#Man I just know its not Orpheus in control

[the-sketches-lair]

That smirk is giving you away.

[lonleyhumanbeing]

Random Mechanisms moments I love:

I refuse to listen to DotM so this is incomplete, and terribly formatted.

"Wasn't it the aristocratic one with all the knives?" "Ah yes, the Marquis de AlltheKnives,"

Ashes has a lot of gold on board, 'for tax purposes'.

Jonny "I got a prescription of 1/2 an ounce of lead to be injected directly into the brain. AND IT WASN'T A PRESCRIPTION FOR ME!" *bang* d'Ville.

The first time we canonically meet Jonny he commits patricide, murder, and arson.

The card taps in One Eyed Jack scratch my brain so well.

The fact that Oedipus is called a motherfucker. Multiple times.

Guinevere's verse in Blood and Whisky being faster, because she is the fastest draw.

Seriously I’ve listened to the song 50+ times and I still get so happy thinking about the faster tempo.

“We’re not pure of heart but we’re sure of aim,”. These three I swear.

All the Suits turning up in pinstripes.

The entirety of Gunpowder Tim vs. the Moon Kaiser. It's getting its own post, and I have listened to it 27 times since 12/03. That's 270 minutes, or 4.5 hours.

The dwarf Dopey just being General Tuco DOPED up on drugs.

The Toy Solider.

The fact that, even for a moment, love won in the end of High Noon Over Camelot.

How creepy Holder of the Grail is.

The Riddle of the Sphinx’s answer is man. The riddle of the sphinx virus was also man, taking the life force for themselves.

10 caliber= X-caliber= Excalibur.

The sellguns on Fort Galfridian are the same as freelances in medieval times.

Baldur was killed by Missle Two.

“Any window with a hammer can be an emergency exit”

Tim and Brian during the tea party in Alice.

The entirety of Alice, actually. I feel like it’s a hidden gem.

Lost in the Cosmos :(

In Drunk Space Pirate, Jonny calling himself first mate is the best way to show his character growth.

Ivy died in a library fire. Her last name is Alexandria. As in the Library of Alexandria. Which burned down.

Marius “mom says hi” von Raum in the UDAD live version of Favored Son.

Orpheus being called a borderline child in UDAD live show, but in the fiction he’s like 27.

Jonny playing the drums in the UDAD live show during Sirens. Very flamboyantly/pissily

Actea and Lyssa. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it discussed but it is one of my favorites. The vocals are so so good. And the fact that Actea thought that they were both running from the Hunter, only for Lyssa to be the thing she should have been running from.

The bass line in Cinder’s Song? So good.

Once you start to notice Ivy’s music in the back you can’t stop listening. I feel like it really pulls everything together.

“Also he fought a bear…” in Hereward the Wake. Such a random line and I love it.

All of Odin’s vocals in TBI. They really said “just do whatever.” And I’m thinking specifically of Odin and Ragnarok 2.

Seriously have you tried hitting the high notes in Ragnarok 2? Impossible.

How the hell did Brian get his prophetic powers? Both as the Hanged Man Merlin and in the City.

All of the live whistling is so impressive.

I just realized that Ulysses has their own motif in UDAD. It’s the piano from My Name is No-one and also repeats in ‘Olympians’ and Torn Suits at least.

I know it’s been mentioned but Lost in the Cosmos’ melody in the background of ‘The Tower’ is such a good foreshadowing moment.

Prometheus was punished for giving the people of Ilium a FIREwall. It’s so good it loops around to being bad.

The church bells in Gunfight at Dolores Guard signifying that it’s noon.

In the DTTM records by of Hellfire Jonny pauses right before ‘flock’. To gain control of the crowd, like a preacher would.

The Mechanisms are hated in-universe. So much. You can’t tell me that Lyf was the first Inspector to have to talk to them. The others probably all quit.

[truly-sincerely]

IS GORTASH ENTHRALLED?

(tl;dr: yes)

In this essay I will…

Okay, but seriously I did write an essay.

I got here after chasing a very different rabbit down its hole. I'd noticed that Gortash seems to have been throwing out a lot of his stuff (read: mostly employees).

Waldemar Prinski, a loyal banite, sold to a devil for a corn chip

Dark Breaker Antiope, sahuagin wrangler, A Negotiation

The Steel Watch Foundry, Orders to Black Gauntlet Rives

Scribe Yanthus, my beloved, sent on a wild bhaal chase

Vance Farnol, journalist, tho you could argue he had it coming

Goblin Worg handler at Flymm Cargo, plus the Worgs when they run out of Goblin to eat

And, of course, everyone at his Coronation

Was killing all of the patriars and their staff a grim necessity, Enver? Was it?

(Also, he's installed a giant portrait of Bane and a bust of Bane in the penthouse, but he doesn't have a single picture of himself, or any mirrors, for that matter. Food for thought.)

My initial diagnosis was macabre, but obviously I’ve moved away from that line of thinking. He's just way too happy to brag about how much danger he's put himself, us, and the entire world in. It freaked me out the first time I met him (as a Tav). Like I see him glancing at the ground and smiling coyly while saying, "If we're lucky, we'll become slaves," on the back of my eyelids when I go to bed at night.

For the love of all that is holy, could you please turn it down a notch?

I've been obsessed with The Ultimate State since I first read it. It's absolutely absurd nonsense. The item description says it's, "the philosophical ramblings of Enver Gortash." and I feel like it's worth noting that he doesn't write his own propaganda; he has the banites do it for him. But I mean, it really does read like he's twisting himself in knots to connect "unity" and "progress" together, but babe, those jigsaw pieces do not go together like that. Anyway, while thinking about this subject it dawned on me:

They're the same picture.

You know what other line of thinking these two have in common?

They both look so sad when they say this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I abandoned you.

I know we all love to joke about Durge or Gortash feeding the Brain the "Handsome, Younger Man" line, but what if that was just a smokescreen and it's been the other way around this whole time?

Netherbrain: You think you know why you are here. You think you can atone for giving me my power, child of Bhaal, by destroying me with the Netherstones. You are wrong. The Emperor: It’s messing with your mind. Don’t listen to it. Use the stones. Netherbrain: By eliminating Ketheric and Orin, you have simply unbound me. Exactly as I intended. The Crown is now mine to command - mine alone. The Emperor: Don’t listen to it! Focus on the Crown! Netherbrain: You placed the Crown upon me in the depths of Moonrise Towers, and there I was born. The Crown is not my weakness - it is what made me what I am. Gortash: You are delusional - the Crown is how we controlled you! Netherbrain: I respected Bhaal’s child once, but not you, Gortash. I allowed you to control me as long as it suited my purposes. You have played your part. The next order to be given is mine and it is this - die. Gortash: (crumples like a piece of parchment) Netherbrain: When the parasite entered your ruined mind - you became a pawn in my design. Who do you think told the Chosen about the Astral Prism? Who do you think planted the knowledge of Orpheus’ power, and the fear of what it could do? When the Chosen sent my thralls to retrieve the Prism - who do you think let the ‘Emperor’ slip its leash, knowing it would be the one to bring you to me? The Emperor: We were part of its plan… Netherbrain: I only needed one Netherstone loosened from the Chosen’s grasp to guarantee my freedom. You brought all three back to me. In doing so, you have liberated me. This was your role - and it is complete. Now you will witness the Grand Design.

The face of a man who has 20 INT and 16 WIS and is definitely not the brainwashed pawn of a giant brain that's been manipulating him in his sleep.

You think his puny +7 WIS save is gonna beat the Netherbrain when it's been working on his ass every time he goes to sleep for the last nine months? I say thee nay.

Also, and this is probably oversharing, but my dad, who I used to think of as a really smart guy is now a huge Trump supporter. He's an atheist but he'll parrot conservative christian talking points that I've seen clipped from Nazi talking heads. The words that come out of his mouth and the way he smiles when he says completely insane things is haunting.

What all of this means at the end of the day isn't much in the grand scheme of things, but it's kind of sad, and it definitely says something about his characterization. This man is floundering in a soup of his own making. A tragic puppet. A poor little meow meow.

There's an interesting line of demarcation between the various writings that he dictated to Scribe Yanthus, the things he wrote himself, and the things he says to us in the game.

Elder Brain Domination (from Ketheric, but about Gortash)

Suspended Ceremorphosis

The Grand Design

Studies of the Elder Brains

Accelerated Grand Design

Memoir Notes With Recent Addenda

Journal of Enver Gortash

He's so much more motivated and insightful early on, epitomized in Ketheric's entry, "Gortash fears that, energised by the dark energies of the Crown, the brain we now call the Absolute will eventually metamorphose into something new and more difficult to control." And he was right! But that guy's nowhere to be found by the time we meet him.

This one makes me particularly sad, "No weakness but the unexpected. It seems I shall need unexpected allies," because, again, he's right, and we could've saved him if the game had given us the opportunity to say, "No, there is another way. Let's not walk into this obvious trap." He wrote us a roadmap; left a trail of breadcrumbs; and we weren't given the option to follow them.

But I guess that's what fixfics are for.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY TAVtalk!

