invitation, DM @nocturnalfandomartist.

(I may edit this post as questions come up).

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Untold Myths:

Most have yet to release but are in progress! The majority will feature both art and stories, but some may just be one or the other. This could always change. MASTER POSTS IN PROGRESS!!!

The Mage's Lantern (Story + Art) Ao3/Tumblr

Hyrule has been cursed with eternal storms by a vengeful mage. A young boy follows a familiar voice to a spirit who may just be able to help him, and they join Princess Zelda in a quest to save her father.

Master Post

Stone Fate (Story + Art) Ao3

Two children are raised in New Haven, a sanctuary hidden beyond the mist of Lost Woods. One is raised by the children of the forest, and the other by lights who tend to keep their distance. When the childhood friends find that their home is threatened by one who has breached the mystical barrier of the forest, they must take action; and risk losing everything they have ever known.

Master Post

Falling Into Place (SF Pre-Story) Ao3/Tumblr

A collection of short stories that take place before Stone Fate.

Fable of Hyrule (Art) Tumblr

Original Announcement Post

The Dark World (Comic + Art) Tumblr

Princess Zelda follows her brother to a forbidden site, where the evil spirits of the world were sealed 1,000 years ago. Upon her arrival, there is a crack in the seal that allows a malicious creature to drag her in. Left in the unknown with only more questions than answers, Zelda must navigate The Dark World: a realm beyond time where every being in sight wants her dead.

Original Halloween Announcement Post

Low-quality practice sketches

Sages of Hyrule (Art)

Original Announcement Post

Original Dore and Mekar Intro

Story Concept Art (1)

Link and Dore

The Echoes of Hyrule (Art)

Original Idea Concept Art

Will of the Spirit

First-Posted Concept Art

Wilting Heart

The Dream Spinner

(Stories without links still have their Chapter 1 in progress).

Misc

New Designs (1)

Untold Myths: Lost Tales of Hyrule

AUs more written like in-universe legends and fairytales for their fic, because I like the vibe.

Master Post

The Princess’s Heart (Zelink Week 2024)

A fairytale told in Hyrule, set in a forgotten age of the golden queendom. Passed by word of mouth from queen to princess, it is a tale of sacrificial love, hope, and determination.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tag Navigation (WIP)

#loz untold myths

#untold myths worldbuilding

#untold myths game concept

[akuaya-eng]

(Main story) Chapter 1 - Episode 8

- FIGHTING TOGETHER -

Espada

.........

Fiori

...... This might be the first time I’ve seen the Prince talk so much about his past. Have you ever seen him like this, Espada?

Espada

By continuing to purify, am I causing him more suffering? If so, what should I do...

Fiori

...You’re not listening, are you? Hey, Espada.

Espada

...What is it?

Fiori

Isn't what you should be doing right now not overprotecting the Prince but pushing him forward?

Espada

What on earth... are you talking about?

Fiori

I'm saying he needs to face reality. And you should help him do that, even if it makes him suffer. Accepting it is his duty, isn’t it? After all, it’s all the result of his own actions. It'd be selfish to just run away or forgetting about it. Even you would be disappointed if your beloved Prince just thought, "The curses are gone, so who cares?".

Espada

...Lord Dia has suffered enough. As long as his heart is at peace, that is enough for me.

Fiori

Oh, how touching. Such twisted sense of loyalty.

Espada

...Why are you even staying in this castle? To fill his ears with nonsense?

Fiori

If you seriously think my earlier statements were nonsense, then you’re the one who’s off. The Prince is just facing the consequences of his actions. Isn’t that right?

Espada

What do you understand about him? He has suffered alone for a thousand years.

Fiori

Hey, are you really imagining the Prince right in front of you?

Espada

What did you say?

Fiori

To me, it looked like the Prince was trying to accept reality. So why are you trying to make him look away from it?

Espada

...I don’t intend to interfere with his decisions. I just think it might be too much for him to face everything at once. But you, acting as if you’re speaking truths, might actually want to see him break, don’t you?

Fiori

And if I did?

Espada

Then my suspicion would turn to certainty, and I’d turn my blade on you.

Fiori

Ha, that’s violent. If that were my intention... I’ve had plenty of chances to slit his throat until now. I could have, but I didn’t... You should commend me for that.

Espada

You...!

Fiori

Hold on, you’re too aggressive. I'm just talking hypothetically. Besides, it was the Prince who decided to keep an outsider like me in the castle, right? Don’t forget that.

Espada

This is also hypothetical, but if you were a threat to him, I would not show mercy... Though someone like you couldn’t even scratch him.

Fiori

You’re quite talkative when you're actually listening.

Espada

You’ve never been quiet, not since the day you barged into this castle. I can't overlook any more of your disrespect towards Lord Dia.

Fiori

Are you picking a fight with me? If you start one, I'll take it.

Espada

That’s a simple-minded way to think. Let me correct you. Fights happen between equals. Unfortunately, we are not equals. So, I will administer your punishment... properly.

Fiori

Calling a princess unequal, huh? You're just a puppet doing the Prince’s bidding.

Espada

You...

Fiori

Go ahead, draw your sword already.

Espada

Fine. I was looking for a workout anyway.

Fiori

Make sure to entertain me, okay?

Espada

You’d better puff up your chest while you can. —Here I come. —Hah! (strikes)

Fiori

Hah!

Espada

You dodged well. Then... how about this! (strikes)

Fiori

...Ugh! Damn... what strength...!

Espada

What’s wrong? Is all you can do just block my sword?

Fiori

—Your strikes have been predictable! Hah! (strikes)

Espada

...!

Fiori

Your footwork is wide open.

Espada

You always aim for the feet when you’re in trouble. If you were this predictable all the time, I wouldn’t have to struggle.

Fiori

And yet, you almost get hit in vital spots every time, don’t you? When will you overcome your height disadvantage?

Espada

You need to actually land a fatal blow before giving advice. With no intention to overcome your weakness, you can’t defeat me. Your light strikes can’t even cut through meat, let alone bone. Why not build some muscle?

Fiori

There it is. "Build some muscle!" You always say that when we spar. I keep telling you, I’m fine the way I am. If I bulked up, I couldn’t wear cute dresses. Besides, I can fight just fine like this.

Espada

Those flimsy clothes must be hard to move in.

Fiori

Dresses aren’t just cute. They let me sneak into the foolishly unguarded spaces of those who underestimate me. (strikes)

Espada

! So, you’re finally getting serious. In that case... Haaa! (strikes)

Fiori

Ugh! Each hit is so heavy...! Stop holding back from the start...! Haaa! (strikes)

Espada

.... Ugh!

Fiori

I'm the type of person who makes up for their lack of power with speed. I know that well.

Espada

Of course I do. And-- I know your sides are weak! (strikes)

Fiori

Ugh...!

Espada

Got you!

(A purple fog appears)

Espada

--What!? A curse!?

Fiori

Why it had to appear right now!?

Espada

The source... It’s that dragon.

Fiori

...Hey, Espada. You’re not great at switching gears, are you? Can we call a truce for now?

Espada

Always with an extra word. But... I can’t eliminate you here without disrespecting Lord Dia’s decision. So, let’s leave it at that for now.

Fiori

Heh, fine then. Be careful, Espada. There are quite a few!

Espada

I know. Leave this to me.

Fiori

I’ll purify that one over there.

Espada

Alright. Let’s finish this in one go!

Espada & Fiori

Haaaa!

[unpopularly-opinionated]

I wrote out some more responses to that post while I was at work, but didn't post them because I didn't have the time to go over them (not that anyone on that thread shows the same level of courtesy anyhow but whatever), but I've since realized my mistake. I should've just stopped responding when I initially said I was going to.

