#you're both revan both...

[ipreferfiction]

you said, "we were born with nothing, and we sure as hell have nothing now." you said, "we were born with nothing and we sure as hell have nothing now."

[kirabasai]

au where an ancient briar valley general accidentally gets tangled up in the space-time continuum when he combines his unique magic with teleportation, and gets spit out into general vanrouge's era. i'm thinking this is before levan or revan or however the fuck u spell his name disappeared. i'm going to be pasting parts of my original conversation with my friend bow_to_the_king (he doesn't have a tumblr but check out his ao3! he depicts fae and lilia beautifully) below, and THEN i will be adding my spitballing additions below the cut.

me: doing stuff rn but this brain bunny entered my head. general vanrouge x time traveler except the time traveler is a past briar valley general who disappeared one day. and is as feral as lilia so ofc they initially hate each other

me: brainrotted more. they're an owl fae

me: he's an owl fae?

me: she?

me: whatever's an owl fae

me: thinking... blue hair. so it's the blue/red trope

me: ok vibes for what i have of them so far is def not a she so. gonna refer to this time traveler w he and they until i settle on whatever sticks more

me: thinking their um is usually just jumping forward in time a bit. like 5 minutes max. they use it in combat decent bit because hey what works works u know?

me: until one day he's like. super desperate. so he used his um while teleporting. which mixes..... Badly. he gets tangled up in the spacetime continuum and spit out to somewhere near a camp of lilia and his soldiers

me: it would be rlly funny if this was a time that predated the animal masks. so they don't recognize lilia as someone from briar valley and lilia doesn't recognize him as someone from briar valley, because he has a cloak and mouth veil thingy (only eyes and some hair r visible)

me: so its like a huge misunderstanding until SOMEBODY works it out. but lilia and this dude r still bitter from their first impressions. so they r constantly at each other's throats and arguing over choices and whatever

me: it's like. a power / pride thing

me: and then something something something, something something something! dadadadada blah blah blah

me: and then they kiss

(- i said something around here abt being a literary genius)

me: i just love red/blue who start off in hate ok

me: technically enemies to lovers i suppose, even though they're actually on the same side.

king: Get that duality

king: Emotion enemies to lovers

king: Two alley cats that hiss at each other but end up cuddling eventually

me: and it's extra funny because they are similar

king: Ooooo do a but where they say the same thing at the same time and then proceed to glare at each other the rest of the meeting while trying to out do the other

me: it's funny because this dude is like. actually famous. he's in briar valley history books like lilia is in the present day.

me: everyone else is like oh my god... i can't believe im in the lost general's presence.... he's such an icon... i've looked at so many accounts of his battles..... while lilia is just like

me: die

me: i do not give a fuck

me: fight me

king: They get home from deployment and Owl gets flowers and such thrown at him and has people constantly wanting to talk to him and Lilia’s just stewing in contempt (and secretly territorial about every one monopolizing Owl’s time)

me: he actually is lowkey bitter about it "oh going out to greet your adoring fans instead of training?" and owl is like. "IM SORRY??? WHAT." and then they brawl

king: Oh my god

king: They’re Malfoy and Harry

king: Rivals to lovers

me: well yes

me: but in their heads they r enemies

me: so both technically

king: That adoring fan bit is absolutely something Malfoy would say to Harry

king: In like canon

me: shit you're right

me: ah well drarry is a classic i cant complain

me: just realized im at a point i should probably name owl…

king: Seras is a cool name

king: Seras is technically a female name meaning princess, fiery, or bright

(i noted this down and told king i usually collect a handful of different names & surnames and mix and match them until i find The name)

me: seras, emil, and cyrus/kir r my first name options

me: tbh i don't actually like cyrus/kir as much as seras and emil but i need to keep my options open wait wait wait

me: emil seras

me: lilia calling him seras not as in using his last name to be respectful but as in calling him princess to mock him

king: The general is a menace like that

and then at some point mid-convo

me: also while u were gone i played a bit in picrew typing to capture general owl fae's vibes

(i sent king the ref pics i made. courtesy of this picrew and this tiefling picrew.) [insert links]

king: Ooooooo those wings look gooooood

OKAY NOW ONTO MY YAPPING AND SPITBALLING BELOW THE CUT

first of all the CLOAK. the cloak is actually a necessity. it's a type of padded armor made of thick pressed wool tightly pressed together. not only is it warm, but the way the fibers connect together and work is that it stops piercing blows from swords. it even could stop very early bullets! (not modern day). from what i can tell, this was generally worn over the rest of somebody's armor? it also wasn't exclusively armor. shepherds and whatnot also used it to keep warm, and shield themselves from wind. generally there shouldn't be a hood, but i really wanted the hood. a little feature that stuck w the armor and apparel of briar valley soldiers through the centuries (because general lilia has a hood but no cape/cloak)

it's originated in the caucasus mountains, and is called a nabadi or burka. it was generally made from sheep wool (according to wikipedia, karakul wool which is central asian in origin). it is also a style of clothing customary of males in the caucausus region at that time. at some point, around the 18th century, russia appropriated it and made it apart of their armor (which is why it is also called a burka). you can learn more about the nabadi and padded armor in general here.

something i like to do is put little aspects of myself or my heritage into my characters, which is what i did here lol. i'm half kurdish and according to my father we (as in my clan i think) originated from the caucasus mountains and descended down to where we lived in the middle east (obligatory rip kurdistan).

i thought this form of armor would be quite suitable for emil, because not only does briar valley seem to be a very mountainous region (and mountains are COLD. also from what i can tell briar valley seems to be located quite up north so. extra cold.) additionally, some of the briar valley names just feel a bit. russian. if u will. such as lilia, zigvolt (ignoring the fact they immigrated), vanrouge, etc. also russia and the caucasus region in general? in asia. close to the middle east. which is also mostly in asia. sebek coming from an egyptian god and baul sounding a lot like baal. ik real world geography has no bearing on the cultural influences of the countries in twst, and it's more generally mashing a mix of cultures together, but it makes sense in my head.

so the cloak? 100% an essential and totally canonical to the briar valley region. (i did not expect to brainrot so hard on this part oh my god.)

[inkdoe]

Oh, god. I just thought I'd share something ridiculous that happened in my KOTOR II playthrough...

So, even though I don't have a Handmaiden/Fem!Exile mod installed, she and Visas got in a fight over my character. At least I had another mod that got rid of the "Handmaiden doesn't talk to you if you're too close with Visas" feature.

Later, I come to find out that the Atton/Male!Exile mod I installed specifically for the "Atton doesn't hit on fem!Exile" aspect doesn't get rid of his fight with Disciple if your character is female.

It's ridiculous. At least it's better than Atton perving on my character on Peragus...

It's kind of funny. Revan can end up with a polycule the developers didn't intend, while the Exile is essentially an oblivious harem anime protagonist.