[loveandpeaceanddoughnuts]

meanest dog

Caleb x MC inspired by Orpheus & Eurydice

cw: heavy angst, hurt/no comfort, graphic depictions of violence, mind manipulation, memory loss, lads spoilers "The meanest dog you'll ever meet; It ain't the hound dog in the street. He bares some teeth and tears some skin; But, brother, that's the worst of him. The dog you REALLY got to dread, Is the one that howls inside your head. Its him whose howling drives men mad, And a mind to its undoing." -Hadestown When MC is captured by Ever, Caleb vows to get her back, no matter the cost. No one can stand in his way. But to bring her back home, he will forced to grapple with the only person he isn't sure he can defeat- himself. Inspired by the mythology of Orpheus and Eurydice and the Hadestown concept album/musical. If you know the story, you know how this ends. an: this one is outside of my writing comfort zone as both longform and angst, but I'm excited to share something new! thank you so much for reading. [Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3] [ao3]

Caleb wipes blood from his cheek with a gloved fingertip. He’s disgusted by the gall of these worthless men, obstacles in his way to her. How dare they? He strides from the control room and releases his Evol, hardly hearing the slam of bodies against the floor as they fall from his hold. A low-ranking officer is cowering in the hallway of the ship, his face drawn in terror as Caleb advances.

“Where is she?” He snarls, flinging out a hand. The man is thrown against the wall, his throat crushed under an impossible pressure. 

He strains to gasp, “I…I don’t know…!”

Caleb twitches his fingertips, and the man’s airway almost collapses. He wheezes, “The Professor’s base! E-Ever, they need to neutralize her, she wouldn’t-” The man’s neck snaps with a wet crack. He’s dead before he hits the ground.

“I should have guessed.” Caleb straightens his uniform and punches a few numbers into his comm. “Lucius?” He waits as static crackles over the line. “I know you can hear me. I’m coming.” It’s taken a lot of searching, a lot of bodies. But the Colonel has the information he needs. 

MC is being held by Ever. His worst nightmares have climbed through his head and come true. He clenches his jaw, warding off mental images of what they could be doing right now, how they could be hurting her… He reaches for his necklace and presses his lips to the cool metal. He imagines that she can feel it.

Caleb moves quickly to his plane, swinging himself into the cockpit. He brushes his fingertips against the picture of her nestled on his dashboard, a takeoff ritual that he can’t skip, even now. Sparks of electricity singe his fingertips at the touch. With a roar of engines the Colonel is airborne. Adrenaline radiates out from his chest, flowing down his arms and legs like ice water. The familiar sensations of flying smooth the jagged edges of his fury. 

Realistically, there’s only one place she could be. It’s where he was first experimented on, where the most sophisticated equipment is kept, with the highest-level security. None of that will stop him. He plots a flight path in his ship’s navigation system, then settles back in his seat. He begins regulating himself, running mental checklists, breathing deep and counting through the exhales until his heart slows. They want him panicked, vulnerable- primed to overload the goddamn Chip. Instead, he’ll be prepared.

The base is silent when he arrives. The sound of his heavy boots on the metal bridge rattle the walls. He scans the room, eyes narrowed. Signs of a hasty retreat litter the space, scattered papers, blinking screens, even a half-eaten sandwich. Caleb laughs, low in his throat. 

“Scared of me?” He strides to the far door, pressing his palm to the biometric lock. It slides open with a cold blast of pressurized air, the reader flashing green. So they haven’t locked him out just yet. “Good.”

He knows that he has to keep some level of calm. The Toring chip feels like a burning ember in his chest, flaring whenever he tips into hysteria. She’s here, somewhere. He takes slow breaths, trying to push out his senses, tendrils seeking out the heat and heart of MC. He can always feel her. He will always find her. 

A sudden wetness blooms from his fingertips, and Caleb lifts his right hand to his face. He’d been clenching his fist so hard that his nails have bitten into his palm, leaving ragged half-moons trickling blood. Painless wounds on his synthetic skin. Caleb reaches out and wipes his hand against the wall as he walks on, leaving behind a red smear of himself. Maybe it’ll point the way back out. Maybe MC will see it and know he was searching.

The base is like a labyrinth, hallways ending in smooth gray walls, nondescript rooms blending into each other, signs that contradict themselves and others that outright lie. He doubles back on himself a few dozen times before he decides to leave a trail behind- overturned chairs, broken windows, occasionally more splotches of his blood. None of it matters. If doing so could guarantee his path to her, Caleb would leave behind his own limbs.

The silence grows oppressive, clawing at him like an animal as he presses on. He thumbs his dogtags, trying to steady his nerves. Though the place has every appearance of being abandoned, it begins to feel too perfect. Calculated. Like he’s being watched. The path he’s been following stops at another dead end. 

“Lucius!” He shouts. The metal walls reflect his voice into a dizzying cacophony. “I know you can hear me!” His vision is going fuzzy at the edges, his rage blinding. “I know you have her!” A sharp pain bursts behind one eye and he stumbles, swearing.

He slams his metal fist into the closest wall. It buckles under the force of the blow, and he wishes it were flesh and bone. “I’ll carve my own path through here if you try to keep me out!” Silence. But Caleb can still feel them listening. There’s a thrum through his mechanical veins, like they can sense their maker.

“You need me more than I need you, Lucius.” He laughs bitterly. “I’m Ever’s greatest investment, aren’t I?” He unholsters and cocks his gun. He inspects the weapon as he speaks, his movements almost casual. “Imagine what a loss it would be, of time, of money, if I just…” He  lifts the gun and presses the barrel against his temple. Its weight is soothing. There’s still no answer, but he knows he’s in control. He whispers into the emptiness. “We both know I’m not bluffing, Lucius.” He keeps the bullet aimed at his brain and faces back to the dead end hall, waiting.   

For a few moments, all he can hear is his own pounding heartbeat. Then the wall slides back with a screech of metal-on-metal. Caleb smirks in triumph and flashes a sloppy salute at the ceiling. He lowers the gun as he walks into the new room. It takes a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light.

The room looks and smells like a medical bay. Empty workstations flank the entrance. A hospital cot is in the center of the back wall, nestled in a forest of tubes and wires. The faint tones of a dozen different machines sing together in a low chorus, like insects on a summer night. Men in white coats cluster around the cot, and they turn as one unit when Caleb walks forward. The moment he sees what’s they’re surrounding, their fates are sealed.

One man steps in front of the rest, his arms out in front of them like he wanted to be some kind of hero. He trembles at the look in Caleb’s eyes, and it’s the last thing he would ever do. He slams into the ground so hard that the floor panel cracks, followed by his ankles, his knees, and his hips as he crumples like a paper fan. 

Caleb’s already stepping over his body, ignoring the blood that sticks to his boots. His muscles ache already, strung like a livewire. A wave of force knocks the other men away like an afterthought, left to crumple and moan in different corners of the room. All he can see is her face.

MC’s eyes are closed, sunken into dark shadows, her face drawn and pale. The muscles of her jaw are clenched, her brow furrowed in pain, and it makes him burn . He reaches down to stroke the wrinkles from her forehead and cups her cheek gently in his palm.

“I’m sorry it took me so long. But I’m here now, okay? I won’t let them hurt you.” He turns his gaze to the snarl of machines, quickly unplugging whatever is closest, focused on untangling her from the sick web. 

One of the scientists on the ground murmurs weakly, “Don’t- you don’t know what you’re doing- she’s delicate… ”

The tenderness on Caleb’s face is ripped away in an instant, replaced by a snarl. “Don’t you fucking dare.” The man’s face bulges grotesquely, compressing in on itself under an impossible pressure. “Don’t talk about her. Don’t even fucking think about her, you piece of shit.” He knocks a machine over and the man burbles uselessly through swelling lips. “ I know what’s best for her. You’re nothing but a-”

“Ca-leb…?”

The mangled man is forgotten instantly. The furious Colonel disappears, and it’s Caleb who spins back to the bedside, frantic. “Pips? Can you hear me?” He leans over the bed, desperately searching her face. Her eyes squint open a fraction.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” He shushes her, but she fights to get the words out. “Caleb, it hurts…” 

There’s a high, thin scream in the back of Caleb’s head. The sound makes his teeth ache, a bloom of metallic-tasting pain. He feels rage surging up his throat, burning like bile, but the noise is too loud. It’s drowning out her voice, the ragged words she’s gritting out. He can’t hear, he can’t see- the sound is crawling into his eyes, blacking out his vision. He drops to one knee without meaning to. Somewhere very far away, MC is calling for him, but his body won’t react. 

Then it’s over. The world swims for a moment like a half-developed photograph, then snaps into place. He shakes his head and stands. “Pips? Can you hear me?”

She’s sitting up against the wall, pressing her hand to her mouth. “Caleb, what happened to you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You went…blank.”

He shakes his head, his smile stretched too tight. “I’m fine.” He isn’t sure what just happened, but he shoves down his fear. “I’m here now.” Caleb gathers her up in the thin sheet and lifts her gently into his arms. She feels far too light, even without his Evol. “I’m taking you home.”

“I’m so tired ,” she whispers, curling into his grasp. He runs his hands over her body, checking quickly for wounds. A constellation of bruising puncture wounds litter the inside of her elbows, evidence of repeated injections. Some of the openings are ragged around the edges. He finds thin slashes across her palms and forearms- defensive wounds.

“You fought,” he says softly. Not a question, not a surprise- but a damnation. She fought, and he wasn’t there.

“I knew you were coming for me.” He feels a nauseating buzz in his back teeth when she smiles at him.

“Of course. Of course I did. I always will.” He kisses the top of her head with trembling lips. The men littered at their feet have gone silent. Most would never make a sound again, and the thought fills Caleb with a fierce pride. He turns to the door, but there’s a figure blocking the exit. The man steps into the light with an even smile.

“Colonel. How wonderful to see you again.”

“ Lucius. ” In a heartbeat, the Professor is off the ground. He doesn’t react, even as Caleb’s Evol hurls him back against the wall. 

“Now now, Colonel. You’re a guest here. That’s no way to behave.”