I've disagreed with Communists in the past and while I might've disagreed with them, I typically didn't find them insane. Like don't get me wrong, some Commies can take things pretty far, but generally-speaking it usually comes down to a simple "agree to disagree" ending.

With these clowns however, I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that they act like they're in a cult. They preemptively dismiss evidence as irrelevant before I even thought to show them any. Any criticism I levied against them, they tried to gaslight me into thinking they were actually criticisms of myself. They deny, disavow, and disfellowship any involvement their cult might've had in any past, present, or future tragedies, going so far as to pretend like it wasn't them at all that caused them.

They're like reverse-Mormons in that sense. You know how Mormons will like baptise famous people postmortem and then act like they were Mormon all along? These guys will disavow any tragedy caused by Communism and act like Communism never actually had anything to do with it.

It'd be one thing if I just simply disagreed with them, but it's another thing entirely when they're actually just wrong, logically-speaking. Like we can argue the semantics of Communism and whether it'll work or not until we're both blue in the face. I see the purely hypothetical yet completely impractical appeal of Communism. While I might know that it'll never work in reality, they don't know that yet, and I don't think they're wrong for still having fanciful dreams about it.

But to suggest that being Jewish makes you a Communist is kind of where I draw the line. There's just no logic in it, and it's kind of insensitive to Jewish people who died under Communism. Plus the whole obsession with Hitler being right thing was kind of setting off alarm bells. Like I typically like to give the benefit of the doubt to the ignorant, something which I've had to do a LOT recently with the pro-Palestine crowd, but when you keep repeating the same rhetoric over and over again, despite being told numerous times that it's wrong...I begin to stop doubting it anymore.

Do I think they're purposefully antisemitic? No, I can tell from their deranged fanaticism that while their mind might be somewhere else entirely, their heart is at least with Jewish people. Do I maybe wish they'd deprogram themselves before spouting off what is easily interpreted as antisemitic nonsense? Yeah, a bit.

All in all, I'm washing my hands of that crowd. Even though I wasn't the one agreeing with him, it felt weird to have to type "Hitler was right" in any context multiple times.

P.S. If any of them read this and feel like sending me more anon fanmail, feel free, but I'll either be responding to it privately or not at all. I've subjected my followers to y'all enough I think.

[shrinkthisviolet]

☕️ The Flash should have ended after season 4

Agree and disagree.

Realistically, given audience reception and the way execs make decisions...yeah, it should've ended after s4. That's when audiences were falling out of love with the show, that's when so many say the show got bad. That should've been the final nail in the coffin for the show.

But I also disagree because...honestly, s3 was worse than people like to think, and I think if the show had any dignity, it should've ended there. I know a number of people who quit during s3 and...I get it. The season was honestly very boring for the most part*...and so was the villain. Yeah, there's my hot take—Savitar was very boring until he was unmasked. He was never able to reach Zoom's level of menace, and honestly the show wasted its time by trying. The godly-ambitions aspect was the least interesting part of him...in large part because it was used as a source of menace more often than it was actually explored.

(*barring some bright spots, like Jesse and Wally's training, the Westallen moments, and the Killer Frost arc even if parts of it didn't make sense)

And then they revealed he was Barry...and although that's when he finally became interesting, the show a) never took that to its full potential, b) turned Team Flash OOC to give Savitar a sad backstory (remember how worried they were about the s2 time remnant? Remember how they never dehumanized him? Because I do!), and c) gave him a nonsensical origin in which he can only keep existing via Iris's death, and if Iris didn't die (aka what happens in the end), he should've been erased on the spot and remembered by no one. And yet, s3 continues as if they just killed a normal villain. As if they didn't ERASE SAVITAR FROM EXISTENCE

Not that it's their fault ofc, I'm just saying that the whole season should've been erased from their memory. Granted, s5 also has this problem with Nora, and so does every season after s1 with Thawne, but s3 treats this whole time loop thing as soooo clever that it grates on me.

(s5 also has Barry and Nora go back to s3 like it shouldn’t be erased…but in this hypothetical, the show would’ve never reached s5 anyway, so 🤷‍♀️)

So...yes, I think the show should've ended after s4 at most, but if it were up to me, I think s3 left it conclusively enough that it should've ended there. Honestly, I think that would've actually been smarter—some people loved the show, but some people were starting to give up on it. This would've been a chance to bow out somewhat gracefully. So many shows get canceled nowadays (not so much in 2017, maybe, but it was still happening even then)...I wouldn't have minded if the Flash did, after s3 or s4.

Send me “☕️” and a topic, and I’ll talk about it!

[akaraboonline]

How to Escape the "Friend Zone"

Most guys have been in this situation at some point in their lives... and it most emphatically stinks. How to Escape the "Friend Zone"How to Escape the "Friend Zone" Even if she sees you as "just a friend," there are ways to change your image and make her sexually attracted to you. If you follow my advice correctly, she'll want to hook up with you (and she'll think it was her idea).

Mistake #1:  You’re Just WAY Too Nice to Her

You set aside time in your day to make her happy. You are the stereotypical "nice guy." You're going out of your way to please her. As appealing as this appears to be, it does not elicit sexual attraction. This does not entice her to have sex with you. You're essentially putting this girl on a hypothetical pedestal by trying so hard to please her, and while she may enjoy this sort of dynamic, she can't see you as an equal from up there. You could argue that women always say they want a "kind-hearted" man, which is correct, but it's not that simple.

Mistake #2:  Your Level of Neediness is Off the Charts

You pester her far too frequently. You are constantly drawn to her. You're always itching to text her, Facebook her, e-mail her, etc. This is just not what an attractive guy does. It may even make her think you're "creepy" at times. It may sound harsh, but this is exactly what you need.

Mistake #3: You Show Signs of Jealousy and Possessiveness

Is she socializing with other people? Perhaps another guy? If you're friend zoned, it's probably because you're showing signs of jealousy. This is a huge turnoff for her and cements her decision to keep you in the dreaded friend zone. I'm not saying you have to control your emotions, but you can't tell her how you feel. Don't message her asking who she wants to hang out with. In fact, it's best to do whatever you can to appear unconcerned.

Mistake #4: You Respect Her TOO Much

You say "yes" to her far too frequently. You can do whatever she wants. You place far too much trust in her decisions. In fact, chances are you delegated all decisions to her. Men who are attractive do not allow women to do this for them.

Attractive Traits That Make Women Want You Romantically

Tip #1: Start Hanging Out With Other People, Especially Women Yes, you're "best friends," and you don't want to lose that, but that doesn't mean you can't start socializing with other people. You'll be sending her a subtle (yet effective) message that says, "I like you, but you don't mean everything to me." Not only that, but women in general are drawn to men who have a large number of friends. It's true, so take advantage of this psychological trick. Tip #2: Begin Making Her Ridiculously Jealous Make her jealous, similar to tactic #1. When she asks you to hang out with her again, tell her you can't because you're with that cute girl from work. Don't make it sound strange; just tell her about your plans casually and tell her you'll see her in the near future. Then sit back and watch as this makes her envious. Make her jealous, similar to tactic #1. When she asks you to hang out with her again, tell her you can't because you're with that cute girl from work. Tip #3: Tell Her About All the Other Girls Who Are Chasing You Okay, don't go too far with the BS here, but let it be known that a couple of girls may be fighting over you. This is referred to as "pre-selection." It means that if a girl knows there are a lot of girls after her, she will naturally become more attracted to you. This isn't nonsense I'm feeding you; it's real science. Tip #4: Start Flirting with Her Make contact with her. Make fun of her. Push her shoulder amusingly. Hold her hand in a playful manner. "Accidentally" collide with her. Don't be afraid to get a little intimate with her. This is how you seduce a girl, and it works every time. Remember that the primary distinction between being friends with a girl and hitting on her is one of attraction. If she becomes sexually attracted to you, she will want you to be her boyfriend. That's all there is to it. But first, you must dispel that image of yourself. Tip #5: Tell Her a Sex Story Tell her about having sex with a beautiful girl in the past. Tell her everything (but make sure you have a reason to tell her everything, or she'll be creeped out). You want her to see you as a'sexual being,' and that she is missing out on this side of you.