"Oblivious harem protagonist" is the best description I have ever heard for that lmaooo

Btw yes, literally everyone and their mother seems to want the exile. Idk what kind of rizz they have, it IS kind of funny. I don't even think you can reciprocate anyone's feelings?? Idk I wasn't trying to, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

When the scene between Mical and Atton came in my playthrought I was baffled and started laughing and face palming at Atton. Bro who do you think you are??? Also poor Mical, caught in this nonsense...

I still can't decide if my exile really is that oblivious or if she's just trying to ignore everyone's cringefail attempt. Maybe a bit of both.

But fun fact, Leonie (my exile)'s personality slighly reminds me of Carth... So I had a very stupid headcanon that maybe my Revan (Seela) had some sort of crush on her back in the day. It didn't amount to anything cause she eliminated it quickly and anyway Leonie was, again, oblivious. I think if they ever get to talk about this one day my poor exile would just scream: "NO, NOT YOU TOO!"

[queen-scribbles]

Taking advantage of a bonus day off to meta about my spy son and his relationship with his Sith gf. :D

It was really interesting with Arkady's run through SoR and RotE, watching his opinion on Lana change. When I started the prelude stuff, I wasn't sure they were going to work, considering he's... not the biggest fan of the Sith. (refresher: he grew up on Ziost and watched a Sith kill his best friend as a teen for "mouthing off". [read: not groveling enough] There was no punishment or anything bc that's The Sith's Right as Superior Beings and he's always been quietly furious about that.) And he was suspicious of Lana at first. But much as I hate the "you're not like other [X]" trope, it does sort of apply here.

Lana is far more practical, level headed, and open minded than any other Sith he's met. And, more importantly, she doesn't act like she's superior simply for being Sith. She listens to his insight, acknowledges and even compliments his skill(and others'). And not in the flattering, hope-to-distract-you way Darth Arkous does; her praise is genuine. That she trusts him with her concerns says volumes to Arkday and goes a long way towards softening his opinion, as does her willingness to work with Theron from Depths of Manaan onward. She's cunning, subtle, and patient, and all those are things he admires.

There is, admittedly, a bit of a setback in his opinion after her "let Theron get captured" stunt on Rishi; the events of the Agent story have made him really sensitive to anything that resembles betrayal from within or not being able to trust your own team. He does insist she apologize, even if he can see her logic. Trust is paramount in something like this. Still, he can appreciate her ability to assess the situation, weigh risk/cost against benefits and make a call quickly in the field, even if he emphatically disagrees with that call.

She's invaluable, and picks up spycraft so quickly he's pretty sure she would have made an amazing operative if she didn't have the Force and get claimed by the Sith. In turn, he's not shy about telling her that. He thinks she's doing an impressive job with the limitations of not knowing who to trust, the lack of resources that includes, and the immensity of what they're facing. By the time they get to the end of Yavin 4 and the aftermath of fighting Revan/the Emperor's escape, he's a a big fan of This One Sith in particular, and has no problem with Marr putting her in charge of Sith Intelligence(even if he rankles at the general concept; he's gone free agent, this doesn't affect him xD). He is, in fact, effusive in his support of this, encouraging to her before they part, and quite saddened by the thought of how long it might be before their paths cross again(if ever). He likes her quite a bit.

In RotE, I was worried I was setting him up for no smooch bc he only took the flirts that seemed in character, and I know pub-side you have to take them all to get a Theron smooch. Lana is not so picky. xD Even if it wasn't Lana asking, he would have jumped to help seeing as Ziost is his home planet. (WHOOPS 😬) He didn't take the first flirt, no matter how glad he was to see her, bc it didn't feel right, under the circumstances. He gets the rundown on what's happening and her plan for dealing with it and backs her immediately. "If that's what you think we should do, we'll do it." He does think she's in over her head, but only bc the chaos unfolding on Ziost would be over anyone's head, even if they were standing on someone else's shoulders. Fortunately, since both he and Theron are here to help, that's three of them and maybe they can get one of their heads above water, so to speak.

It does, of course, only reinforce his general dislike of Sith as power-hungry tyrants(Lana and Marr being literally the only exceptions to this in his experience). He very deliberately doesn't say anything about the fact Theron had to modify the "pacification" weapon to be non-lethal(meaning it was lethal to start. :) The Sith were willing to kill their own people :) for expressing discontent. :)) Lana, do you see where he might have a problem?). There are bigger fish to fry. Like Vitiate.

Master Surro proved another ~Arkady Disapproves~ moment wrt Lana. Having had his mind played with and prodded, he's not inclined to let that happen to anyone, even if she is a Jedi. Lana, of course, thinks he and Theron are soft-hearted and irresponsible for not following what they could learn from this. Arkady doesn't think it will be worth it(who's to say there's any evidence of what Vitiate did or how he took/maintained control? You could break or kill her and gain nothing and she's been through enough.) [PS. He didn't say anything in KotFE ch 4 about Valkorion being in his head. This moment right here is why]

Even with that leaving a sour taste in his mouth, and the fact their big, last-gasp plan does not seem to have worked for more than ten seconds, he still admires her. She kept the Sith Emperor from taking over her mind, thought and acted decisively under extreme pressure(hot), worked well with other even with personal friction, and did the best she could with an impossible situation. When they fail, and Ziost is devoured (and he sure feels Some Kind of Way about that, even if he didn't have a lot of fond memories of home, it was home), Lana acknowledges the failure, figuratively dusts herself off, and thinks about what to do going forward.

It's very sexy, to him, the way she never seems daunted and presses on regardless. Of course he's not going to let her do it alone. Of course he's going to help. However she needs.

This method of helping is 100% fine with him. :3

I may do a separate post about their KotFE/ET era relationship (making it official etc) once he's further along than KotFE ch 5, but I will say: after the nightmares Arkady went through in carbonite, Lana's face being the first one he saw coming out of it was an immeasurable relief.

[oh-my-hubris]

Ship Dynamics: SWTOR Edition

Bored, decided I'd talk about some of my OCs and their relationships. Might do it for Dragon Age, Guild Wars 2, and Mass Effect. We'll see

Marlitharn/Scourge: Marli and Scourge are soul mates, chained and bound to one another. However, because Scourge is an asshole, when push comes to shove, Marli chooses to be with someone else.

Marlitharn/Theron Shan: Marli and Theron have a lot of back and forth. They start by being attracted to one another, making out once, and then Marli realizes that Scourge is her soul mate and Theron starts dating Kat and they just build an iron clad friendship instead, eventually actually starting to date after the Zildrog Arc (mostly because Kat yells at them)

Marlitharn & Kat: Marli and Kat became friends during Shadow of Revan and flash-forged a Force Bond in the aftermath of Ziost. Despite both being deeply romantic, their dedication to each other as besties over shadows their romantic relationships and it's Doylistically established that something happening to Kat is the only thing that could make Marli fall to the dark side.

Jhonnen/Kira: Jhonnen and Kira are chosen soulmates, starting as children, they built a Force Bond and in Breaker that bond is strong enough that their danger sense will go off for one another if they're close enough. Classic puppy love that grew when they were teens and becomes something more serious when they're adults. HOWEVER, notably in Riptide, they don't end up together. The rift between them because Jhonnen got stuck as the Sith Warrior is too great.