Caleb can hardly form words, barely able to think through his fury. “You told me she wouldn’t be involved. How dare you? How dare you?!”

Lucius merely chuckles. “I’ve broken no promises to you. Your partner came of her own volition, isn’t that right?”

Caleb’s stomach twists. His gaze drops to MC, and he unconsciously loosens his Evol. Lucius slips a few inches down the wall.

“He’s lying.” He says it like a statement, but Caleb is almost shaking with the need to hear MC deny it, to prove him wrong. The silence that stretches before her answer drives a knife into his heart.

“It’s the truth. Caleb, I’m so sorry- I just wanted more information, I wanted to help you, and there was no one else that could give it to me- I should’ve known…” 

Lucius’s feet hit the ground with a thud that neither of them hear. 

“How could you do this? What made you think you could bargain with them?” Caleb’s voice rises and his hands tighten on MC’s limbs until she lets out a soft cry of pain. He lets go, his eyes wide and unfocused.

“I should’ve known-” She tries again, but he cuts her off. 

“They manipulated you. They tricked you into coming here. It was a trap, an experiment- they’ve wanted you from the start. Wanted to get to you through me.” He whirls on Lucius. “But it’s not going to work. We’re leaving, and you’re never going to lay a hand on her again. Not here, not in Linkon, not over my dead body.”

Lucius spreads his arms wide. “I’m certainly not going to imprison you here. Or her,” he quickly adds at Caleb’s snarl. “Neither of you will remain here against your will.” His placid smile takes on a cruel edge. “Your will being the operative word.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Caleb snaps. His skin itches, his muscles burning to move, to get MC as far away as fast as he can. He retraces the steps to his ship in his head, mapping how quickly he can get there. Lucius clears his throat like a teacher scolding a distracted child.

“As I was saying.” He steps away from the wall, brushing imaginary dust from his jacket. “Do you really think you can leave here with her without burning a hole through your head?” Lucius clicks his tongue in mock-pity. “I’m sure you’ve noticed how…volatile you’ve become, Colonel.”

“Caleb? What is he talking about?” MC’s voice is strained, her body still exhausted and aching. But he knows her well enough to see that she’s readying herself, calling on whatever reserves of strength remain to get her through what comes next, be it fighting or fleeing. He loves her. He loves her so desperately that it feels like his ribs might crack. It doesn’t matter what the old man is talking about, not now.

“Answer her,” he growls at Lucius.

“You’re a machine that’s breaking down, Colonel. Don’t you feel it? Those safeguards you so ingeniously built around your weakness…your heart. ” He gestures derisively at MC. “They’re burning out your circuits.” Caleb is frozen as he listens, and Lucius takes the opportunity to move closer, circling them. “Whenever you start to feel just a little too much. Love, rage, fear…it hurts , doesn’t it? And the body has ways of defending itself from that hurt.”

“Caleb, are you in pain?” MC’s looking up at him anxiously, trying to shift out of his arms, but his grip is firm. He still doesn’t react.

“I know you’ve been blacking out, Colonel. We know everything you’re experiencing. It’s a shame, really, that such an illustrious member of the Farspace Fleet would succumb to self-destruction. So far from the noble hero he tries to play, isn’t it?” His last words are directed at MC, and she manages to scramble out of Caleb’s hold, brimming with fury. 

“You don’t know anything about him,” she says. “Putting a fucking chip in his body isn’t enough to take away my Caleb.” 

“But that’s exactly the problem,” Lucius replies smoothly. “Your Caleb was adamant that we not disturb any of his precious memories of you with our…augmentations. Too sacred for our improvements, it seems. And we both know how stubborn he can be.” MC steps forward, her hands balled into fists, but he doesn’t falter. “It’s your Caleb who wired a bomb into his mind. For you.” She steps back, stunned into silence. She turns helplessly to Caleb, and his eyes slowly focus on her.

“MC, I-” The screaming pain returns, sharpening into an icy needle that pierces the base of his skull. Caleb snaps his mouth shut, clenching his jaw so hard that he’s afraid he might crack a tooth. The figure of MC blurs and doubles as she rushes to his side. She presses her hand to his forehead, but the touch feels like a flame. It’s all he can do to swallow a scream at the contact. “Please,” he begs, not sure if he wants her to try again or back away. He hates the tremble in his voice.

Lucius watches with a grim expression. “You see? He can’t take much more of this. He’ll lose consciousness shortly.” MC advances on Lucius again, her expression murderous. They confiscated her weapons when they took her hostage, but she doesn’t need a gun or blade to kill.

“Tell me what to do. Tell me how to fix him!” She shoves Lucius back against the wall, and he holds his hands up in a lazy surrender. 

“You can’t fix him. You’re the one who broke him.”

Speaking feels like spitting poison. “Don’t- don’t listen to him. They wanted to erase- my memories- erase you …” He heaves himself up to a crouch. “I had to protect us. I don’t…don’t regret it-” He breaks off to cough, spattering the floor with crimson droplets of blood. 

“Any moment now,” Lucius intones in MC’s ear. “He’ll be out cold.”

“You first, bastard.” She punches him squarely in the jaw and his eyes roll back. But the Professor wasn’t wrong. Behind her, Caleb slumps to the ground in a faint. The last thing he sees is the fear in MC’s eyes before everything goes black.

[majorasnightmare]

Hiiiii! 4, 19, 27 please and thank you!

HI HIIIIIIII WE'RE BACK TO CIRCLING ASK GAMES THRU THE MUTUAL CIRCLE AGAIN YAYAYAYAYAY

you always send me absolute DOOZYS of questions and theyre so fun to think about even tho i take forever to respond to them!!! THANK YOU THOOOO

get love blasted 💜

4: What's it like being known as a hero? Do they enjoy it? Are they getting shy whenever they hear a bard recount their tales? Is it too overwhelming, and they decided to try and escape it?

Oh he HATES it. "Being a Hero" means people come up and TALK to you, want to get to KNOW you, ask your opinion on stupid worthless crap like its at ALL relevant, want you to attend and preside over any number of pointless ceremonies and announcements, want your blessing and your presence and this and that from you. Its god awful and he hates every second. Furthermore now the IDEA of him has spread far beyond his control, and people are writing songs and stories and myths about a fiction they've barely interacted with, which is INFURIATING. Correcting the endless tide of propaganda and misinformation using his heroics as a backdrop is an effort in futility and one that would surely drive a man to madness, but god is he tempted to try. Someone, somewhere, is saying something completely and utterly incorrect about him with their WHOLE chest and getting into a fight with anyone who tries to correct them, and Dirge can't even strangle that person with his own hands.

Dirge's introversion actually starts to ferment into agoraphobia because of it, which Isobel notices and takes upon herself to fight against, dragging him out of the house to indulge in retail therapy and hang out far away from crowds of people. Isobel's more aware than anyone how an immortal's personality can fester and rot without frequent groundings with the material world of mortals, and in addition to taking care of Aylin she's determined to spare Dirge the pain of trying to correct a lifetime of maladaptive habits by cutting them off before they take root.

The bard's songs are still annoying regardless though.

19: How are the others doing actually? What's Durges opinion on it? Do they think their old companions are doing well, are they glad about it or maybe even resentful? Do they ever even find out?

DIRGE IS AN UNCLE BECAUSE OF THEM!! Lae'zel joins Orpheus's war against Vlaakith, and Dirge's brother Haflidi joins her once Dirge wakes up from his post-tadpole loss induced brain injury coma. Haflidi and Lae'zel hatch the Githyanki egg and raise Xan as their son, and Xan bounces between a few different houses because of the general risk of Lae'zels lifestyle. Haflidi is a part time mountain hermit, part time pirate captain, and part time Githyanki unit commander, so Xan's life has a lot of variety lol. But it means that Dirge has direct family that will NEVER have to worry about Bhaal's blood borne curse, and that alone is worth more than the heavens to him, and its thanks to Lae'zel (and his brother lmao).

Karlach takes Dirge's mental breakdown confession to heart and decides to try and wait for a cure for her engine, and goes to Avernus. Wyll, having broken his contract and saved his father, joins her as the Blade of Avernus. Astarion ends up being Dirge's weird not-romantic not-just-platonic third and lives in the manor alongside Minthara (and continues to get free juice from his favorite tap) while he figures out what to do about the vampirism and the immortality and the freedom from Cazador. Gale didn't choose to Ascend, and gave the crown over to Mystra, but he isn't quiiite ready to decide to be a university professor just yet, so he's avoiding going home to Waterdeep so he doesn't have to awkwardly confront the results of his self destructive decisions (and face his mom again LMAO) so he's more or less living out of Dirge's guestroom.

Halsin is working on revitalizing Reithwin from a century under the Shadow Curse and making a point of sheltering the lost and orphaned (though I don't think hes the type to settle in one spot, and is probably living nomadically). Jaheira is pulling a Hayao Miyazaki and "retiring" from High Harper business before sticking her nose back in it, but not nearly at the same breakneck pace she used to. Dirge and Rion are NOT letting her go back to her deadbeat mom routine LMAO. Minsc is glued at her side still.

Isobel and Aylin are working on revitalizing the Selunite sects broken down by Shar, but staying close in the area for Dirge's sake. Shadowheart is the one im LEAST sure about, as I can't decide if its more in character for her parents to die or not based on Dirge's influence, but I know that regardless she stays nearby and visits Dirge frequently.

Most of them are doing well for themselves and Dirge is happy to see it, though he mostly gets brought up to speed at the epilogue party, owing to being out of commission when everyone was deciding how they wanted to live. With the exceptions of Lae'zel, Wyll, and Karlach everyone stays in touch pretty regularly.