Escaping The Friend Zone Is A Mind Game

You now know how to get out of friend-zone hell, thanks to the tips I've provided above... So now it's up to you to put these ideas into action. You can't continue to bend over backwards for a girl, compliment her every chance you get, and display traits that cause women to mentally categorize you as "friend material". It's time to channel your inner Alpha Male, use the power of simple psychology, and force her to see you as a potential romantic partner rather than a platonic friend.   Read the full article

[eldritch-edward]

I told myself that the next fic would be light on unnecessary explanations. I promised myself I wouldn’t divulge into systems of sciences/magic/beliefs/etcetera.

Then I made alchemy Ed's primary special interest- Oh no.

The AU has Brotherhood's concrete science alchemy and the original's subjective philosophy alchemy. I keep having to do so much research for this nonsense. Ed's always dumping information and stories on randos in canon, and now I'm writing his infodumps so I need to learn this stuff. Ehhhhhhhhhh.

Curse my stubbornness to properly portraying an autistic ADHDer, it shall force my enlightening.

(We're actually having a lot of fun, don't let my dramatics fool you.)

Since Ed predominantly uses 03’s alchemy, it means I also have to research a lot about different mediums of art, and some architecture, and agriculture…

It's fun to see how the different forms of alchemy clash. I decided (and I don’t care about spoilering) that the concrete alchemy would be the one predominantly used in Amestris— the subjective philosophy one was the foundation and comes from ancient Xerxes. Since Hohenheim left all of his research materials and notes behind, the root form of alchemy is what Ed's most familiar with.

Eh, something not yet fully decided is how different regions utilize the practice of alchemy. Ishvall were the ones who truly invented it, but it was an art form that many were trying to cultivate. And since Ishvall is a relatively small region mostly surrounded by Amestris, even though the two people's had, shall we say, ‘iffy’ relations at the time (Amestris decided that Ishvall was a part of them in spote having never concurred them)— Amestris did end up getting something similar to Ishvall's alchemy (in that they gained access to the Gate to change physical things). And since Ishvall is also technically neighbors with Xerxes (theres a large gap of barren desert), Xerxes wound up getting… not so much the aspect of changing physical things but moreso accessing the Gate.

Ancient Amestris worked to change physical items, Xing used a similar seeming practice to change the body (does not access the Gate), Ishvall mostly admired the Gate as a form of worshipping Ishvala, and Xerxes used alchemy on the mind. That is why they were the ones to invent the Philosopher's Stone; they,d already been toying with parts of the person that were unseen.

While I'm on the topic, this is a mash of the different medias in the franchise. Meaning that events from both the original show and Brotherhood occurred. Hohenheim is much more similar to that of 03 than BH, and I am both excited and worried for when this throws my hypothetical readers for a loop. The actions of Von and Dante remain mostly the same from 03, only they did it in BH’s style (to all of Xerxes rather than a single city). In fact, word of Xerxes downfall and how it came about is what causes Ishvall to stop accessing the Gate. Whether they believe the Xerxes' fall to be from Ishvala's wrath or from people abusing/misusing Ishvala's love is undecided.

Most of this will absolutely have no relevance to the fic whatsoever, but I do not expect too many people to read this so blaaaa.

My original point was that Ed loves to learn and gets hyperverbal when excited and/or relaxed, so I've been having to figure out what all he'd be studying and the projects he does in his free time (transmuting air densities or causing oxygen to combust into sparks, for instance).

[grapesodadarkchocolate]

Mt. Molehill 

COVID-19 this week: 

Plowing through: Eating with crooked forks (Part 4)

Is there simply an assumption that being raised in the same household we will understand one another? That we will give one another the benefit of the doubt? We can know each others darkest childhood secrets and I believe we can also exhibit the cruelest of actions against one another. Struggling to pull ourselves out of the often entrenched patterns. The habits that seem so commonplace or comfortable we can’t even see them when they are pointed out to us as being so unkind or heartless. 

Untangling myself from a web I didn’t need to get caught up in. Younger sib was making a mountain out of a molehill. I was swept up and away and realize now it was not mine to make sense of. There truly needs to be a step away. Maybe farther, then farther still. The truth of the sibling mesh up was brought about from some elder sister confusion and pride with a bit of patting on the back with a job well done. That could have been by passed. But then the silent younger sister gets to be the star of the show with her foot dragging, passive aggressiveness. While elder sib plays along, middle sib can’t find any sanity in the cultivated chaos. Attempting to make sense out of the nonsensical. To no avail except for various sleepless nights trying to find logic where logic couldn’t be found. The younger sibling’s action was truly unkind. Knowing there is likely a lot of crap hidden underneath that needs to be excavated. 

Interesting how it took me until now to name what was so off balance. What was not mine to get snagged in. The trick I know is that my head does a crazy color wheel spin trying to right what was so out of whack. And younger sib must be in such a tough spot to want to stir up conflict where no conflict needed to be. It is a simple assignment and yet she chose to make it complicated. Eldest sib joined in and I thought it all needed to make sense somehow. So, I took the path of unloading the hypothetical truck. Unpacking the hypothetical furniture. Climbing up the narrow hypothetical steps to the top of the Eiffel tower, even those steps not typically open to the public, with a chifforobe in tow. Crazy me. 

A dream helped to unleash a more honest understanding of what had transpired. As I talk shout at my siblings in my dream about not being listened to or understood, I awaken exhausted, but I also feel the pull away from the story as I become more of an observer instead of a trapped participant. It was to be lovely, the initial intent, I believe. Yet younger sib chose to muck it up and I allowed her to do just that. I did lay out my clear expectations after the initial fall out, but I shouldn’t have to. 

We all know better, my siblings and I. We can all do better. Naming what is felt. Addressing the reveal of this present story. +++

[tangle-of-messy-thoughts]

A rant about Destiny (and why I love Jaskier)

Please note, so far I've only seen the show. I know almost nothing about the books/games, so what I write refers only to the Netflix series.

I also understand that my point of view about Destiny is probably a bit unusual for a fan of the show, since it... kinda goes against its whole ethos, I guess? Unless I completely misunderstood the series. That wouldn't surprise me, I'm not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Also also, I'm writing based on the assumption that Jaskier is in love with Geralt.

I wanted to start this post by raving about the bath scene in Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials. I'll get to it later.

Instead, I decided to start by writing about how soft I get every time I think how Jaskier is the only important person in Geralt's life who actively chose him, and continued choosing him, again and again, and agreed to go with him, despite his heartbreak, when Geralt asked him after breaking him out of jail.

Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer were brought together by Destiny, the Law of Surprise, and a wish.

On the other hand, it was Jaskier that approached Geralt first, Jaskier who insisted on walking the Path with him, and Jaskier who went back and back to him, every year (even though, as the original lyrics for Her Sweet Kiss strongly imply, not without some doubts and internal struggle).

I used to get sad at the idea that Jaskier doesn't seem to be getting to be a part of the Family of Destiny. Now my thoughts are... a bit more complicated.

It starts - unsurprisingly - with the famous bath scene.