Jhonnen/Risha: Jhonnen and Risha could have been fine, but she couldn't admit to being someone he could rely on and Jhonnen's anxiety wouldn't let him make that particular trust fall

Inle/Vector: Inle and Vector are very much in love. However, Inle can't tell him anything, Vector is a Joiner who never uses her name, and there's some light infidelity and then she fakes her death.

Inle/Hunter: Are they in love? Probably not. Do they want to fuck one another? Probably not? Are they so deep in one another's heads that they both know no one else will understand them so intrinsically and thus desperate to destroy one another? Yes.

Jehi & Hirani Agakoi: Best friends? Yes. Married? Also yes. Raising a ten year old they picked up on Nar Shaddaa? You bet. Sleeping together? Yeah. In love? Absolutely not. Hirani is aromantic and Jehi is a widower who doesn't know if he will ever love again.

Fallon/Quinn: What started as Fallon testing and poking at the obvious mole Baras put on her boat ends in desperate mutual devotion and proof that sometimes bdsm can fix you.

Feel free to ask if there's anyone I didn't cover that you're curious about. Romantic, platonic, I love exploring the way peeps get along (or don't)

[pulim-v]

We both swing the opposite way from each other but you're a lovely person inside and out <3 happy pride! <3333

-Revan

SAME HERE!!!! I LOVE YOU FULLY PLAYONICALLY REVAN YOU'RE AWESOME <3<3<3<3

[thursdaygrl]

i have a handle on my drafts again sooooo here's a plot specific starter call for some muses i'm really eager to use. underneath the cut i'm gonna place a list of muses + a plot or plots i'd really like for them.. if you like i'll come to you for who, but you're also welcome to reply! whether we plot it out a bit more or just jump in is up to you.

adrian — falling in love with the his kid's nanny pls. he's divorced and a workaholic, someone force him to be better.

aurelio — arranged marriage, possibly with the families being in the mafia for the drama of it. / normal people plot hehe.

dawson — figure skater/hockey player im BEGGING you. / accidental pregnancy also.

dove — this plot where dove is the one being given a makeover.

jacob — best friends to lovers, preferably with the backdrop of a beach town and the summer and lots of drama.

joseph — forbidden love with the sibling of a family his brothers hate. would love for it to get intense and messy.

kendra — visiting her hometown so her children can see her parents and running into her hs/college best friend who she has now realised she used to be in love with lmao. her circumstances are up to you, could be married, could have figured herself out earlier than kendra did.

lachlan — uncomfortably close best friends, completely lacking in boundaries, both completely unaware that they're in love. literally will f*ck and still don't realise it's weird. inspo. / bandmate's gf who he claims to hate and is irritated that she's on tour with them but he has feelings for her and also knows she's only with them bc her bf cheats whenever they go on tour.

lucien — fwb that gets complicated. assumed unrequited feelings, friend drama, pregnancy scare? you name it.

mason — i would really just love a badass woman who can hold her own who pushes him to break down his walls and we can explore lots of drama within his family and their town but i want them to get married. not a specific plot just like. vibes at this point.

niamh — football player/popstar, come on now.....

river — sense8 plot, psychic link soulmates aka my favourite ever.

ronan — would love something veronica/logan inspired / would also pay someone to use sherry-lee watson against him.

sully — roommates who cannot stand each other but... :) very much jess and nick from new girl inspired pls.

warner — jess and rory type plot pls. he has a poor rep in their small town and she's the people's princess. she's the only one who tries to see the real him.

wyatt — frenemy neighbours to lovers, preferably with fake dating. inspo.

revan — princess/criminal fantasy plot pls. / new recruit he puts through the ringer but actually likes. inspo.

EDIT: crossing out any that are taken that i don't wanna double up!

[mmoxie]

so i finished kotor 2 for the first time (this is a long post but it's fun) good game 10/10 everyone was right about it

my exile is a woman named kleio kel who may've once been a jedi but stuck pretty strongly to the "they fired me" mindset and never let anyone call her that again

she wields a short-bladed white lightsaber, which symbolizes a kind of Stacker Pentecost "i bring nothing into the drift" mentality- wielding her lightsaber indicates nothing about her, it is a tool- and with its short blade is a tool largely for turning away other weapons

her two best friends are visas marr and hk-47- she's gonna give visas everything and hk makes her laugh

there were no good decisions on onderon, but she ended the monarchy with the hopes that the military would coup itself down to uselessness in time- unfortunately her old boss was pals with the queen, so they had to duke it out

dantooine was a little more straightforward- these people are trying, help 'em try

the greedy cunts that wanted to take over local government just because they can were lethally pranked into walking directly into a battery of laser turrets

she danced for a hutt which was more than a little embarrassing but a small price to pay to get some fuel to the nice space station where they jail you in a free apartment

but the whole time she was asking "wait i bought a dancing girl's billet back at that station to get her away from her neglectful idiot boyfriend and her terrible boss, why can't she come here and dance"

alas, that girl's afraid of spaceships i think, she ain't going nowhere

after every gang in nar shadaa tried to pick a fight with her, she packed up her bags and headed to korriban to do a little light archaeology

she got attacked by a bunch of ghosts but came out of it smelling like roses with a bunch of fresh lightsaber parts for her trouble, which she used to upgrade her unassuming little shoto into a mean little disarming stick- with its thin blade and easy handling, she could simply aim for the emitter on an opponent's lightsaber and cut right through

and listen.

she tried really hard not to kill her old bosses. there were no hard feelings, REALLY

she refused to kill atris, and on dantooine offered not to fight the old boys in brown, but they swung on her, so... y'know,

listen this whole campaign was self defense.

eventually she squared off with darth nihlus and was extremely motivated to defend her new girlfriend, which resulted in his death as well as visas getting to breathe easy and come to terms with some of her traumas she experienced at his hands

and then it was time for kreia.

c'mon kreia i was so nice to you.

we both hate the force, but it's like being an american and hating gasoline alright

hating it won't make it suck any less

you're making yourself sick obsessing over it when you could be like, i dunno, teaching responsible minimization practices

instead you're questioning its motives and it's like

girl

that's the force

it "wants" balance like an apple "wants" to fall from a tree

that's not a will being imposed by god that's just events playing out toward equilibrium, the apple would keep falling at the rate of gravity if it didn't have someone's head to hit

the fact that the galaxy appears to balance is just the organic reaction- you cause a wound, it scabs over, alright

like kreia come on you're SO smart how can you not see this are you just too fucking mad

i tried to talk her down all the way to the very end, but she sicced a cloud of floating lightsabers on me so i had to clean up shop for the safety of everyone involved

even in her last moments i was doing my utmost to be kind because she was just so so so miserable and had some pretty bad brain poisoning

she succumbed to her injuries from the fight and carth i mean atton walked me out of there

so i could go catch up with atton i mean carth at the space station and listen to him talk about

whoever revan is

she didnt factor into my day to day on this adventure very much she's out there doing whatever but these people are OBSESSED

afterward i bought visas a sexy party dress and retired to the pazaak dens to live out my days partying after a job well done

[spitzobsessed]

Found an alternate route I wrote for the choosing sides scene in War For Iokath. So far it's just dialogue with only Wrath, Occlus, Nox and a few cannon characters. And I think it's incomplete? It's basically Taral(Wrath) saying "F you both, I'm holding all of you hostage until we negotiate this shit". Also gets a bit emotional, sorry it's so long. First drafts that almost get deleted drain energy from me.