Is Dirge resentful of it? Slightly. Its the kind of resentment that only goes away by working on yourself. Everyone else has such... clear paths forward, in their lives. They know what they want or what they have to do, they have such clear ideas about who they are. Meanwhile Dirge is left to walk away from the broken glass shards of everything he ever used to be, having burnt every bridge back and with no way of ever knowing what would've lied there for him. Its hard not to be resentful when your the reason these people have such clarity and hope in the first place, while your left to fumble in the dark, especially when so many of your early attempts at exploring yourself were thwarted by the disinterest of those very same people. Its different now, but its hard to feel it sometimes. But thats a problem that can only be solved by forging something new for yourself, and it can't be done for you.

27: Finally, last but not least. What is Durges biggest wish now? What do they strife to attain? Peace, happiness, the food they've been craving for a solid week now?

He genuinely has no idea. His entire life has been chasing after a big capital s Something, Bhaal's love, freedom, but now that hes free of the Urge and stable with Minthara, loved and supported, he just has no idea. Theres interim goals hes pursuing, for sure, mastering fleshwarping, curing Karlach's heart condition, finding a way for Astarion to walk in the sun again (they all kinda connect dont they.), and then theres bolstering Minthara's influence and aiding her schemes and power plays, but he has all eternity to look forward to and no idea how hes going to spend it. He literally never thought he'd get here and now that he has, he's a little hollow for it.

Still far better than any of his alternatives, but Dirge is a man driven by hunger, and for the first time in his life, he's full. He has to figure out how to want when he isn't starving now.

[joseopher]

Hadestown AU

GUYS I JUST FINISHED HADESTOWN AND I CAN'T STOP IMAGINING THE AFTG CHARACTERS IT SO HERE IS MY HADESTOWN/AFTG AU Kevin = Persephone

I mean this is obvious, isn't it???

Both Kevin and Persephone struggle with drinking problems

Both Kevin and Persephone value their freedom despite still mourning/caring for those who bind them

Both Kevin and Persephone are both girlbosses that allow nothing to stand in their way

Except when it comes to certain people they no longer stand up for themselves as they normally would (trauma likely but also sometimes care and compassion)

I love how Yes, Hades brings Persephone to the underworld too early BUT SHE LETS HIM (/affectionate)

His protectiveness over Jean mirrors Persephone's protectiveness over Eurydice and his admiration for Jeremy mirrors Persephone's admiration of Orpheus

Kevin in a dress

Andrew = Hades

I was debating on this one because Hades could easily be Riko but since my reading of Hades is sympathetic and more protective than controlling I felt Andrew was better

in this au it's less Andrew forcing Kevin to do anything than Kevin hiding and feeling safer with Andrew instead of fighting or dealing with his own issues

Andrew is enabling this behaviour by not allowing Kevin to leave his protection

It's not good for either of them and breeds resentment

Andrew has similar fears as Hades, that Kevin won't be safe outside Hadestown, that Kevin will leave him for someone that isn't damaged and cold, that Kevin deserves more than him

This leads to him always bringing Kevin back earlier no matter that he leads to a longer winter and hurts the mortals

While Kevin's gone he tries to make the underworld nicer for him (though he'd never admit it) but basically inventing capitalism like Hades does

He would never force someone into the underworld tho, always making deals so they DID agree to it even if it sucks

Eurydice = Jean

I mean do I have to explain this one???

Jean has seen how the world IS with all its cruelty and unfairness

HE IS NO STRANGER TO THE WORLD, NO STRANGER TO THE WIND

But when he meets Jeremy who sees the world for what it COULD BE: kind and fair, HE STARTS TO BELIEVE THAT DREAM TOO

He is a survivor and after learning not to give up on his life he will do anything it takes to survive

When he is left to die in a storm and meets Andrew, he finds he wants to live but is riddled with doubt and nihilism that Jeremy would look out for someone like him so he accepts his deal to join Hadestown despite knowing it means never seeing Jeremy again

He quickly changes his mind after discovering what life is like without literal and metaphorical sunlight

Orpheus = Jeremy

LITERALLY SUNLIGHT GUY

CAUSES SUNLIGHT WITH HIS AWESOME SINGING

Orpheus is poor like Eurydice but still believes in the goodness of the world, Jeremy still has trauma like Jean but still believes in the goodness of the world

literally "COME HOME WITH ME🤩☀️" "...who are you?🤨🐦‍⬛" "THE MAN WHO'S GONNA MARRY YOUUU😚☀️" coded fr

Through his song and hope, inspires Andrew and Kevin to fall in love again and the world comes back into tune😌

SPRING COMES AGAIN

Those are my main headcannons, idk about the rest of the cast though so if you have ideas lemme know!

[mintytealfox]

Any headcanons about Detective Orpheus?

Yeeeeeeeeeeeee~ The creepy gremlin man who doesn't realize how scary he is lol

and sniffing all the gosh dang drugs like Alice, and him taking it a step further and DRINKING THE ONE IIMMMMM???????? Just like he did when he was still the Novelist 10 years prior LOL Alice maybe doing the same (likely and hopefully not pff) since he finds that same BOTTLE on HER DESK in HER ROOM THE FUUUUHHH???

What are these two DOIN LOL

(side note Alice is familiar with the drug cause the forgetting one was replaced with this hydra one and she was able to escape 👀:

the sticker behind the forgetting one has a hint of one of the hooks of the hydra mark but I totally could be in delusion land again loool)

ANYWAY! (gosh DANG I keep getting side tracked lol)

HEADCANONS GOSH LOL

-Bro has a HORRIBLE case of dual personality(or at least he is convinced he has dual personality. Like he is trying to convince himself he is a good person and would never do anything that he did and its just his alter ego). Where one is aware of everything and trying to lead the other who has control. But the naughty one is able to do 'minor' things such as making him see things and potentially carving clues into his skin 😱but most likely just making him see it not actually doing it, but I wouldn't put the carving past him either honestly.

-Bro hasn't slept in ages, I mean look at him lol he barely 35 and looking in his 50s (which reminds me that Norton would be 38 with 40 around the corner lol old jk jk 🤣 I bet he would age well if he has the opportunity to. I mean look at him, after all he has been through, he should be looking ROUGH considering, but here he is and still looks like a baby bean with his 30s are around the corner looool)

-I don't think he ('or his alter ego') know what happened to everyone after that night. I don't think they know if Alice is alive or not. One seeking for answers the other seeking Alice.

-Orpheus seemed to have gone on with his life and just lived as a detective for 10 years until he got a letter again, then he started loosing his marbles again. So all this time he hasn't been looking or searching, just kind of living. (what if he gave himself that letter and he is so messed up he genuinely doesn't realize like. All of his stuff is so messy I would believe that as a possibility lol everything he says is wild and everywhere oh my gosh)

I wish I had more headcanons but this dude baffles me so much, with all of his stuff being confusing and contradictory and unreliable oh my gosh LOL but he puts on the airs that he has two personalities, one trying to be a good person and find his memories while the other is like "NAHHHHH I GOT PLANS"

bro baffles me so bad man orz I want to give him the benefit of the doubt like this detective version of him does for himself, but I don't trust a darn thing cause he is so unreliable as a narrator lol

-But after all of these events and he gets all those memories again and goes back on his mess? I betcha he would hunt down Alice whether she is alive or not. orz I bet he would try to hunt down all of da capo (if they are alive or not) honestly, and try a REDO, sort of thing, to make sure it all goes RIGHT this time orz He either finds them if he can or finds people like them to try and recreate it orz I feel like Da Capo would HAUNT that 'alter ego' and its a wrong that needs to be made right 🙃

but of course these are just some thoughts/ponderings heh

[prinzessinpluto]

a little reading wrap up cuz last month was a banger :) (transcribed under cut plus some more thoughts probably)

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Bloodbook by Kim de l'Horizon

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal el-Mohtar

The Colour of Revenge by Cornelia Funke

Windzeit, Wolfszeit by Caroline Ronnefeldt

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos

Les Misérables

took me 3 1/2 months but so worth it!

loved all the tangents Hugo went on and the super romantic writing style

its far less intimidating than the 1400 pages make it look, i promise

A Darker Shade of Magic

the last Schwab book I'll ever try, I've been nothing but disappointed

I forgot that 'interesting' means something very different in YA books. I also forgot I do not enjoy YA anymore

a whole lot of NOTHING i was bored to tears

Lila especially pissed me off, what do you mean you're homeless because you like it and your biggest aspiration in life is to become a pirate are you five?????

The Bear and the Nightingale

LOVE fairytales and I dont know any russian ones so obviously i devoured this

very heavy on folklore and lots of religious trauma

incredibly vivid characters, the whole cast was so well fleshed out

Bloodbook

I have soooo many mixed feelings here (hence the missing rating) but overall i think i liked it....?

my first time coming across auto-fiction and I'm intruiged!

so much going on here so there's parts I liked and parts I didn't

my favourites were the ones about writing and Kims research into their own history

its very "self aware" which I know can be super annoying (and it kind of was.) and it comes across as pretentious a lot of the time but to me, the confusion behind it felt very genuine

Never Let Me Go

the way he controls the flow of information is so good

you simultaneously know exactly what's going on and have no clue

nothing groundbreaking but it does its job reliably

i liked that it didn't rely on shock value to hold attention, but that did make it kind of? boring?

This Is How You Lose the Time War

Phenomenal, life-changing, mindblowing stuff

a love letter to love and letters and love letters

beautiful writing

it honestly rendered me speechless, there's nothing i could say that hasn't already been said by the book, and better than I ever could

if you read just one book in your life, let it be this one. I'm so serious.