I was struck as I was rewatching the scene (for a fanfic that'll probably never see the light of the day, hah!) by the tension in the dialogue between "want" and "need".

Jaskier talks exclusively about "want".

He asks Geralt about the future; he asks what he'd like to do once he's done with his "monster hunting nonsense".

There is no hypothetical in the way he addresses Geralt; there is no "what would you do if you could...", no "what would you have done if you...".

It is only natural for him to assume there must be something Geralt may want for himself, some future when he gets to be just himself, Geralt, not a witcher, but whoever he wants to be, and has no trouble telling him there might be someone out there who might want (as opposed to need) him (hint: it's Jaskier).

Geralt, on the other hand, frames any possible entanglement of his in terms of "need".

The difference between their attitude is especially striking, I think, in these two lines:

J: Maybe someone out there will WANT you.

G: I NEED no one. And the last thing I want is someone NEEDING me.

He also doesn't seem to see any future for himself except keeping doing what he does until he gets too old and slow and gets himself killed.

As for Jaskier, even after Geralt's answer to his question about whether witchers ever retire, he seems to implicitly discard the idea that the answer might be "no", that there's nothing else to it, no possibility for Geralt to be anybody else, to choose any other path.

Jaskier's horizon for Geralt is open, full of possibilities, of choices to be made; Geralt's is closed, a predetermined path.

In a way, it makes sense that in this instance Jaskier is all about "want". He's young, sanguine, ambitious, ebullient, and a bit of a hedonist: he likes music, good ale, nice food, and falling in love (and in bed) impulsively but undoubtedly sincerely all the time.

And yet, it's not something that he brings up only when he's happy and carefree. As many other fans have already pointed out, he keeps asking Geralt what he wants - as opposed to what he has to do, or what his destiny is - even at his most vulnerable, at his angriest, at his most heartbroken, even when he throws back at Geralt the much-detested monicker "Butcher".

Jaskier is, ultimately, a man of choice in a narrative that relies so heavily on lives bound together by magic or by forces beyond human control.

And, well, the thing is, I kinda dislike Chosen One, Child of Destiny narratives. I hate Fate or Necessity as the driving force behind a story, and Destiny is... not a concept I'm comfortable with.

Not because it's lazy (though sometimes it is, I think) but because It hurts me. I can truly enjoy it only as long as I don't get invested in the characters of the story; then, I feel trapped.

Other people hear 'destiny' and think about prophecy, and a glorious though often painful march towards something good, something great.

Fulfill your Destiny. Become what, who you were always meant to be. Find your purpose. Save the world.

As for me, all I hear is that line from T.S. Eliot, "O dark dark dark. They all go into the dark", I hear the rumbling of a boulder that was put into motion by a force bigger than yourself long before you were born, and will go on rolling well after it has crushed you and turned your bones into dust.

Even benevolent destinies, the ones about saving the world, feel stifling, like you only get to choose how to navigate the territory as you move from one checkpoint to the other on the path that has already been determined for you, hoping you don't stumble along the way, like you get to choose the music, but not your destination.

As far as Geralt is concerned, Renfri tells him about "the girl in the forest" being his destiny in ep. 1, which takes place at a time when Queen Calanthe was more or less Ciri's age, therefore long before Ciri was even born; given Calanthe's age at that time, it's likely not even Pavetta was born.

Even though Renfri doesn't say Ciri's name, the reference to "the girl in the forest" is pretty specific, and doesn't sound like a prophecy about some nebulous, unspecified descendent of Lara Dorren; so long in the past, Ciri is already a fixed point in Geralt's life.

Don't get me wrong. Ciri does need Geralt to protect her and teach her to protect herself, and she does need Yennefer to teach her how to control and use the Chaos that is within her, and I know, I know it's for Ciri's own good, and for the good of the Continent and possibly the world.

Yet, if Destiny has to separate Ciri from her parents, kill her family, and burn down Cintra to get her and Geralt together, it will. If it has to magically bind Yennefer's fate, without her having any say in the matter, to Geralt's, so that she can become her surrogate mother and mentor, it will.

And you know, maybe I'm mistaken about Jaskier after all. Maybe Geralt wasn't completely wrong when he blamed the bard for all his problems. If not because of Jaskier, Geralt would never have attended Princess Pavetta's betrothal and invoked the Law of Surprise; if not because of Jaskier, he would never have needed Yennefer's help and he would never have met her and tied their destinies together.

How ironic, to think of Jaskier, the man of choice, as the linchpin of Destiny.

Yes, it's possible that Destiny used him to tighten its coils around Geralt and Ciri and Yennefer, to bring them together, to put all the pieces where they're supposed to be, and then discarded him, like on the mountain, when he was left to sleep during the action, or when his plea to Geralt to see him, to stop being a witcher and choose to break free from his monster hunting, even only for a little while, went unanswered.

But the story is this.

The Witcher and his Child Surprise and the Sorceress will find each other and become a family and defeat together the Evil that threatens the world.

Jaskier's little, reckless, imperfect human love is useless, it serves no purpose in the grand scheme of things. It does not fit whis supposed role in the story - the lovable sidekick, the comic relief, the butt of the joke.

And yet, here we are.

Jaskier looks at Geralt, reaching out to him across the gulf between want and need, choice and fate, offering him the idea, the possibility, that he can be wanted, not just needed, that he can be chosen, not just destined, and that he can exist beyond the boundaries of Fate, asking him to claim some part of his life for himself.

Ultimately, as much as I'd like otherwise, it's very likely that Jaskier's love will always be unrequited, unheard and unseen by the very person that love is directed to.

However, a fight is not less heroic or meaningful because it's against an unbeatable foe.

His love is a small act of defiance against Fate, though not on purpose, a loose thread, a crack in a narrative that has no place for it, a pesky anomaly.

I guess this is why I love Jaskier, and what I feel is his love for Geralt, so much: it's a challenge to try and fight for who we are and we want to be, even if it goes against what the story of our lives is supposed to be; it's the hope that we can choose to go against the current, even if it hurts, even if we may never get a happy ending; that we can get to be more, different, than who the rest of the world tells us we should be.

And this, I think, it's beautiful.

-----

EDIT: I belatedly realized I accidentally posted what was supposed to be just yet another draft version.

It serves me right for staying up until 2 am fiddling with my smartphone, I guess. Oh well.

Anyway, I decided to fix only a few things and leave it at that, hoping I haven't made too much a fool of myself.

[eyemarked]

potential ending theory: a world without fear

i have a theory about a possible ending of the magnus archives that i think would be satisfyingly horrific, thematically appropriate, and well-foreshadowed. i’m sure that someone has already thought about this basic concept, but my reasoning is a bit elaborate so i just wanted to lay out some thoughts and document my own theory process. 

i think that everyone in the world is going to become fearless like georgie, killing the entities forever. this will also involve the extinction. reasoning under the cut:

(given how many different connections i’m making here, and how long this post ended up being, i’ve bolded important words/phrases in some sections for accessibility. this whole post is the equivalent of a messy red string board, so i hope it makes more sense this way!)

the setup

georgie barker is established in ep 94 dead woman walking to be fearless, and thus immune to the effects of the entities. this trait of hers is due to an encounter she had with the end, which affected her deeply and changed her on a fundamental level, removing her fear.

there’s a fundamental question here that has not been addressed by canon: how and why would an encounter with the end remove a person’s fear in such a unique way? why would the end benefit from georgie’s state of fearlessness?

jon establishes in ep 164 the sick village that “[the entities] can’t be destroyed while there are still people to fear them.”

oliver banks establishes in ep 168 roots that the end will eventually consume all of humanity, leaving the world a lifeless husk and starving the entities to death in the absence of anyone to fear them.