Lana: If I had to choose , I would join forces with the Empire.

Theron: The Republic's a safer bet.

Lana: The choice is yours Commander. Who shall we side with?

Taral: I have a better idea...

Taral: Nox, Occlus, you may begin.

Riot: Got it.

Praxy: As you wish.

Aric: Havoc Squad, hands were I can see them!

Praxy: Don't make this difficult, Empress.

Kaylio: Alright, hands up and no one gets electrocuted.

Riot: Oh, and I'll be more than happy to demonstrate, Supreme Commander.

Acina: Well played, Commander... Well played, indeed.

Malcom: What do you think you're doing, Commander?!

Taral: The third option: Reminding all of you who exactly you're dealing with. Noman Carr, Darth Baras, Darth Revan, Darth Malgus, Vitiate, Arcann, Vaylin, Valkrion, scores of Jedi, Sith, and troops - Republic and Imperial. I was once the Emperor's Wrath, destruction and death incarnate. Matched only by the Battlemaster of the Jedi Order.

Taral: Now, I control the Eternal Fleet. However, I did not take the Eternal Throne. This galaxy needs time to recover, time that you've thrown away for this Superweapon. One we know next to nothing about! It could be anything from a single missile to something that could repeat what happened to Ziost!! And then we'd be in the same position we were six years ago!!!

Theron: Commander, that's-

Lana: Not now, Theron.

Taral: *deep sigh* We will open negotiations on what to do with Iokath and it's technology. Republic and Imperial representatives will be allowed to study alongside the Alliance Scientists, but no one goes near any Superweapon until we understand what it can do. The war took its toll on all of us, and if you two want to tear each other apart so soon, go ahead.

Taral: But know this; Trespass on Alliance territory, harm Alliance people, or raise forced against the Alliance... Then I will take the throne and put you in your place. My priorities are with my people, and neither of you have any of them.

Damn right you are, Taral!

Although, it would properly work only if Acina and Malcom were there in person, rather than via hologram. But that's what AUs are for

As someone whose Wrath also lead the Alliance, I share the sentiment to the end - Wrath is supposed to be feared by the Dark Council and Acina rose only in titles, not power (while Outlander became significantly more powerful).

Now, brainstorming:

I could probably send my Knight with Havoc to take over Republic base on Iokath, and former Occlus and Cipher with another unit to take over Imperial one, and synchronize the operation enough so that the Talk goes like this:

(everyone's aware of the plan (alliance side))

Lana: The choice is yours, Commander.

Sav (Wrath): hmmm... *Looks deep in thought, clicks the button on comm to begin the overthrow* I believe we have a different option to consider here.

*Acina and Malcom's comms start buzzing with high level alert*

*controlled chaos on their end*

*whatever commanding officers on base they were talking to is gone, instead Malcom gets a holo with Knight and Major Jorgan while Acina has Kallig and Cipher*

*moments later the main holo on Alliance base shows six people - leaders and those four on bases*

Aric: Base secured, Commander. Casualties minimal.

Cipher: Base is secured. Awaiting instructions, Commander. Assessing casual.

Sav (Wrath): *smirks* *turns to Acina and Malcom, who are slightly pale (Acina) and less composed (Malcom)*

Sav (Wrath): You seem to have forgotten that Iokath belongs to the Alliance. And you appear to have dismissed the fact that the only reason your respective governments have the resources to launch this ridiculous operations is victory over Zakuul that My(!) alliance has secured.

Sav (Wrath): *theatrically takes a breath to calm himself* Now let's discuss reparations for invading sovereign territory of the Eternal Alliance.

Malcom: That's ridiculous. Release my base, Sith. With or without your help, the Empire's threat to Republic wil be dealt with.

Acina: Is this how you treat your allies, Commander? I expected better from a Sith Lord from such a respectable family.

Sav (Wrath): If it is war you seek, war is what you'll get. I give you 5 hours to leave Iokath. In five standard hours any Republic or Imperial soldier, Jedi or Sith not part of the alliance will be considered invaders and dealt with accordingly. *In darker tone* You have no idea how dangerous Iokath can be to hostiles.

...

Sorry for mostly stealing your idea.

[queen-scribbles]

1, 17, 71 for Jaaide and Theron?

EXCELLENT questions for the Spy Nerds

1.Who fell first? Who fell harder?

I'm gonna say Theron fell first, Jaaide fell harder. :) By the end of Shadow of Revan, though, they were both pretty far gone, even thinking the odds were against ever seeing each other again.

17. Who steals whose clothes? Does their significant other mind?

Jaaide borrows Theron's jackets and shirts every chance she gets and he doesn't mind in the slightest. There was one time, as the result of a bet, Theron wore a pair of her socks. See, Jaaide wears mismatched socks 99% of the time. Theron teases her about it 100% of the time. So the two of them had some bet that he lost and his consequence was wearing a pair of her mismatched socks that she didn't mind sacrificing for a whole day.

71. If someone were to insult their S/O, how would the other handle it?

Jaaide just gets really frosty and glares in a way that's quite intimidating, UNLESS said insult relates to the "Zildrog stunt", then she's coming at you swinging and Theron probably has to hold her back.

Theron hauls you in by your jacket/shirt/whatever and ask very pleasantly for you to repeat yourself. If you're brave or stupid enough to actually do so, you're gonna get a diatribe about all of her good qualities and how you don't know what you're TALKING ABOUT and if you bring up her being Imperial you are probably getting punched.

OC Relationship Asks

[thistechnologicalterror]

So... Darth is a title, right? It means you're a sith lord, right? Well then what's the point of the "Rule of Two" if you're already a sith lord?

YES, BEING DECLARED "DARTH" DOES MEAN YOU ARE A SITH LORD. BECOMING A SITH LORD, LIKE ANY CULTURED POSITION, REQUIRES THE PERFORMANCE OF CERTAIN ACTIONS AND RITUALS.

I HAVE PERFORMED THESE, THEREFORE, I WAS A SITH LORD.

... WHAT MAKES THIS UNFORTUNATE, IS THAT I PERFORMED THESE UNKNOWINGLY, FAR BEFORE I WAS DECLARED "DARTH VADER".