The Colour of Revenge

INKWORLD!!! my heart, my soul, these books have made me who I am

I was so scared to read this but Cornelia Funke never disappoints!!

Loved the decisions made here (such as not following the main cast of the trilogy and moving it away from ombra), such a great addition to the Inkworld Universe

this world is so magical I could talk about it forever.

hated that Orpheus was the main villain tho imo he doesn't have what it takes. to me, he reads more as pathetic man-child than Serious Threat, he worked better as Evil Adviser. BUT I guess practically he really wasn't the biggest threat here either. because Funke fucking knows what she's doing.

I don't know how popular this series is outside of german speaking countries but if you've heard of Michael Ende and the Neverending Story, you will also like this, trust. maybe start with the original trilogy tho, this won't make much sense otherwise I fear.

if the og trilogy was an ode to storytelling and the power of Words, this one holds so much love for the Goodness in people, and, as dumb as it sounds, the power of friendship? it's so hopeful, despite everyone in it being at their absolute lowest.

Windzeit, Wolfszeit

non-german speakers you are missing. out. and i feel sorry for you.

this series is basically a Hobbit Horror Story and it's fantastic

so whimsical and cozy feeling but it does not hold back with the Scaries

this second part felt much slower than the first (the Sequel Curse😔) but still brought in some new perspectives

best enjoyed in autumn (but I couldn't wait)

there's so much HORRIFYING stuff going on but even with all that, there's still the comfort of good company. which is tragic because they are also very much in danger. but you're in danger togetherrrr

I've honestly been racking my brain as to HOW Ronnefeldt is doing this but I'm just not. sure.

whatever it is I need more, immediately.

Muse of Nightmares (pt. 1)

like the first part, 'muse of nightmares' got split in two during translation, presumably because it would have gotten too long, and I am hating this decision

fun, but not strong enough to stand on its own

very tender writing but the plot is falling far behind

mixed feelings here but the writing is pretty

A Winter's Promise

THESE TWO!!!! the romance in this series is driving me crazy but it's so perfect

highly skilled writing!! everything Dabos did is so so smart they should teach classes using this

neurodivergency galore, and not just the characters (yes, all of them.) but the world itself? somehow??

not at all what you'd expect but sooo much better for it

seriously, whatever you THINK is gonna happen is not going to happen. none of it. I PROMISE!

I've never seen anything like these books it's so innovative with what it's doing!! cannot recommend enough!

surprisingly my only reread last month,, I almost feel bad

[burningexeter]

[HEADCANON/FAN THEORY]

The Venture Bros. and its finale movie Radiant Is The Blood Of The Baboon Heart takes place in the same large shared universe as many other media ranging from movies, TV shows and video games that deal with several different types of unconventional protagonists and ensembles not just facing the odds but fighting against the highest stakes ever imaginable with Venture Bros. occurring over the course of 2016 to 2018 thanks to a certain prediction that Dr. Orpheus made coming true with Action Man at the end of the Morphos Trilogy.

In Chronological Order:

• Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal

• Far Cry Primal

• Clash Of The Titans (1981)

• Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

• Apocalypto

• Wolfwalkers

• Pirates Of The Caribbean Trilogy

• The Mask Of Zorro

• Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes Duology

• Deathwatch (2002)

• The Mummy (1999)

• Where Eagles Dare

• Overlord (2018)

• Inglourious Basterds

• The Exorcist (1973)

• Exorcist III: Legion (1990)

• The Nice Guys

• Thief (1981)

• Big Trouble In Little China

• Tales From The Crypt Presents Demon Knight

• Heat (1995)

• Blade (1998) and Blade II

• Trick r Treat

• Breaking Bad Trilogy

• Sons Of Anarchy Duology

• Alan Wake (2010) and Alan Wake II

• Attack On Titan (the first two seasons)

• Krampus

• Control (2019)

• The Invisible Man (2020)

• Wrath Of Man (2021)

• Wildwood (2025)

• Upgrade (2018)

and finally

• The DOOM Series (1993 OG, Hell On Earth, 3, 64, 2016 and Eternal)

Notes/Details/Trivia:

• Whatever you don't see here, it ain't canon here to help streamline things and better yet help keep the quality consistent. Then again, Blade Trinity and The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor not being canon isn't a bad thing at all really.

• This universe, even though it's headcanon just for fun, explores the multiple different perspectives to this world with their own different and distinct tones, styles and aesthetics cause that's part of the fun. You can have something that's huge in scale, insane and fantastical but cynical like The Venture Bros. but you can also have something that's dark, grounded and gritty like Breaking Bad.

• Another thing that helps connect them all including The Venture Bros. is that no matter how epic, insane, violent, out-of-control etc. as they all get, they always remain either somewhat grounded or grounded to some degree.

• It all culminates into the events of the DOOM series, serving as I guess what you would say is the Infinity War and Endgame to this universe with the Doom Slayer being the last one standing to finally put an end to this all that started way back in the prehistoric ages with Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal.

• Now this should be an interesting take to anyone who reads this - if they are all in the same insane universe with the highest body count ever than what, does Ezekiel "EZ" Reyes know any of the heroes and villains of The Venture Bros. or does Jesse Faden know Walter White? To answer that, the answer is a very painfully obvious "No".... BUT EZ knows OF the heroes and villains of The Venture Bros. because they're all famous like how he knows of Brad Pitt, George Clooney or Angelina Jolie cause they're famous while Jesse Faden knows OF Walter White because he's infamous like how she knows of Pablo Escobar, the Unabomber or Osama Bin Laden because they're infamous.

• Now last but not least, with the first two (and BEST) seasons of Attack On Titan being the only canon things here with it, you're probably wondering with the series finale on its way how does it end in the Venture Bros. Universe if that's what we're calling it?

Well here's how it ends in this universe —

It ends with Mikasa Ackerman and Historia Reiss, now an official romantic couple, looking out into the sunset on the beach shore and what they say to each other in that awesome fanart from Larkei are the final lines of the series.

Oh, and the Funimation English Dub is the canon version because it's way too good to not be.

[parasite-core]

I have more to say about how I feel about the ending of BG3 after beating it as both an evil Bhaalspawn and a redeemed hero. End game spoilers under the cut.

I don’t like what I feel like the game is saying about the ultimate reward for being a good person, at least from my perspective after playing through twice. In my evil game Calio had virtually no allies, he’d caused the deaths of almost all his companions and the ones he still had were either on their own paths to being villains or miserable. Then he took control of the Netherbrain, betrayed the last few people who actually trusted him and handed the world to Bhaal on a silver platter. The final scene is him on a throne of bone surrounded by his mind-controlled ‘friends’ while he uses godlike power to wipe out some attacking Githyanki. He gets everything he wanted, essentially. Power and no one being able to stop him as he razes the universe to the ground in his god’s name. He is happy in his absolutely twisted way as the world burns.

Then we have Adramelek, who fought against the monster within himself and won. He denied Bhaal and was given a second chance at life as his own person. He helped all of his friends to become their best selves. He fought tooth and nail to save not just this city or this world but even the Githyanki and anyone else he came across who he could lend help to.

And what does he get in the end? He has no choice but to sacrifice himself and turn into a mindflayer, otherwise he’d have to damn the Githyanki to their slavery at Vlaakith’s hands by either letting the Emperor kill Orpheus or by letting Orpheus make the ultimate sacrifice for his people and become a mindflayer himself. Addy couldn’t betray Lae’Zel’s trust like that, not after he’d spent so long promising her that he would help to save her people.

So in the end the city is saved, everyone is celebrating, it’s a beautiful happy moment. All of Addy’s friends survived. Karlach and Wyll have a lead for fix for her heart. Lae’Zel is fighting a revolution alongside Orpheus, and has learned and grown so much at Addy’s side that she can even be Orpheus’ diplomat. Shadowheart is traveling and finding herself for the first time in her life. Gale is teaching students the ways of the Weave and is finally free from the mistakes of his past. And while Astarion had to return to the shadows, he’s learned to accept himself as he is, and is actually genuinely happy despite his lot in life. The world at large is so much better than it was before Addy touched it.

And yet Adramelek is a mindflayer, losing what is left of himself, seeing his once beloved friends as ‘valuable assets’, having to fight against himself to not try to eat their brains. Astarion doesn’t know how much of the man he loved is even in there anymore, and they parted ways, deciding to just be friends while they figured out this new situation. So Addy lost the most loving and dear relationship to him he had, and he doesn’t even remember how to properly feel sad about it.

The world is happy, at peace, and on its way to healing. But the one who saved it is damned.

So what do these two stories tell us? That doing the right thing will destroy you and make you miserable even as those around you are lifted up, and that being a terrible person will get you everything you want so long as you don’t mind destroying everything and everyone around you? That’s so fucking cynical. I hate it. It leaves such a sour taste in my mouth.