oliver also speculates that “[as] the other Entities grow in their awareness of their own end, the grotesque ripples of their own impossible panic shall glut and feed my master, gorging it to the point where – perhaps it will even surpass the Watcher in prominence.”

note how the phrasing implies a level of sentience and consciousness! according to oliver, the entities themselves can feel fear - specifically, fear of their own death.

various people in season 5, most notably jon himself, have referred to the apocalypse as “the change”.

the extinction, also known as the terrible change, was speculated by adelard dekker to be an emerging power fueled by the human fear of, quote ep 134 time of revelation: “catastrophic change. A change in our world that will wipe out what it means to be us, and leave something else in its place ... leave us something alien and cold. We will press a button that in a moment will destroy everything we have ever been.”

in ep 94, georgie explains that her encounter with the end initially took away all her emotions and left her numb.

the very first adelard dekker statement was a manifestation of the end that initially appeared to be the extinction.

in ep 157 rotten core, adelard dekker speculates that the extinction might be “an existential fear that flows through the others like a vein of ore.”

in ep 168, martin, who had spent the entirety of season 4 studying the extinction, mistakenly refers to oliver banks’ end domain as “the rotten core”.

as established in ep 111 family business, the flesh is a relatively new animal fear of slaughterhouses. it manifests as body horror to humans because animal fear “gets weird [when it] gets mixed all up with human neuroses”.

in other words, if a fear originates in one type of mind, its manifestations can get weird and oblique when applied to a different type of mind.

in ep 175 epoch, while they are in a domain of the extinction, jon indirectly references ep 168: “Everything ends, I suppose. Even this place. Can’t last forever. Eventually… it will die as well.” 

notably, this is seemingly the only instance in season 5 of jon independently bringing up the conclusions made in oliver’s report.

the theory

the extinction is not entirely an entity in its own right (or maybe it is; fear soup!). in fact, the extinction is a manifestation or offshoot of the end, filtered through the minds of the entities themselves.

in other words, the extinction is the “entity” of the other entities’ fear of their own death.

the entities can only die if there is no one left to fear them; the extinction is actually the fear of this scenario - i.e. a world where no one fears them.

when filtered through a human mind, this fear becomes the “extinction” manifestations that we’ve seen in the podcast, in the same way that the fear of slaughterhouses becomes the flesh when filtered through a human mind.

georgie’s encounter with the end in university was actually a manifestation of the extinction; in fact, georgie herself is now a manifestation of the extinction.

georgie’s existence as a fearless human being, completely immune to the entities, is a constant memento mori for them - a reminder to the entities that they are capable of death (specifically, death by starvation). the end/extinction uses her to fuel and feed off this fear.

the apocalypse ritual in 160 did, in fact, kick off the full manifestation of the extinction, in that the state of the world has now gone from “the entities might hypothetically be capable of dying” to “the entities will inevitably die and will eventually be fully aware of this fact.” 

the show will end with the fulfillment of the extinction - all of humanity stripped of fear, as georgie was (and perhaps of other basic emotions as well, in the same way that georgie’s encounter initially left her lacking all feelings). this will kill the entities, but also fundamentally change the nature of humanity forever.

to tie this back around to what i’ve been saying: the extinction is described as the fear that humanity will end, or change in some way to become unrecognizable and alien. and a human race completely without fear would definitely be exactly that.

the thematic relevance and narrative closure

the entities as a metaphor for capitalism has always been in the subtext of the show, but as other, better meta has noted, season 5 has seriously ramped it up and made it much more obvious and present. what better way to resolve the podcast and the problem of the entities than by destroying the entire fear system at its foundations?

demonstrating that individual action and even system-wide reform (i.e. jon's plan in ep 194 parting to take over and appoint "good" people to avatarhood) will not ever lead to real long-term change, and that the only way to truly defeat the system is to rip it out at the roots? 

as well as acknowledging that doing so is far from an ideal solution due to the immediate inevitable harm that the upheaval would cause to countless innocent people, but would potentially lead to a better and safer future for humanity in the long run?

oliver banks’ statement from ep 168 has not yet become relevant. given how big of a game-changer it is in terms of the stakes of the decisions the characters are making, i would be baffled if the finale didn’t involve it in some way.

going by the way that tma’s writing and structure has previously set up its big twists, georgie’s fearlessness should factor into a plot point in a major way. this has not yet happened, and so given how close we are to the finale, it’s got to be a part of the finale if it’s a part of anything at all.

obviously, i might be wrong; all of this could be complete nonsense. but given the amount of setup for the concept that the entities will die if no one fears them, and the fact that this scenario hasn’t been brought up in-podcast as a possibility at all yet, it feels pretty probable to me. at the very least, regardless of whether my elaborate redstringing about the extinction is correct or not, i think we’re getting an ending involving a world without fear.

[ginanosakka]

You’re Wrong

Masterlist

The Scars You Hide | Next

You tried to focus on the words of the textbook in front of you, but after an hour of studying, it was becoming hard to care about what stops you from flying out of a car when you turn and how to create a math equation out of it. It didn’t help that it was late in the night that you finally found time to study, your mother dragging you out on a shopping spree where you were forced to smile and nod at whatever she wanted you to wear.

‘I don’t understand why everyone likes shopping so much,’ your thoughts ran off as you looked at the new clothes that laid in the bags sprawled across the floor for your maid, Jun, to put up while you were at school tomorrow morning.

When your phone dinged you jumped at the sound, but before you could even check what the message was and who sent it, something hard smacked against your window. With your unchecked phone in hand, you crept towards the window, cursing your parents for giving you the room on the first floor of your enormous home. Pulling the curtains gently as if whatever had come knocking wouldn’t notice you, you peeked outside and immediately let out a breath of relief.

“What are you doing here?” You whispered after throwing your window open and pushing your curtains to the side.

Katsuki stood outside your home, wearing a hoodie and sweatpants paired with those combat boots he seemed to love more than life. He looked nuts, and maybe he was if he decided to jump your gate and throw things at your window, but the look on his face told you that this wasn’t a time to give him shit on his matching skills.

“Just let me in, dork.” He grunted, and you complied silently by stepping to the side.

That was the first night of many nights when Katsuki couldn’t bare to be alone with his thoughts and came to you to fill in the silence with nonsense. He’d let you complain about your mother, your father, and your maid with only short responses and noises of acknowledgment. When he’d finally jump back out your window at an absurd time, something you worried about since Mina told you how he had a set bedtime for himself, you’d lay in bed with your heart full until you could finally sleep.

Maybe it was how much you talked and complained about your superficial problems. . maybe that’s why everyone hated you.

“You have to talk to her!” Mina huffed, tailing behind Katsuki on his patrol, both of them on duty protecting the city.

Obviously, Mina was more worried about rekindling a fire that was never truthfully lit than stopping a mugger.

Katsuki was doing his best not to shout at her, after the restaurant incident, he’d been forced to do damage control on his image. The reports wasted no time making a story out of it, calling him a temperamental monster for yelling at you. When he watched the video back on a popular tabloid site, Katsuki couldn’t help but agree as he saw the look in your eyes. Still, that was probably nothing to how you looked when he walked away all those years ago, but it’s not like he looked back then.

All it took was meeting you again for you to start taking over his life again, not only conquering his media image in hours, but also his mind with all the hypotheticals. It was hard for Katsuki to see himself as a father, but he’d been one for six years without even knowing. He wondered what your son looked like now and how he acted. Did he have a short temper? Does he even have a quirk?