( KILLING ONE GROUP OF JEDI DOES NOT MAKE YOU A SITH LORD, IT JUST MAKES YOU A MONSTER. )

ON OCCASION, DURING THE CIVIL WAR, THE... EMPEROR, WOULD TAKE ME ON AN OUTING. IT WAS... CULTURAL, HE SAID, IT WAS... LEARNING HIS TRADITIONS...

[ ahem ]

... I DO NOT LIKE TO THINK ABOUT IT.

AS FOR THE RULE OF TWO. WELL THE SITH MASTER HAS THIS HORRIBLE HABIT OF BRINGING YOU BACK IN LINE IF YOU GET, WHAT HE CONSIDERED, UNRULY... USUALLY THROUGH TORMENT AND TORTURE.

SO, YES, SLAY THE SITH MASTER, BECOME YOUR OWN MASTER, NEVER BE TORTURED AGAIN... AND THEN REPEAT THE CYCLE, BECAUSE GENERATIONAL TRAUMA TO THE SITH IS CULTURAL.

... SO OBVIOUSLY, IT IS A SELF-DEFEATING RULE, BECAUSE ALL IT TAKES IS KILLING BOTH THE APPRENTICE AND THE MASTER, AND HENCE FOR, NO MORE SITH. WHICH WOULD EXPLAIN WHY THE EMPEROR USED TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE APPRENTICE AT ANY GIVEN TIME UNTIL HE TOOK ME.

( AND THERE IS, OF COURSE, THE SITH UNDERGROUND THAT CONSISTED OF NOBILITY AND PLANETARY LORDS AND LADIES. THEY DO NOT "COUNT" BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT FORCE USERS, BUT THEY KEPT THE CULTURE OF MURDER AND DOMINATION ALIVE FOR A THOUSAND YEARS. )

DARTH BANE, THE ANCIENT SITH LORD THAT WROTE THE LAW OF THE RULE OF TWO, WAS A FOOL. HE WROTE IT BY STUDYING THE RECORDINGS OF DARTH REVAN.

SUCH RECORDINGS WHICH DURING REVAN'S FALL IN THE JEDI-MANDOLORIAN WARS ABOUT FOUR THOUSAND YEARS AGO.

AND BANE FAILED TO REALIZE, THAT THE REVANCHIST DESPISED THE SITH. ANY "SITH" TEACHINGS OF REVAN WERE A MEANS TO AN END ONLY, IN ORDER TO LEAD TO AN END SITH ENTIRELY, BY GIVING THE REPUBLIC OR CORE SPACE OR JEDI ENOUGH TIME TO DO SO AND REMOVING AS MANY SITH NUMBERS AS POSSIBLE.

THE "RULE OF TWO" WAS MEANT TO BE A TRAP TO SITH, AND IT IS ONE. IT MERELY TOOK FOUR THOUSAND YEARS TO SPRING, BUT SOMETIMES, PEOPLE ARE STUPID AND THEY NEED FOUR THOUSAND YEARS.

WITH THE DEATH OF THE EMPEROR, THERE ARE NO MORE OF THE OLD SITH.

[tiredassmage]

@eorzeashan god okay where do i even begin attempting this... kdnfa;lkfdsdkmlfdk almost constantly. and... maybe less so developing as far as actively occurring timeline-wise, but actively developing insofar as driving me insane trying to figure out exactly what they are to each other? oh yeah, that's new almost every week, lmao.

and this... isn't (hopefully) going to even touch on what the hell happened to them when i put them both in baldur's gate 3 because that's very easily it's own essay, but seeing that develop did give me some interesting insights into their commonalities and... I guess a bit more material to see their whole... thing in action.

this is... i think just going to be a ramble and we'll... see where we go xD

what i feel i have to start with because i'm constantly forgetting it and then getting blindsided by it is the fact that, technically, alucren's the oldest by two years - and maybe evidently with that measure given it's not just because of the whole carbonite situation but let's not get so off-topic so early, maybe, lol.

the reason i mention this like it's important is... well, a) because this drives alucren a little batty sometimes, but primarily because b) it affects the kind of mentorship between them and that's... what i'd call the core of their relationship, at the end of the day. some... odd flavor of mentorship.

because where i say alucren wasn't ever ideal for the role of cipher (and trust me, keeper knew it when he was hired, but when you're upriver with limited paddles in the galactic war, you'll take what you can get), tyr... crafted his entire life around being that. which also ties into that thing about what they have to lose when we're looking at how do they react to a crisis event like kotxx showing up on their door.

so tyr worked with imperial intelligence - and, in general, the imperial military as a whole, frankly - longer than alucren. he's got more practical experience, and his experience and actions from chapter one go into training intelligence operatives that come after him, regardless of his feelings on the matter.

so, some of their oddity i may have mentioned before starts with the fact that tyr's... yes, a few years younger, but with how things shake out, given their roles and experiences in imperial intelligence, tyr's the more senior, ranking operative of the two of them. technically. who wears more officer stripes between the two of them given their differences in reverence for their sith masters is maybe a different story, but that always feels... real nebulous to wrangle with inside of the empire's intelligence operations anyway, let alone trying to figure out how that might translate into the coughing corpse of imperial intelligence getting strung up to flesh out the operations of sith intelligence post-corellia.

the short of it for the two of them is that tyr's... his commanding officer, in a sense. and this really doesn't bother either of them, but you'll also know by now that alucren's stubborn. and maybe a bit of an instigator. and maybe it's something about feeling like he's got something left to prove - maybe not to their collective superiors, but... at least to himself, really.

looking at that weird block of years that are the sort of... mid-expansion content, i guess you'd say (so we're like... ilum and makeb in through shadow of revan. still with me?), alucren's got to wrangle with figuring out what his new role is. which... maybe you'd think is more defined because his loyalties aren't tested the same way tyr's are. alucren hasn't had his faith in that system really rattled and tested the way nine has. his purpose is as it always was: to serve the empire, the sith, in whatever way their superiors see fit.

and alucren doesn't see what tyr does, then: tyr's continued job security? risky. just because what remains of intelligence may or may not still think his work as cipher nine was some of the best an operative could've done doesn't mean people like those on the dark council do.

marr is... reasonable. but marr states himself, clearly, that he has no love for the games of spies. tyr's talents are potentially beneficial then, and marr isn't the kind to waste a potential tool just because he woke up in a foul mood that day, but makeb... has interesting implications for when tyr is assigned as project leader.

failure is not an option for the imperial team on makeb, particularly when tyr is involved. framing it with his experience in the class story, with his (hidden, still) ties as a double agent, with his history of risk to defy the dark council, there's less ways for the empire to potentially lose if they put someone like him on that team. not necessarily over someone like alucren (who is unquestioningly loyal, if a bit of a heavy-handed leader when put in a similar role, and more unwilling to compromise), but in general - the way that ends up framed is that if he succeeds with this team, the empire has a desperately needed victory, and tyr's earned his stay of execution for another day. if that team fails, if they lose makeb, the failure can be pushed off on weak links within the team. inadequate leadership.