[dendrophalaen]

can we talk about baldur's gate i've been dying to talk about baldur's gate

(spoilers below, mostly about act 3 and the ending)

i'm sure these points have already been discussed MANY times and by people who are better at articulating their words than i am. BUT I GOTTA TALK ABOUT THIS STUPID GAME CONSUMING MY MIND (brain worms (real) (tadpole) (not clickbait))

very rambly

i am a cut content truther

i did not play Early Access but bring daisy back!! i think she is more interesting than what the guardian became

daisy can still be the manifestation of the tadpole and the guardian is there to steer you away from its influence. plus down by the river gets to make sense again

obviously the guardian is the emperor, who does have an interest in convincing you to embrace the tadpole powers in canon HOWEVER. in my silly little fanon, the emperor wants you sane and/or manipulatable enough to work with him to defeat the elder brain, so he would discourage the use of the tadpole

why would he NEED tav to be a mind flayer too? 🤨 like buddy what if i'm a STRONGER rogue illithid than you are and i ruin your plans?

there should've been actual consequences for consuming tadpoles/using the powers (even with the emperor's/orpheus' protection) → as in: you start to lose control and your sense of self because you are accelerating ceremorphosis

not sure how that would work game mechanics-wise, but it gives more weight to the dilemma of choosing to use the tadpole or not than just "raaa i am upholding my morals and values i want to stay 100% non-illithid raaaa" (which i think is a valid reason but feels a bit flimsy)

speaking of orpheus, i think he should've had a more active role earlier on in the story than being reserved for the very very end, whether that be actually being freed from his prison or just a way for tav to interact with him

just some way of getting to know him better instead of just taking voss' and lae'zel's word for his character (i guess taking the gamble on if orpheus is trustworthy IS part of the story and my tav was stupid enough to do that, but i feel like there are many companions/other tavs who would rather make a more informed decision) lol

emperor... what a guy (it/he)

it would've been so funny to play up his straight man/Only Sane Man role, especially for a tav who is easily distracted off doing side-quests

no fun allowed (emperor) vs yes fun allowed (daisy)

anyway he is SO frustrating like he says he's Special and not like other mind flayers because he still has his personality, but at the same time he says "i can't help it i'm a mind flayer"

WELL WHICH IS IT (this may be the point. to cast doubts over trusting his words. i am still allowed to hate it though)

was balduran already an asshole. is that why his personality stayed

ooohhh OOOOOHHH BALDURAN/ANSUR. WHY DO THEY GOTTA BE DIVORCED OLD MEN (affectionate)

dear ansur.... i'll always be your balduran....

I WOULD TREAT ANSUR RIGHT

(← dragonborn tav)

let me ride this undead dragon into battle just to kick the emperor's ass

SPEAKING OF kicking the emperor's ass, i hate how freeing orpheus makes the emperor throw a tantrum about trust and join the netherbrain

mfer i can trust you WHILE ALSO disliking the idea of imprisoning and exploiting a whole ass PERSON

YOU SAW WHAT I DID FOR NIGHTSONG

i've seen people speculate that it's because the emperor believes he has a higher chance of survival by siding with the netherbrain and willingly allows himself to be dominated by it

but i think it is so. stupid 😭 cmon man it can't just be two binary choices for you (get killed by orpheus vs join the netherbrain) i'm sure there's a secret third option we can work out

it would've made more sense to just have a fight in the astral plane right then and there over the netherstones (but he wouldn't initiate an unnecessary battle where he would be outnumbered lmao)

plus that choice/ending should've factored in more of what your relationship with the emperor was (making overall positive/cooperative choices over the course of the game → chance of convincing the emperor to stay on your side or something)

IT'S JUST SO SUDDEN

i had more things to say but i forgot them all. the emperor scrampled my brain and i would let him do it again

also i'm still early in act 1 in my dark urge playthrough, so i do not have thoughts on how durge aspects fit in with everything yet :]

i love this game i like to think about it

[vulpinesaint]

Tbh i have no clue what that meeting was about I spaced out for most of it and i'm hoping to god i didn't accidentally sign up to teach nightmare algebra 10000 in japanese next semester

Okay i'm replying in a messy messy way sorry if it doesn't make any sense, it's just a random collection of thoughts.

I didn't know you could play Hades on the phone, i'll check it, im curious i really wonder if the gameplay is the same as the computer game... Cause i can't imagine not playing it with the controller and it's also really tempting to be able to play anytime....... i first started playing on my computer and then moved on to the switch version so i could play on the tv and now i'm back to the computer version so overall i'm at above 400h on Hades I and a bit more than 100h on Hades II.... these games have carried me through the past few years, and it's so cool to see the fandom evolve and get bigger. I've seen so many gorgeous fan art since Hades II got out!

Oh, Zeus's cast is probably the best on its own, especially if you pair it with the boon that adds the jolted effect! If you like playing with Varatha tho i'd highly recommend you give a try to Ares's cast paired with any of Aretmis's boons (my favorite is on the attack paired with the flurry jab hammer or something that makes it faster for increased dps)- you'll then be able to be offered their dual boon, which turns your cast into big vortexes that deal an incredible amount of damage to the nearest enemy and follows it around. If you can have Hermes's legendary that automatically brings your casting stones back to you once the vortex fades it might be the easiest most lethal combo you can get on the spear!

Omg the Dio boons are sooooo good! Hangeover is probably the best status curse.... I looked it up a while ago and it's technically not supposed to be the most dps effective and that was such a shock! It's probably the easiest to pair tho so maybe that's why it's so lethal.... The combo heartbeak/hangover is my favorite, especially on the fists. That was the first build that took me to the top... The fists, zagreaus's aspect, with hangover on the attack and heartbreaker on the dash, plus hermes's keepsake which means that there's about 80% chance whenever you get hit that you automatically dodge so you happily mash buttons while taking zero damage..........

Poor Meg, she's not paid enough to deal with the amount of shit she does.... Did you meet her sisters yet? For the magma damage i'm afraid it never gets easier i just made my peace with banking on athena's bronze skin boon and hope for the best lmao.

Alsooooo try playing with different weapon aspects as soon as you can unlock them, it really is a lot of fun and gives dimension to your runs i swear it makes the game way harder but it's a really cool challenge ! I hate the adamant rail, never used it too much. Tbh the bow is only cool if you max Charon's aspect and you have a nice boon on the special. Other than that it's quite an awkward weapon to play that's the least you can say......

the cursed slash is incredible (i think you can pair it with flurry too? )

Yea! I love what they did with Zag's initial myth (or lack thereof) since his origins aren't quite clear in the mythology. So you get to see the construction of his myth, how others see and interpret his actions, the deformations and everything that comes into play with oral traditions. You'll see what i mean when you get to know Orpheus better! Also love that he's such a loser lover boy, couldn't see him any other way....

Anyway have a nice day and good luck with work!

went "man i should be able to play on the tv..." today and went and casted it onto the tv and there was kind of a delay. and i had to muscle memory it. but it was like being able to play on the big screen using my phone as a controller... very cool... lots of fun... my mom was in the room and said "the soundtrack to this game is very intense..." yes mother. i am currently fighting theseus and the minotaur. those are pretty intense guys

i do like the blade rifts! been playing around with the one that appears when you dash i like that one... i'm personally leaning more toward cast effects that cover a big area but i'll try the ares one out when i get a chance! keeping that combo in mind for sure 🫡

GOT PAST ELYSIUM!!!!!!!! took me another try on the boss fight (and a few more to actually Get to the boss fight haha) but i got it!! hangover and ranged varatha attacks my best friend... turns out all i had to do was. buy back all my death defiances right before going into elysium so i could die twice in that battle. lmao. you know how it is

made it up to the surface though and did the first part of the hades boss fight :D was CRUSHED when his health reloaded i had budgeted my health so carefully to get through that... and then there was a whole new boss fight to do... was just thinking that it was surprisingly easy. should've known. gratified as hell though that was awesome. so glad that i got to give cerberus a treat and not fight him i was so fucking scared for a second there

i did meet meg's sisters!! i've beaten tisiphone a bunch of times but alecto's only shown up once or twice... i have killed her. but only like one time. kind of fascinated and delighted with them i wanna see into their brains. what's going on w/ u loca...

i will follow your advice on the aspects for sure... i have zagreus' aspect unlocked on the spear but i am. still unsure what they actually are. the aspects i mean. i suppose i will find out though haha :D shout out trial and error and figuring things out i love trial and error and figuring things out!!!

orpheus is kind of pissing me off rn tbh... i will always root for him and eurydice and i believe that orpheus will always turn around just as anyone would. but also i always side with women and eurydice is mad at him so 🫡 suck it up bitch she doesn't want anything to do with you rn 🫡 this is also because i am orpheus boy forever haha so anytime he's being pathetic i'm sitting around going that should be meeeeeee pouting and being pretty over the lyre. put me in coach. i would sing so beautifully and i would go get my girl back again <3

anyway. my hades thoughts for the day haha

[randomfoggytiger]

Mulder's Alien Baby Baby Trauma In-Depth (Part XVII): Two Steps Forward, and Going Down Swinging

In the wake of feeling professionally replaced (and betrayed), Mulder continues to commandeer the Galpex-Orpheus oil rig... that is, until Doggett begins to assert his own dominance, too.

In other words: how does their dynamic change, now that Agent Doggett is head of the files?

SHIFTING HIERARCHIES

We left off with Agent Mulder making Agent Doggett jump through hoops to prove himself-- antics which have, by degrees, whittled away the patience Doggett kept doling out for his partner's wayward partner.

Now, however: enough is enough.

"Agent Mulder! Don't walk away when I'm talking to you!” Doggett demands, roaring up behind the aforementioned man (who is studiously ignoring every word he’s saying.) Patience thoroughly thinned, his voice-- while controlled-- projects across the oil rig: the days of biting his tongue are over. “Like it or not I've been assigned this case-- one call to the Deputy Director and you’re canned for insubordination.”

Instead of addressing his claims, Mulder deflects, “How are you going to call when the radio’s broken?”

“Hey, don’t push me, Agent Mulder.”

Mulder pulls up short, turns, and faces Doggett coolly. “You won’t do it.”

“You think?”