That was another thing that bothered him; the fact that he didn’t feel any emotions about whether or not his child was quirkless. His whole life he saw people without quirks as weak — he couldn’t count the times he mentioned you being quirkless, let alone Deku — but it was like he couldn’t draw any anger or disappointment at the thought of his son being perfectly average. After looking at that picture, all he wanted to do was get to know his own flesh and blood, and he was still pissed that you took that away from him.

“I don’t want to talk to her and I never will. I’ll take her to court to get my kid if I have to, but I want nothing to do with some spoiled princess.” Katsuki spat, and Mina was beginning to get fed up with how he refused to listen.

She snatched him by the arm, forcing him to turn around and look at her. Even now Katsuki’s glares still sent a shiver down her spine, but she was much more frustrated than scared right now. His red eyes went against her black and yellow ones, neither of them being acknowledged by bystanders who moved around them on the assumption that this was just two heroes discussing something they had no business listening to. That was only kind of correct.

“Her dad threw her out when he found out! She had no one but herself, Katsuki! . . . I don’t even know how she’s surviving, and by talking to her and helping her, you’ll be helping Ryu.”

Katsuki’s glare melted at the last word she spoke and he found himself whispering, “his name is Ryu.”

The tension had vanished into thin air at the mention of his son’s name, the warmth that engulfed his body not being one he’d ever felt before. He’d never even met the kid and he already had Katsuki wrapped around his finger, and Mina knew it. A grin spread across her face when she realized it, and with that, the first phase of her plan was complete. Neither of you may know it, but the son you two shared could bring you two together.

“How was school?” You asked Ryu as you both walked home from his daycare, the school being a small walk from your cozy home and quite safe due to being in the less populated area of the city.

“Boring,” he snorted and you couldn’t help but chuckle at his displeasure. “No one cares about my quirk because stupid Nora can glitter in the sunlight!”

“Does it matter? You like your quirk, don’t you?” You raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right. . Did you ever get bullied for not having a quirk, mom?” Ryu looked up at you, his big e/c wide and curious for what kind of answer you’d give him.

‘Why do children have to ask tough questions? What happened to why the chicken crossed the road?’ You sweat dropped, and quickly tried to come up with a soft but honest answer.

You didn’t lie to Ryu about things, not even about why he was now your only family, but you didn’t present him hard truths that you didn’t think he was ready for. Basically, you gave a blanket answer; a broad answer that wouldn’t hurt him. He was only five after all, why the hell did a five year old need to know about dishonor and abandonment?

“Well, no,” you started gently. “My dad, your grandfather, kind of made sure that didn’t happen and I didn’t know that I was a thing until I was older.”

Until I met your dad.

You ran a hand through his hair and pulled him closer as you walked, “and now I definitely don’t need a quirk when I have you to protect me, right?”

Ryu smiled a smile so bright that you wondered if he could rival the sun, and it warmed you to the very core. That smile was what you lived for, it was the reason you found yourself and wanted to be better. You couldn’t imagine where’d you’d be right now if he hadn’t changed your whole world, the thought of living in your father’s shadow being unthinkable now. You’d trump him, you’d trump his entire company, and you’d trump everyone who used you.

‘I’m strong because of you.’

“Of course, I’m your hero!” Ryu cheered.

“That’s right,” you chuckled.

You came up on your house, and the smile and warmth you once had was taken from you so suddenly that you stopped in your tracks a few feet away from your door. Ryu gasped from beside you and you heard his bag drop to the floor, but you knew his shock was the complete opposite of yours. Both of you were looking at the tall blonde man that stood in front of your door, leaning against it staring into space until he heard the bag drop. His red eyes fell on the both of us and you stopped breathing, not sure of what to do, or better yet * what he’d do.

“You’re Dynamight!” The first words were spoken by your son, his high pitched voice nearly yelling those words as he took a few steps forward.

You watched Katsuki’s reaction carefully, trying to prepare yourself to get Ryu away from him if he even so much as snapped at him. This wasn’t how you wanted them to meet — you didn’t want them to meet at all — and from your last interaction, you weren’t sure if he even wanted to meet Ryu. Yet all you could do was watch for the time being.

Katsuki looked him dead in the eyes, his usual resting bitch face, but there was something soft about it that shocked you. He was in his hero uniform, probably coming straight here from whatever hero work he was doing, and there was no question on who told him your address.

You’d most definitely be strangling a certain pink pixie later.

“Yeah, you’re Ryu, right?” Katsuki said, talking the next few steps towards him and bending down to be his height.

Ryu’s face was out of your sight, but you could imagine he was exploding with happiness. “Yeah! How did you know? Did you come to recruit me for your agency?! Mom, did you know?”

‘If I knew he was coming I would have sent you across the country.’

“I didn’t, but why don't we invite Mr. Dynamight in? He’s probably tired,” you suggested.

“Oh yeah! Come in, we can talk about hero stuff and I can show you my toys!”

Ryu took Katsuki’s hand as you walked past them, brushing Katsuki’s shoulder gently and ignoring how your body yearned to feel that warmth more closely. You unlocked the door and let Ryu lead him in, closing the door behind them and taking off your heels. Both of you were technically still in work attire, yours being business casual while his was. . hero official?

Katsuki was probably unnerved by Ryu’s talkative nature, but you simply went to the kitchen like you usually did when you got home and rummaged the cabinets for your tea. As long as they were both in close range, you could take a second to pull yourself together so you don’t throw your child’s idol and father out of your home if he so much as breathes in a way you didn’t like. If you were to act out now, you’d really have to sit down with the boy, and if you weren’t ready for them to meet, you certainly weren’t ready for that.

Your tea kettle didn’t even get to whistle before you took it off the stove, pouring the piping hot water into a cup with your tea and adding the sugar. The noise had died down in the living room where you could hear Ryu tell Katsuki all he knew about him — which was a lot — and you were staring to become concerned that Bakugou had possibly said something that hurt his feelings or kidnapped your child, but those theories were put to rest when footsteps came into the kitchen.

“He talks as much as you did.” Those words affected you more than you’d like to admit, not expecting him to want to make any connections between you and the son you both shared.

“He’s my son,” you stated the obvious. Turning around to face him with your tea in hand, taking a small sip of the burning hot liquid as you gazed at him with cold eyes.

Katsuki didn’t know what else to say, he had no plan for what he’d do once he got here, only getting your address from Mina and refusing to ask for advice. He had never walked on eggshells with someone before, it was usually everyone else trying not to piss him off. He didn’t know if he was scared of you, or how wrong he was about you. He didn’t have a clue that you were living a normal life, and once he came across your house in such a small neighborhood without gates and security, he felt even more guilty about yelling at you in that restaurant.

“When I told you to tell me when you’re ready to meet him, I didn’t mean just show up at my house.” You said, and as calm as it sounded, he could tell that you were picking your words wisely. She obviously didn’t want Ryu to know who he was yet, and he didn’t think he wanted to either with how happy the kid was to see him as his idol.

How would he see him if he knew he was his dad?

“How did you do it? . . I mean, what do you do now?” Katsuki asked, choosing to ignore your initial statement and get the answers he was seeking.

You were getting tired of being questioned, but this is what you get for reaching out. “If you’re asking how I’m able to take care of us, it’s because I started my own business with the money I had saved up. Next question,” you answered casually as you continued sipping your tea.

“. . Why did you tell me now?”

He noticed that question seemed to break your composure, your cold and aloof expression turned sorrowful and your eyes stayed glued to your cup. Katsuki didn’t understand why he felt his stomach drop at the sight of it, but he blamed it on the guilt he already felt.