a nice, safe scapegoat in an intelligence asset the dark council wanted retired nearly two years prior. a clean way to eliminate a risky asset without too much additional work. not that losing makeb is ideal. again, failure isn't an option.

and i'm nearly losing my own point, but this i explain mostly to demonstrate tyr's headspace - tyr's reality versus what someone like alucren might see. alucren still sees nine, keeper's poster child, if you will. one of their favorite operatives. of course he's still involved. not that he hasn't put in the work for the ongoing roles, but... alucren sees a mask to test.

but then... there's more than that. there becomes more than that. because i think... tyr sees a bit more clearly what alucren has going on behind the sharp smirk and taunting eyes than... alucren particularly realizes the depths of his own... concerns, uncertainties, what have you's about... life and the empire and the galaxy and so on.

and tyr is a very, very well-established bleeding heart. who has one hell of a time leaving well enough the fuck alone.

alucren's behavior worries him. on a surface level, as a superior, it's because he's liable to be arrogant and cocky. he's headstrong and might not always take tyr's orders seriously. but that's a bit of a double-edged sword, because tyr's actual concern? is that alucren takes their superiors orders a little too by the letter.

he's a functional enough operative, absolutely. he'll get a job done if you put it in front of him. but tyr sees that he's missing... what he's experienced as a core lesson in this profession: that doesn't mean shit. and it won't save you if you get on a sith's bad side. and, oh, is that possible regardless of your best intentions. no matter how loyal.

so, tyr... being tyr, can't... let that concern go. not really. alucren nips at his nerves for kicks when they work together, sure, but he's also pretty damn sure ellery's doing a lot more... feeling, at least, about all that's going on in their world than he lets on. if not, y'know... actively reflecting on what that means for him. and tyr... couldn't live with letting the door bite his ankle on the way out, if it came to it.

and what alucren learns about tyr in this... closer working relationship they have now that they're somewhere between ciphers and soldiers is... tyr doesn't do anything by halves. tyr doesn't put his name on anything he doesn't intend to see through - as much, you know, as a spy can be counted to do so for someone they're being genuine with. maybe the better thing to say is that he comes to see tyr for someone who doesn't fight for things he doesn't have a damn good reason to believe in. tyr doesn't start fires just to watch them burn - he's got a purpose.

and that complicates something like the events of forged alliances and shadow of revan. because that's not particularly an event that alucren's more black and white world guides have contingencies for. that tyr goes selectively rogue on such an operation, that he risks his position like that... whether alucren wants to admit it or not, some part of him knows enough about tyr to know that tyr's got a scent he can't leave lie, and he's going to do what he believes is right to find the source and deal with the consequences. if that means upsetting a few more dark councilors to find a truth, then so be it.

that's... not something alucren could do so confidently. and he won't - is what i say is demonstrated by where he ends up during the gap between ziost and kotfe. it's... where tyr is a leader, someone so determined in the fact that he can help that jumping off a cliff is worth the risks, where alucren is more of a follower. alucren needs to know more about the risks before he'll commit to something outside of his usual status quo, before he'll jump tracks to something new or different.

and knowing that about each other... leads them to interesting conflicts where they argue for one course of action or another based on their personal understandings of the world. because they know the other understands. if they could just... close that last gap of logic sometimes...

there may have been a time where alucren would've shot him without hesitation if he ever figured out tyr was a double agent. not... necessarily the more they know each other. alucren might still hiss about it, but... he comes around to this understanding that can't ignore... everything tyr went through even though they never discuss the details. he doesn't have to know about what happened on eradication day, the kind of deal he made with ardun kothe, not even about the castellans to understand that something happened to give tyr this... willingness to leave the empire behind, this conviction that something's wrong with their system. because tyr doesn't commit to just any hollow promise. he knows too well tyr would take a hit for him, if it ever came to it. they both know alucren has a hard time making that promise back in the same terms, but tyr still trusts that, if it really came to it, alucren's someone he could rely on to do a job.

and that's... really the core of it, i think. layered behind a... weird twist of other layers to their relationship. sometimes at least one of them (usually alucren; there's... a theme in here about how he has a hard time exactly describing his emotions and his relationships) will hesitate to say that they're friends. there's nothing... quite romantic in it, either, for all that i tease that tyr's part of his whole bisexual awakening.

is there something sometimes sexual about it? tyr would never tell. he does tell alucren to wipe that smug fucking smirk off his damn face and be on time in the morning, ellery.

(yes, sometimes. alucren is capable of making tyr use some particularly vehement language the likes of which he is not known for using. it's all... very dramatic of them, frankly. alucren's competitive streak brings out the wrestling, scuffling teenage boy in both of them, if you will.)

they never exactly get along perfectly, but. they fill a role for each other with enough understanding that's... pretty damn hard to find in their field of expertise, so. they can't ever quite leave whatever they do have between them go entirely.

and i think... most surprisingly for both of them is... alucren i think... would lie for him, if it ever came to it. he'd never quite be able to follow tyr's path entirely, he'd never be able to bring himself to leave the empire, but...

they have different ideas about what the "end" of this kind of career, given how long they have survived it, should look like. and they're just fine for them, individually. it doesn't mean the other should have to pay another price because that's not a universal answer, y'know?

[hiddenbeks]

what does your soul look like?

tagged by @katsigian and @hibernationsuit to do this quiz for an oc, thank you both!

tagging @nokstella @simtalics @famewolf @magicmissiled if you feel like doing this, no pressure as usual!

did this for liah because this tortured war criminal has utterly consumed me 😔

bloody knuckles and scabbed fingers

"you did something bad. you're paying the price for it each day, aren't you? you're picking at your skin and fighting everything off because of your own actions. you resent your own free will because of the harm it brings. you should lay down a while."

haha wow this is way too accurate actually. suffering because of her own actions and paying the price for what she did... yea... also the part about free will is especially interesting [BIG KOTOR SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU CARE ABOUT KOTOR SPOILERS IN THE YEAR 2024] so. i know about the Big Twist of kotor and the pc being revan but i don't know all the details yet. but from what i've gathered bastila captured revan and the jedi council brainwashed them into thinking they're a republic soldier right. so i've had this scenario or fic idea rotating in my head where liah is a Mess post-reveal and angry at bastila and the jedi for what they did to her. for basically robbing her of her free will. but on the other hand. if they had not done it how much more death would liah have caused as revan? she's so conflicted about it all and maybe for a long time thinks that she shouldn't be trusted with free will because look at what she did with it and. yea. prescribing laying down and taking a few deep breaths to liah rn. she will defeat her demons but it will not be easy...

[liviavanrouge]

Farewell

Livia(10 years old): *Stares with wide eyes, Nilo creating a shield to protect them both*

Ambert: *Sighs, sitting on his knees* I failed, once again

Lilia: *Steps forward, staring down at Ambert* Why....

Ambert: Hm?

Lilia: *Narrows his eyes, tears falling down his cheeks* WHY'D YOU BETRAY US??! ME AND REVAN!!! YOUR BEST FRIENDS!!

Ambert: Lilia....