“We're both in the same boat, Agent Doggett. We're just paddling in different directions.” Which is an admission, albeit late and smugly given, of Mulder’s feelings and reservations: Doggett’s not a bad man, nor a simple cog in the machine. He is, however, allowing himself to be used as such-- Mulder believes-- which is a danger in and of itself. But instead of communicating this directly, he characteristically dodges a straight answer-- a behavior Mulder is forced to overcome (forced to grow up from, in a way) halfway through Vienen.

Fed up with uncooperative grabs for leadership, Doggett lays down the law. “No, we’re not going in different directions here-- we’re going in one direction. My direction.” 

Snapping his head in a faint nod, Mulder’s mouth drops open slightly as he considers how to challenge this new angle. Despite feeling affronted, a tinge more respect floats to the surface: he can't help respecting someone who confronts him honestly, in spite (or because of) all his difficult, sanctimonious, cryptid approaches and critiques-- trust through transparency, essentially (which is also how he can easily be manipulated, be it from Phoebe Green or Alex Krycek or Diana Fowley or Karin Berquist or etc.) 

Following Doggett’s authoritative footsteps, Mulder raises his voice across the sparse, accumulated distance. Nasally and matter-of-fact, he argues, “I don't think Kersh expects you to come back empty-handed on this one. Since you have already told me about what you think about this case in so many words, I don't see you coming back with anything that's gonna protect anybody's business interests.” 

Thoroughly riled, Doggett stops and slowly turns, slightly grimacing with contempt. “Wow, you really got me pegged. Anything that doesn't fit in my narrow field of vision might as well not exist, is that right Agent Mulder?” 

Mulder stares, then slightly nods and gulps-- pegged, and a little impressed at Doggett's combined insight and complete self-control. An accusation of this nature would have made him or Scully blaze up, but not his replacement. Agent Doggett, then, isn’t as soft-bellied as he'd supposed... which shouldn't be too surprising, given the man's penchant for taking undeserved punches and still saving lives days later (post here.)

Although Mulder doesn’t deny the accusation, he doesn’t need to: his faulty perception has been revealed. The past has already justified his replacement: Doggett, for all his practical, probable skepticism, still encouraged Scully to take leaps of faith in their cases-- he’d studied Mulder’s methods, notated its success, and trusted to that process, to the work, in Mulder's absence. The exiled x-file agent doesn’t know this, of course-- his former partner hasn’t told him about her new partner’s recruitment, or about Doggett’s journey towards a form of belief, or about Doggett’s steadfastness and loyalty. And why hasn't Scully told him about everything? Because Mulder didn’t want to hear it; and, resurrections and PTSD and abruptions aside, perhaps she wasn’t ready to get into a larger conversation over issues that would resolve themselves in a few weeks (via her maternity leave), especially in light of their recent reconnection. This is, of course, speculation built off of Mulder's hinted one-liner (previous post here), but it fits quite well with what we’re given in Alone. 

Besides, Mulder previously glimpsed Doggett's floundering struggle with, but not complete rejection of, the unknown (post here)-- a truth he'd set aside in wounded pride (post here.)

“So why is this man Taylor lying?” Doggett asks, seeing that he’s nailed Mulder’s motives and proven himself again in some small measure. “You do know he's lying, don’t you?”

Bobbing his head and licking his lips in agreement, Mulder drops the cynicism and gives John Doggett an honest, upfront answer: “I think he knows the truth about what happened. And he may not be the only one.”

The other agent, however, is not charmed by this admission-- too little, too late; too many bits and pieces that add up to a mercurial, paranoid loon. 

“I never would have believed it, these stories about you”-- gives away Agent Doggett’s position, as well. Up to this point, he’d borne Mulder’s antics with the graceful assumption that there was ‘more than meets the eye’. Agent Mulder was the crazy man burrowed away in the basement, yes; but the extent of his conspiracy theories for something as simple as turf wars over an oil rig-- Doggett assumes-- frustrates, baffles, and disappoints. 

Eyebrows pumping-- guard shooting right back up-- Mulder prods, “Really-- what stories are those?”

“That you can find a conspiracy at a church picnic.”

Again, nodding; again, reasserting dominance; again, changing his opinion, Mulder concludes, “What church?” before he walks ahead, leaving Doggett’s consternation in the dust.  

GOING DOWN SWINGING

Here we reach the first marker for Mulder’s resignation decision, and the boldest on-screen nudge, thus far, of his impending fatherhood-- which we all know at this point is criminal, particularly so because David Duchovny would have loved to flesh out the more personal aspects of his character’s challenges and changes. But I digress.  

Scully calls the oil rig with salient and pressing information; and before she’s either disconnected or connected through to Doggett, Mulder intercepts the comms. 

“Well I’m sorry, Agent Doggett’s gone fishing. Can I take a message please?” He slides into the chair, lips gleefully glued to the microphone-- tickled to talk to Scully.

“Mulder?” she questions-- not tickled to find him there. Big consequences-- huge-- if this gets out. 

“I was just in the neighborhood.” 

“Mulder, you can’t just flout orders like this. It’s not like old times-- Kersh isn’t going to tolerate this.” 

“Kersh doesn’t need to know.”

“Mulder….” 

It’s like old times: Mulder sneaking off to the sea somewhere, unable to let the evidence get away yet unwilling to take Scully down with him (ex. Tooms, Triangle, etc.) And like old times, he knows he can completely trust her: “You need me out here, Scully, you know that better than anyone.”

But a neat little twist happens (the second for Mulder in a span of hours): Scully agrees with him, openly-- “I hate to say, as of this morning, I’d have to agree”-- so openly that he immediately realizes she’s been sneaking around, too.

“Who’s flouting orders-- you found something, didn’t you, in that victim’s body? The virus?” 

It’s a delightful little punch of character work, a reminder to the audience that Scully has grown since Mulder’s abduction-- that she is willing to take leaps separate from her partner (old and new) in order to follow her own instincts. In this case, conducting Simon de la Cruz’s autopsy instead of shipping the body back wholesale to Mexico, weaseling around top-down commands in order to do so. Mulder takes this in stride, without comment: it's just enough like "old times"-- as he mentioned in the previous post-- that he can lose track of the differences in his post-abduction reality.

“Yes, I did; and it’s dead, Mulder.” 

“Dead? What killed it?” Puzzled, sucked into another mystery, he swipes at his nose, churning through variables. 

“Possibly radiation.”

“But that’s not possible--”

“I know,” Scully cuts in, not wanting to waste a precious second. “And this could be an isolated event, but that he’s infected at all means that everybody out there could be at risk. And that means you and Agent Doggett.” 

She stresses 'you', here, but the original purpose of her call was to back up Doggett-- an excellent carry-over from Medusa, and a neat little foreshadowing of the guilt complex she will battle in Alone. Even so, she, again, stresses 'you' because Mulder's unaccounted for presence has thrown a wrench in her subterfuge.

“We got to quarantine this rig,” Mulder decides. 

“No, Mulder-- you need to get off the rig.”

His face shifts, tongue lapping his lips as Scully offers up a faulty alternative.

“Have Agent Doggett give the order. We can quarantine you and the crew when we get back there.” 

“Scully, if these men are infected, the last place we want them is onshore where they can infect other people. You’re sitting on the answer right there, Scully. The body: you can find the virus, you can find what knocks it out, you can find what kills it.” 

Uncomfortably, she shifts, eyes clouding over, voice strained. “And what if I can’t?”-- the old undertow that steals her confidence from time to time, the one she battled in his absence (i.e. Patience, Badlaa, etc.), rears its ugly head.

And this, this is the moment Mulder realizes the costs of his position: tilting his head, he contemplates the possibility of his death, troubled--

--then freezes, looking up at the sky as he remembers his child. 

“When he, uh,” Mulder begins, closing his eyes and wincing over his words, “when he gets old enough, tell the kid I went down swinging.” His tone is no longer evocative, insistent, or charged… in fact, his voice has dropped a few decibels and sounds someplace close to defeated. 

In the fervor of saving the world, chasing the truth, hounding after the "Them" that continually puppet and destroy the lives of others, he forgot about the one person who can’t take care of itself, who utterly and wholly relies on him (and Scully.) In Three Words, Mulder knew the baby was his (posts here and here) but was too consumed with staying afloat to fully embrace the child, let alone the responsibility of having someone else rely on him. He was afraid, moreover, to drag Scully and the baby down with him. In Empedocles, he and his partner had a talk off-screen (post here) that prepared him for the next step: a present at the apartment, a hand on her belly, a commitment to the child in the form of a Mulder family heirloom. And now he’s here, commitment is staring him in the face. As Mulder feared in Three Words, he is letting Scully and the baby down. The only recourse left (is to solve the case, save the day, and get home in one piece. 

But what about next time? Who can he rely on to save the world in his stead? It’s a question Mulder has to confront and come to terms with-- and one he does (or attempts to do) in Vienen’s final scene.

Scully immediately heaves a sigh at his words-- refusing, absolutely refusing to engage with this hypothetical-- and orders him, “Let me talk to Agent Doggett.” Whenever Mulder gives up, it’s usual for Scully to step up to the plate and drag him to reason… however, it’s new that she asks for someone else in his stead. Is she replacing him, considering his opinion less than or his tactics faulty? No: she is simply doing everything she can to make sure the father of her child makes it off that rig. 

Her partner, meanwhile, resents that Doggett’s advice would be worth her attention. “Agent Doggett’s not here right now.”

“Yes, I am,” barks Doggett, a frowning, sturdy figure in the doorway. When he demands, “Who’s on the radio?” Mulder brushes him off-- plopping the headphones down, flailing his arms, and stalking out of the room-- without disconnecting the channel.