“Ryu started asking about you more. . and I thought maybe it was because I wasn’t spending enough time with him. . but the more time we spent together the more questions he’d ask about you. I had to face the facts that I can’t play the part of mom and dad, and he deserved to meet his real dad even if we never get along. He deserved to get to make his own impression of you,” you admitted.

Katsuki was once again speechless, but the spotlight was quickly torn off of him.

“He’s my dad?”

A/N: Annnnd we have a new chapter! I hope you enjoy, and thank you all for all the love on this book 🥺! I appreciate all the comments and revolves so much! Muah!

Taglist <3 : @fandomgirllover @cloudsgathering @that-bipolar-renegade-romantic @jazzylove @that-chick212 @bonbonthedragon @misssugarless @insomniac-nerd-posts-things @bakugous-bakahoe @pinkykookie17 @animexholic @arielting @samkysnks @simpforeveryone @saucey-kneecapzz42020 @damnirina @fireworkemoji102 @deneuves @tsumuuumiyaaaa @ladybeautiful18 @vintage-teddyxo @mirakeul @regalmigraine

[phoenixyfriend]

I’ve been trying to figure out the best obi wan ship. They all have one slightly problematic thing this way or that. I’ve landed on the idea of obi wan and an equal is pretty top tier. But then I saw a picture of Coran from voltron. Coran and Obiwan might be a disaster but also both are dad shaped, both are bad ass, both are ginger, both have an accent. I think it could work. But another part of me is like Coran is just obi and jarjar mashed together. At the very least they hooked up.

Hey I just had restaurant ramen and Starbucks and actually feel like a human being so let's do something unnecessary but funny. I'm taking this as a challenge, anon.

Also IMO Coran has more in common with C3P0 than with JarJar

So obviously, both of these happen in Big Space, but the difference appears to be density. We see about the same complexity of culture and species interactions, but Voltron covers more galaxies. It's vaguely implied that Earth, at least, is the only planet with sapient life in the Milky Way.

I think the way I want to play this out, culturally, is that the Voltron area of the universe covers a much wider, but much more sparsely populated area, while the SW-verse is just the one very densely populated (in part because apparently humans just went Literally Everywhere) galaxy, where they didn't necessarily bother with developing the tech to go to other galaxies (except Rishi, which only sort of counts) because they haven't really even charted out their own yet. It was never contacted by the Voltron side of things because [checks notecards full of excuses] it's really far away from Altea and all that, and the Force shielded the galaxy from Galra interests because Reasons.

All this to say that the two franchises didn't interact until after the Voltron plotline was already over. We'll say it went mostly canon, except Allura survived because uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh fuck that.

We'll say that this is mid-TCW, you know, before Obi-Wan is a bundle of repressed traumas and bad coping mechanisms that's lost almost everyone he's ever loved to the dark side through death or corruption. He's still (mostly) okay! Anakin's not dark (or at least, not as dark as he could be; Obi-Wan doesn't know about the Tuskens), and Ahsoka's still in good standing and most people are alive and--and okay the army is a massive ethical violation he hates with his very soul and he misses Qui-Gon and Anakin's keeping secrets and pulling away from him every day but He's Fine, Guys.

He's Fine.

In comes a ship from not Wild Space, but beyond that. Intergalactic visitors, from the direction of the deeply concerning Force bullshit they felt a few years ago. Translation tech is decent enough on both sides that they get to talking pretty quickly. The explorer is actually a member of the Blade of Marmora, who gets the absolute most basic info (approximately this many inhabited planets, approximately this many trillions of sapients in the recorded galaxy, basic structure of the government for the past however many years, most recent conflict, etc.)

BoM person is like "cool, okay so you guys are really well set-up so I'm just gonna head back and kick this up a few rungs of the coalition ladder because this is way above my paygrade, I'll make sure you get some diplomats who can maybe help out with the whole galactic civil war situation as neutral parties."

The Voltron Coalition does send a diplomat! They, uh, also send Coran, who isn't technically a diplomat, but he's high-level.

The thing is, okay, that Coran is mostly just... passably competent at things. He's a jack of all trades, master of none type. He knows a lot of things, actually, but his practical knowledge in high pressure situations tends to be up in the air. He knows how to fix the Castle Ship and various technologies, but all of that info is ten thousand years out of date. He was a competent fighter at one point but these days his back gives out. He's very knowledgeable regarding intergalactic politics but, again, that information is ten thousand years out of date. He's also a little prone to social gaffs in dicey situations (e.g. the inciting incident in the Voltron Show episode where he misses the single day with clear skies), but puts in so much goddamn effort to make things happen.

In this manner, he's like a warped mirror of what Obi-Wan is and could be.

THAT SAID

Coran is actually really good with teenagers, and specifically with training them.

And Obi-Wan... isn't.

Obi-Wan's snarky and snippy and sassy, and he's decent enough at teaching and he's great at being a jokey friend and all, but he's not necessarily very good at emotions. And unfortunately for Obi-Wan, the teenagers he spends the most time with are Really Full Of Emotions. He tries, bless him, but he's just... he doesn't respond well to emotional conversations at the best of times.

His son-figure saying "You're like a father to me" leads to a response of... radio silence. Guys. That's not the mark of a man who knows how to talk about his feelings with the people he cares about.

In swans Coran with the various other diplomatic envoys of the visiting extragalactic community. The entire situation is really leading to a lull in the war because nobody wants to risk pissing off this clearly well-funded, well-powered third party. As a result, many of the High Generals can interact with the envoys, even if they spend quite a bit of time eyeing the Separatist representatives on the other side of the room, because clearly Everyone Needs A Seat At This Table.

It's a very tense situation.

Obviously, Coran is exactly the weird uncle that goes around telling plausibly-exaggerated stories about Weblums and Yalmors and Balmeras. I'm going to say at least one former Paladin is there, maybe Hunk. Hunk's fun, and also very willing to help Coran make friends and seem Amicable instead of Distant by correcting some of the exaggerations. There's a nice, calm atmosphere in a bubble around Coran and his nonsense, and it's a weird situation but arguably just... you know. It's good. He's good at making people feel safe around him.

Cue the hissed argument between Skywalker and Kenobi. The actual cause of said argument isn't important, just the fact that, in a dark corner where they're less likely to cause a PR issue, Anakin and Obi-Wan are having it out. Anakin's maybe twenty, still a lanky ragebaby, all that fun stuff. Obi-Wan is a the endpoint of every too-young brotherdad. He's thirty-six but feels like he's sixty-three. He's tired, but trying so damn hard to still connect with Anakin and just--just--

Obi-Wan gives himself a few minutes to calm down before following Anakin. He doesn't even remember what they were arguing about, really, but he has to mend the bridge before it frays even more than it already has. If Anakin goes to Palpatine for advice again, he's going to... do something. Obi-Wan isn't sure what, but he just has to fix this.

What he finds is... well, Anakin did end up going to vent to a man of an earlier generation who acts like a slightly eccentric older relative, but it's not Palpatine for once.

The goofy, slightly abrasive but mostly charming, brightly-colored representative of the Voltron Coalition is standing in the little balcony that Anakin's made it to, listening as Obi-Wan's recently-knighted padawan vents. The man nods and makes noises at the appropriate times, and then asks questions that are... maybe a little too accurate.

"You said that you view him as a father, that he raised you after you left your mother."

"Well, yeah, but he doesn't think I'm ready, or--"

"No parent ever does."

"...my mom thought I was ready to become a Jedi."

"I can't speak for your mother," the representative says, "but the princess of my people, Allura... I half-raised that girl from the beginning, and after the destruction of Altea, we were all the other had left. I watched her lead battles and bring life to planets, trying to rebuild a universe out of the ashes of what we'd left behind... I saw the evidence with my own eyes, and I still, every time, I worried for her."