Lilia: Five years after Meleanor gave me her egg and Revans disappearance....you started the Mutiny war....WHY??!

Livia: Papa....

Lilia: WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME AND REVAN??! WHY DID YOU TAKE ARIAN FROM ME???!! ANSWER ME!

Ambert: *Grabs Lilias hand, his eyes glowing* I put you both first but now I give up...

Lilia: *Stares his eyes wide as Amberts memory of getting possessed played in his head*

Ambert: *Smiles, moving his hand away, tears falling down his cheeks* Go easy on me, Lilia....I was still a child...

Lilia: *Stared down at him stunned*

Ambert: Didn't get the chance to- *Looks at Livia causing her to perk up when he smiled at her* -feel the world around me

Livia: Mister Ambert...

Ambert: *Looks down, his ears dropping* Had no time to choose....what I chose to do

Lilia: Ambert-

Ambert: Your majesty...

Maleficia: What....

Ambert: Please have me punished for everything I've done....

Lilia: NO!

Maleficia: I want to say no....but you've caused so much trouble, tomorrow you'll be cursed to live in the Ghost Realm until you pass on but you will not become a ghost...

Livia: He...won't be around at all anymore then

Ambert: That's a fitting punishment thank you

Nilo and Aural: *Places magic shackles on Ambert and drags him out*

Livia: Papa....

Lilia: Not again....I can't loose a third person..

Livia: *Stares, her ears flattened back*

----

Maleficia: Is everything ready for tomorrow?

Nilo: Aural has his curse book ready, Mayhem will keep Ambert still...

???: *Falls to their knees, their head bowed*

Nilo: L-LIVIA??!

Maleficia: Beastie, what-

Livia: PLEASE PUNISH ME IN AMBERTS PLACE!!!

Nilo: *Stared in alarm, his eyes widening*

Livia: *Looks up, her eyes wide* I'VE SECRETLY MET WITH HIM AND HE TOLD ME LOTS OF STORIES ABOUT PAPA AND HOW THINGS WERE BACK THEN!! I'M AS GUILTY AS HE IS, I'LL TAKE HIS PUNISHMENT!!!

Nilo: You're too young, you'd die! *Kneels down, placing his hands on Livia's shoulders*

Livia: *Grips Nilo's sleeves, tears falling down her cheeks* I'M BEGGING YOU RIGHT NOW!! PAPA CAN'T LOOSE ANYONE ELSE!! IF IT'LL SAVE AMBERTS LIFE I'LL TAKE HIS PUNISHMENT!!

Maleficia: Beastie....

Livia: *Looks at Maleficia* IF I HAVE TO BE BANISHED WITH HIM FOR HIM TO LIVE, THEN I WILL!! DON'T PUNISH HIM, PLEASE!!

Maleficia: Nilo....do you think you could hold out long enough to make a copy of Ambert?

Nilo: A copy?

Maleficia: Or....we can tell the public that Layla brainwashed him...

Nilo: Layla did brainwash Silver....the public would believe it, they all saw her brainwashing themselves!

Maleficia: Very well...we'll say Ambert was brainwashed, this possession business stays secret since the dark spirit got away...

Nilo: *Nods, then looks down at Livia, wiping her snot away with his sleeve* Don't cry anymore...it's gonna be alright...

Livia: *Sniffles, rubbing her eyes* Th-Thank you...

----

Ambert: *Fixes his sleeve cuffs and sighs* I live another day....it feels unnatural

Livia: *Smiles, her eyes a bit puffy* Gran Gran Maleficia found you a house and a job in the Land of Pyroxene! It'll be great for you!

Ambert: I hope so...

???: Ambert....

Ambert: *Turns and perks up* Oh....hey...

Lilia: *Walks over, and looks up at Ambert* You're leaving....alive..

Ambert: Heh...yeah, even though I don't deserve it after all the crap I've done

Lilia: *Stares up at him*

Ambert: I tricked and hurt your daughter, almost killed the poor kid...I scared Thea, put your other children in danger, I got you possessed....I screwed up...

Lilia: ....I still wanna be friends...

Ambert: But-

Lilia: You screwed up....but during the fight while I was possessed I saw you protecting my daughter from my mind....

Ambert: Didn't want the kid getting hurt due to my mistake...

Lilia: And you tried to take the possession back, I saw your face of desperatation

Ambert: *Looks away embarrassed* I didn't want your kid growing up without her father!

Lilia: *Smiles slightly* Can we still be friends?

Ambert: *Looks down at him* I-

Livia: *Beams, her eyes sparkling* I WANT YOU BOTH TO BE BEST FRIENDS AGAIN!!

Ambert and Lilia: *Looks at her surprised*

Ambert: *Chuckles* You have a good kid Lilia....you raised her well

Lilia: *Smiles at Livia chuckling* She's been raising herself for a while though~

Ambert: *Turns and starts walking away down the dirt path* I'll think about your question...

Lilia: You better or I'll come hunt you down!!

Ambert: *Laughs, shaking his head*

Livia: *Waves beaming* BYE AMBERT!!

Ambert: *Looks back and waves, walking out of view*

Lilia: *Pats Livia's head* Good job, now let's get those puffs out your eyes

Livia: *Giggles and walks after Lilia*

@anxious-twisted-vampire @yukii0nna @writing-heiresss @marrondrawsalot @yumeko2sevilla @abyssthing198

[domwho11]

"Revan, wait up!" shouted Alek as his best friend ran into the long grass.

"Come on Alek let's go!" shouted Revan back.

"You've got so much energy, Revan. Where does it all come from?"

Revan laughed and ignited his green lightsaber.

Alek started.

"Revan we're not supposed to use those outside of the training grounds."

Revan grinned.

"Relax, I was just having some fun."

Alek sighed heavily.

"Why do I get the feeling you're going to be the death of me?"

Revan somersaulted and landed next to his best friend.

"I saw you looking at Meetra during meditation. She's cute, isn't she."

"Not as cute as Bastila, am I right?"

Revan spluttered.

"I never told you... you aren't going to tell anyone, are you?"

Alek smiled.

"Your secret is safe with me... for a price, of course."

Revan grimaced.

"OK, what's your "price"?"

"Show me where the crystal caves are on this planet. The others are always talking about them!"

"OK, fine, but you have to promise not to tell anyone."

Alek crossed his heart.

"I promise."

The two friends headed across the Dantooine plains. The sun was high in the sky. The iriaz drifted lazily across the heavens. Kath hounds basked in the sun. At long last, Revan and Alek made it to the crystal cave.

"We're going to need our lightsabers for this. Did you bring yours?" said Revan.

Alek ignited a brilliant blue blade and smiled.

Revan smiled back.

"OK let's go."

The cave was dark and dank. The only light came from the Padawans' laser swords. Alek tripped over a rock and stumbled into Revan.

"Watch where you're going, dummy!" hissed Revan.

"Excuse me! I can barely see a thing." replied Alek.