"Why?"

"I worried that she'd be hurt, that she wasn't ready, that she'd make a decision she regretted. Often, she did, and I had to help her back up, and while she's always come back, stronger than before... she is the closest thing I have ever had to a daughter, and I will always worry for her. Every parent does. Do you think, perhaps, that your own Jedi Master, that you consider a father, may worry because he looks at you like a son? That it's not that he doesn't trust you, but that he doesn't trust the world around you?"

Obi-Wan feels his heart in his throat.

The conversation continues in that vein. While Obi-Wan can't say he likes the fact that this stranger is putting words in his mouth, if only as hypotheticals, he can't deny that there's a part of him that relaxes as Anakin does, as every frustrated fresh-knight question gets a measured elderly-steward response that's angled to consider the interpretation that favors Anakin and Obi-Wan in equal measure. Every word encourages Anakin to talk things out and lay boundaries and express his frustrations to Obi-Wan in the plainest words possible.

There's a story in there, more than one. The representative tends to go off on tangents, ones that Anakin sometimes finds interesting and sometimes just resigns himself to. Mostly, though, it goes well, and Obi-Wan... well, he's always been 'a nosy little bastard,' according to quite a few people.

(In his defense, the terms they'd used about Quinlan's 'investigative personality' had been quite a bit stronger.)

He eavesdrops to the end, and Anakin doesn't notice at all. Obi-Wan's not sure if he should try to address Anakin's lack of awareness of the world around him. He's not technically Anakin's master anymore. The comment may be taken as a criticism of his worth and capability, rather than a sincere desire to see his padawan not die.

He approaches the representative instead. He intends to introduce himself. Instead, the first words that tumble out of his mouth are:

"How do you do it?"

The man--older than he looks from a distance, more wrinkles than the bright hair would suggest, but not quite elderly yet--turns and lifts a brow. "Hm?"

"I'm sorry, I'm--" Obi-Wan grimaces. "I'm Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. The young man you were just talking to is my former padawan, er, my former apprentice. I've been finding it harder and harder to speak with him over the past few years, and it seems that every interaction we have leads to an argument. How do you... manage that? I can't get him to listen to me at all."

"Ah, teenagers," the man sighs.

"He's twenty."

The representative pauses, and turns to him. "Are you the one he says raised him? The father?"

"Well... yes, I suppose that's one way to phrase it," Obi-Wan says, eyes darting to the side. He doesn't know how to explain the whole attachment situation to someone who barely knows what a Jedi is. He has even less of an idea of how to explain his own broken ability to speak of emotion, the parts of his mind that Bant clucks over and attributes to his own complicated relationship with Qui-Gon. "I had custody as his primary guardian from ages nine to nineteen and was the primary individual for handling his schooling, health, and general upbringing."

"That sounds to me like a very convoluted way of saying you were his father in all but name."

Obi-Wan grimaces. "I'm not exactly old enough to be his father, and I wasn't exactly the person he was supposed to learn from; I was the... back-up option."

"It seems he cares for you very much."

"He didn't have much of a choice," Obi-Wan says, with the kind of helpless smile and awkward shrug he's long gotten used to sharing with people when they ask. "And I assure you he'd have been happier with the man that was meant to teach him."

"I'd say that the 'would have' in this situation is much less important than what is," the representative says. Obi-Wan probably should have paid more attention to his name. "I wasn't in a position to define my relation to Allura or her father in the way that truly suited our situation, by... oh, tradition, social norms, public relations, take your pick. I was a very well-regarded official, of course, but I wasn't royalty, not even nobility, and I certainly wasn't wasn't legally or publicly part of the family. But for all the limitations there, I was still able to find ways to tell her and her family what they meant to me, and they in return. Your apprentice cares for you very much, and I'm sure you care back, but I'd hazard quite the guess that you've no idea how to tell him that."

"I... I shouldn't," Obi-Wan says. "I'm fond of him, of course, but I've no wish to smother him, and to simply say it would be undignified. I imagine he'd laugh in my face."

The representative raises one eyebrow and takes a sip of his drink.

"Master Kenobi," he says carefully. "Might I suggest you go find your young man, tell him you love him, and perhaps give him a hug?"

Obi-Wan's face flares red. It's been years since anyone short of Yoda has spoken to him like that.

"I'm not a child," he sniffs, trying to angle enough away that the blush isn't as noticeable. He's damnably prone to such things. "You're not that much older than me."

The man laughs, and Obi-Wan lifts his glass to his lips in a futile attempt to hid the embarrassment a little more. "Oh, not counting the stasis, I've well reached the age of six hundred and twenty-four, my boy!"

Obi-Wan chokes on his drink.

The man laughs a little more, but thumps him on the back until he's breathing normally again.

"Yes, most of the humans I've told have had quite the reaction!" the representative assures him. "But yes, even with the times adjusted to what any given local year is, I am significantly longer-lived than most species."

"No kidding," Obi-Wan manages. He wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand and looks over at the representative. He takes in the wrinkles and bright eyes, and says, "Well, I must say you look very well for a near-human of such an age. I can only name one person in that category that has managed better, and I haven't seen her since I was a child."

"I shall take that as the compliment it's intended to be," the representative says, twisting the edge of his mustache and beaming.

The man is... well, goofy, really, and quite a bit older than Obi-Wan had thought, but he's quite the charmer. Obi-Wan faintly compares him to a few different people in the back of his mind, but nothing quite fits. For all that the man is quite the jokester and--going by some things he'd seen from the corner of his eye in the main party--a master of physical comedy, the representative is actually more competent than he looks, and for all his visible age, not bad to look at. He is also, seemingly, an expert in dealing with teenagers and young adults, something Obi-Wan himself is... decidedly not.

He really should go speak with Anakin.

And there's a war to fight.

He doesn't really have much time, even with the recent lull.

He's in no place to be looking at the clean-shaven jaw and wondering what it would feel like under his lips, or to let himself consider whether this man would be the kind to have an hours-long discussion as to the narrative forms common in other galaxies, and whether they have anything paralleled to those in Obi-Wan's own, or if this man would show the same enthusiasm over teas that he'd shown over the hors d'oeuvres inside.

He should... really go find Anakin.

"I suppose it's time to find my padawan," he says, more to fill the air than anything. "Er... thank you, both for speaking with him, and for speaking with me."

"Not a problem at all, Master Kenobi!" the representative says, and Obi-Wan realizes that there's one last thing he may have... forgotten.

"This is terribly embarrassing, but I don't believe I caught your name?" Obi-Wan says.

"Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe, at your service!" the man says, with a sweeping bow. "As you can imagine, most simply call me Coran."

"Then I insist you call me Obi-Wan," he says, and before he can stop himself, "Might I bother you with an invitation to a shared tea time? You seem a knowledgeable fellow, and I'd appreciate the chance to... eh, pick your brain, shall we say."

It's not the smoothest come on he's ever put out there, or the most easily interpreted, but... well. Perhaps it's for the best. He's rather often found his tastes going in irresponsible directions, and it'll be much easier to brush this off without diplomatic incident if there's room for Coran to politely ignore the less platonic options.

Obi-Wan hopes he doesn't.

It's very selfish of him, but a dalliance with an older gentleman... well. He does, perhaps, make such irresponsible decisions, even now.

"I do believe I'd enjoy such a thing!" Coran enthuses, grabbing Obi-Wan's hand and shaking it in large, effusive movements.

Oh, this is a terrible idea, Obi-Wan thinks, even as he exchanges comm numbers and says goodbye.

Still.

He likes the idea of having at least a little fun, sedate or less so, while they have some time to themselves.