The cave opened out into a central chamber. Crystals of all shapes and sizes adorned the rocks around them. Revan and Alek's eyes went wide.

"The stories were true." breathed Alek.

Revan elbowed him in the ribs.

"Come on, let's get some crystals!"

The boys worked their way around the cave, shoving fistfuls of glowing stones into their tunics. Alek was just about to turn to leave when Revan whistled.

"Hey Alek look at that!"

The crystal shone like the sun. It was atop a raised plinth. Revan moved towards it.

"Revan, come on, we got what we came for!" said Alek.

Revan wasn't listening. He walked up the carved steps to the dais and lifted the large crystal with a shout of triumph.

Alek's eyes widened.

"REVAN, BEHIND YOU!"

A massive kinrath spider had appeared. It scuttled towards Revan. Revan ran towards it brandishing his lightsaber. The kinrath spider knocked him aside with a blow from its powerful front legs.

Alek was terrified. Kinrath spiders were his absolute worst fear. But he couldn't just leave Revan to his fate. Alek took a crystal our of his pocket and threw it at the spider.

"H... hey, over here!"

The spider bore down on a semi-conscious Revan. Alek took more crystals out of his pocket and lobbed them at the spider.

"Hey you, over here, that's right, pick on someone your own size!"

The spider turned. Alek threw a red crystal which caught it in one of its eyes. Enraged, the spider scuttled towards Alek. In a flash Alek remembered something from Master Zhar's lessons.

Force speed.

Using the Force to augment his quickness, Alek darted around the cave's edge to where Revan was and put Revan's arm around his neck.

"Come on buddy let's get out of here."

Revan registered Alek and smiled weakly. His attention turned to the spider, which was bearing down on both of them.

"Force speed, Revan. NOW!"

The two friends zoomed away from danger using the Force. The spider screamed and gave chase. Even the Force could not prevent the spider from gaining on them.

"Revan, the crystals, they're weighing you down. You have to get rid of them!"

Revan nodded assent and began emptying his pockets of the precious stones. The mouth of the cave was dead ahead of them.

"We're going to make it!" cried Alek.

Just then Revan tripped over a rock and went sprawling. Alek was already far ahead of him. Realising that Revan wasn't with him Alek looked back. What he saw chilled him to his soul. The kinrath spider was standing over a fallen Revan, its massive maw open and ready to eat him.

"NO!" screamed Alek.

He threw his lightsaber at the spider. The blade lodged itself between the spider's eyes. With a blood curdling screech the spider retreated back into the cave. Alek hurried over to Revan and helped him the final distance out of the cave.

"Revan... are you OK?"

Revan was breathing rapidly. His face was pale, and his eyes were darting this way and that. Alek had never seen his friend look like this.

"Revan, we're safe now. Let's go back to the Academy."

Revan slapped Alek's hand away.

"Don't you ever... EVER... tell anyone about this. If you do I... I'll..."

"Revan I'm sorry." said Alek.

"Can I help?"

Revan kicked a stone.

"I just... I want to be on my own for a while. Don't follow me."

"Revan... Revan!"

Alek called after his friend. But he was gone, walking away into the peaceful Dantooine grasslands.

[vaultsixtynine]

obvs my full timeline isn't done yet but the orin vibe is like. ana IS an impostor. and the feeling that orin has for her originates from hatred, but the context is entirely different from as-written durge

i'm gonna cut for big ol durge spoilers

orin as written is jealous, feeling she deserves more. she seeks to displace someone more powerful and more favored than her, to prove her worth, etc. it's a little-sister-on-a-power-trip, and while that's fun and puts the player in the position of realizing they really did suck that bad to be Top Bitch over her, i both a) want more for orin and b) need more control over anathema's origins

orin with anathema is still antagonistic but it's like - she is the pure-blooded grand/daughter of sarevok. she is an eminently skilled shapeshifter. she killed her mother and then (in my lil timeline here) the 'canon' bg/2 protag (whatever the hell his name is, though i might eventually play those games For Real rather than half-remembered watching-my-mom-play bits) for bhaal's favor and the right to lead this cult to glorious slaughter and she has been doing that for years - careful planning, for a beautiful outcome.

this orin is more methodical, more patient. she still has her moments of cackling blood-soaked glee, but i want her to be SCARY and not just unstable - she knows good art takes Time and avoiding too heavy of an eye on her group is critical. she feels, in every sense, that she both is entitled to and has also earned everything she has, and threats to her status/position will be disemboweled posthaste. to that end, i think i enjoy her being a full dread three planner way more than a revan-esque "YOU were the EVIL MASTERMIND" reveal.

enter stage left: a shambling puppet, filled with a stolen gift. she Knew something was wrong about anathema as soon as she entered the stage, and even as she saw doubt enter her sect at the arrival of another claimant to the throne, she believed her father would never favor a liar and a thief over Her. she, who has done so much for Him, in His name. when bhaal turns his eye to anathema and doesn't immediately unravel her at the seams - even tells orin that she's Actual Competition - she's seeing red, literally.

ana - even in her fucked-up state - gives her a run for her money. don't really have what the underlying goal was for this whole gambit (i'll get there ok ok - the durgening might also Not Even Happen in a fashion that there IS a 'before'-time. i have yet to decide)

regardless of When the durgening happens, orin's energies with ana upon re-meeting are a) intense b) violently taunting rather than jealous overcompensation c) knowing that ana is an Outsider, not an equal - she is prey, no matter what she's stolen. does she deserve a duel? maybe if you're good, pet. maybe if you're good.

i also think orin toys less with hostages (that's a gortash tactic - see the iron throne, yetcetera) and more with the looming and HIGHLY legitimate threat of violence and sowing distrust to shape ana's behaviors. they're playing a little mind game and ana IS susceptible, because ketheric's dead and gortash can be reasoned with (as a man who wants to maintain dominance and power, he still ultimately needs People and Things to dominate), but orin is sheer unadulterated joy in the rending of living flesh. slaughter is the journey And the destination. you can't really reason with someone like that, and ana Knows it. so when orin starts coyly bringing Other Party Members And Associated Friends into the conversation as viable alternatives for bloodshed since ana won't do what she Fucking Wants, ana IS paying attention.

what does orin want? to kill anathema, most certainly. but more directly: to reclaim what she has 'stolen', of her own volition or not. to drain and consume her.

so orin fucks with her more Directly, but always a little cheekily, flirtatiously. don't you wish you could kill me? you won't kill any of these sad little scenarios i keep giving you, but i know the lying transfusion in your veins wants to rip me limb from limb. i know you wake up almost every night with blood in your mouth because your weak mind roils against MY father's sacred visions. your blood - even stolen as it is - sings for mine because it knows it Belongs to me. it should be one with mine. you should be one with me. wouldn't you like that? you'll walk into my jaws willingly, Soon. when there is nothing left but me. when your blood leaves you no other option than to return Home.

[loud buzzer sounds as ana's 'fucked up psychosexual things to have with antagonist or antagonist-adjacent npcs' counter goes up by one]