It’s likely, perhaps, that Doggett could have talked to Agent Scully if he hadn’t followed Mulder out, incensed again. So, did one agent storm and shrug off the other, on purpose, to draw the bull away with a flag?

BATTLE PLANS

“Who you talkin’ to?” Doggett insists, escalating to a sharp, “Hey!” when he isn’t answered. 

“That was Agent Scully.”

“What’d she say?”

Mulder keeps walking, facing away as they head into a sheet of steam. “She said it was lucky that I’m out here.”  

“No, you’re lucky I’m lettin’ you stay.” Stressed, wired, and at his limit, Doggett reroutes his voice from its taut, wounded note to a hushed, firm one. “You got information important to this investigation, then I better well know about it. I’m in charge out here, Agent Mulder.” 

Again, Mulder responds to that transparently commanding appeal, turning around and looking his compatriot directly in the eye. 

“Alright, then go ahead and take charge. Only you might not like what it means in this case. What you’re going to have to do with that information you’re so anxious to have.”

And, while the dialogue and marked lack of a response isn’t… the best writing, the challenge is clear: here’s your shot, prove me wrong. 

Agent Doggett, sensing that challenge, is ill at ease; but he takes up the gauntlet, regardless, and leads the lock-down debriefing on the rig. Mulder hangs back, respecting his position-- approving, silently; and when Doggett walks over later, he invites him along without second thought to locate one of the missing crewmen. 

It’s the barest whiff of camaraderie, but both men seem to have struck a bargain for another test drive. 

Fresh off of quarantine orders, replacement agent wants answers: “So, what are you hoping to find, Agent Mulder? Honestly?” 

As they talk shop, Mulder finally begins to share theories-- or shadows of theories, opening up the more Doggett takes his answers in stride. It’s the same method Agent Doggett used on newly un-parterned Scully, one that seems to work well on both Spookys.

Still, all they’re working off of is hunches; and Doggett isn’t too keen on building an investigation solely around guesswork-- particularly when it's Mulder's guesswork; and even more particularly when it shuts down an oil rig involved in a dicey American and Mexican territory dispute. 

“You know? I quarantine a whole oil rig without any evidence to support what you’re saying-- not one thing-- but you still have yet to give me a straight answer as to what you think is going on out here. If these men are hiding something, if they’re protecting something, what is it?” 

“I don’t know yet,” Mulder confesses.

“And when you do, let me know-- 'cause I’ve got to get on the radio to justify this action.” Mirroring their walkabout before, Doggett switches up positions by taking the lead.

And like before, Mulder takes up pursuit-- but this time, he hangs back a second, struggling internally. This time, he has to confront an uncomfortable truth: if he's going to work with Doggett, he's going to have to trust him a bit more-- a precursor to that leap of faith. This time, Mulder must acknowledge that two are still better than one, even if the other half of the team is not someone he cares to confide in-- even if he, himself, is technically no longer part of the team.

What would mucking up the potential of the case through reticence prove? And truthfully, that wasn't (and isn't) his goal, regardless-- but he still needs to communicate this; and to communicate this, Mulder has to stop clinging to a bruised ego and admit to his own shortcomings, baring the fragility of his theories to the new X-Files head for assessment and judgment. In short, he must be vulnerable.

“Agent Doggett,” he calls out, “I didn’t come out here just to bust you. I’m telling you, I’ve seen this substance. I’ve seen how it can take over a man’s body. This crew could be infected and not even know it. They may have no idea they’re being controlled.” 

Giving him a processing, though still skeptical look, Doggett leans over, swipes some oil on his finger, and purses his lips as he prods, “This? This is what you’re saying is going to take over my body?”

Mulder jostles his head, annoyed and uncomfortable. 

“Well,” Doggett continues, “when’s it going to kick in?” 

Mouth clenched, the oil expert shakes his head stiffly. “That’s not how it works,” he insists softly. “It body jumps from man-to-man; and I’m not sure that it’s in all oil.” 

Turning sarcastic at Mulder’s uncertainty, Agent Doggett adds, “Well, that’s a relief, because only ninety percent of the planet is dependent on the stuff.” 

This statement snaps the disparate pieces together; and Mulder's face hardens in realization: the representative of Galpex oil lied. 

“What, he’s infected, too?” Doggett snips; but his asides and warnings-- “You’re reaching, Agent Mulder”-- are lost in the other's madcap rambling. Finally, he turns to leave, only stopping with restraint as Mulder calls after him.

“Agent Doggett! What, wh-what, what if that’s why this man is hiding-- Diego Garza-- because he knows what they’re up to; and he knows what they’re up to because he’s the only one who’s not infected with this alien virus?” 

“Alright, he knows,” Doggett concedes, willing to play along. “Why doesn’t he just come down and tell us?” 

And suddenly, without warning, an alarm blares out across the rig. Doggett takes off, but it’s Mulder who passes him up and arrives at their destination first. 

The radio room is on fire.

CONCLUSION

And there we have it-- progress has been made.

Now: into the inferno.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[sqgeism]

* pairings : orpheus de ross x gender neutral reader

* prompt : a novelist is left to write about his feelings for the person who he loves dearly, surely he couldn't struggle doing that, right? (wrong.)

* authors note : i love orphy sososos much <3 first fic,, reqs r open ♡.

ORPHEUS was a man who could express himself better with a pen and paper rather than use his own words. He was more than capable of doing so, but some things tend to leave him tongue tied. And there was someone that he wanted to have them untie it for him.

You were someone who shared unconditional kindnes to Orpheus, at the time, he really didn't think much of it. He appreciated your kind gestures, but never reciprocated. It was until one day, you had written him a good luck note, and given it to him before his games would start within the day.

It wasn't much, but the little gesture left an impact. The next day, he had approached you with a small smile and a letter in hand, an expression that you didn't often see from him. Nevertheless, you smile and give your due thank you.

One letter turned to two, two into three and three to a box-full of little notes and letters that the two of you were exchanging in the span of a few months.

Orpheus had grown fond of you in that time, he'd never admit it, but he'd often miss you dearly, and would read the letters he collected in your voice while you're gone. and those of the manor knew it.

"Confess to them already!" Suggested Emily,

"Man up and tell them before someone else does." said Naib,

"Just take your time and confess when you're ready." Patricia sighed.

None of those ideas he was a fan of, mostly because it involved actually telling you how he felt. Which in truth, he didn't want to do, nor was it any of their business to be snooping on his love life.

But despite believing it was for the best to stay friends, his evergrowing feelings were getting harder to control, as the simple brush against your fingertips made him ever so quietly flustered.

snap snap.

The sound of fingers snapping caught his attention.

"Orpheus?" Alice, his dear friend called out. "You're usually not so lost in thought, do you have something in mind?" She asked, snapping Orpheus back into reality as he now recalled he agreed to meet her for tea. So currently, they were in Alice's room. She sat on her chair, while Orpheus sat on her bed across to her.

"Well, it's more.. someone." He replies, clearing his throat as Alice couldn't help but smile. "Oh? Have you found someone you're interested in?" She teased, but Orpheus remained quiet. His silence speaking much louder than the words he would never admit.

"You have?!"

"You of all people, should have been the last one to know."

Alice was immediately overjoyed, "I thought you would die alone and sad! Oh my gosh, who is it?!" she questioned eagerly. "One, rude. Two.. its (name)." He admitted honestly, not bothering to hide his feelings or anything of the sort.

Alice's eyes practically lit up. "(name)!? I knew it! You two have been spending an awful lot of time together, and the way you couldn't help but cover your mouth after speaking to them was such an obvious sign! You do not simply like them, you are inlove with them!" She accused him of his love crimes, and admittedly, he pleaded guilty. Hanging his head down low as he hid his red cheeks.

"Yes, I may or may not be inlove with them. But I.. I don't know exactly how to tell them. Actually, I'm not even sure if i want to" He puts his cup of tea on her desk. Almost mumbling that entire ramble as Alice puts her index over her lips, as if she was in thought.

"How about you write a letter? You seem to be good at it, and it'll be sweet! Sure, theres a difference using your voice in a confession compared to a letter, but at least they'll be able to keep your words and preserve it forever. It's almost like that the paper is a promise to them! As long as those words are written by you, for however long they last, you promise to stay true to the words you wrote." She suggests with a snap of a finger and a small smile.

Though the idea sounded really corny, Orpheus couldn't deny that it would've been easier. He was always better on paper than in person, and he couldn't deny that he could write a novel long confession for you. Cause thats how you made him feel, with a simple gesture of kindness, you had even the most stoic and calm man stumbling over his words. So surely, it wouldn't be the hardest thing to do.

If only he knew how badly he'd eat those words later. Cue to the fact it's 11pm, Orpheus' usually tidy and organized hair turned to a mess as he pushes it back for the 10th time. Crumpling the 16th paper and dumping it in the trash, usually Orpheus wouldn't mind a Writers Block, but the fact he asked you to meet him in the Dining Room tomorrow made him really stressed.

"Maybe I should call it off.." But even before he could finish that thought, he could already hear Alice's nonestop scolding about being afraid of his own feelings. But maybe he was, maybe he was afraid of his own feelings, very specifically the fear of losing you because of it. He's read it a thousand times in several novels, the guy confesses to the person they love and boom. They lose them. He didn't want that to happen, especially not with you.

However, Orpheus didn't want to be a man filled with regret. So he emptied his mind, grabbed a pen and he focused on one of the very few things that mattered in his life. You.

It's 6AM, the manor was playing classical music on it's exact cue. You sat in one of the Dining Room chairs, humming to yourself while waiting for Orpheus to arrive. While the man himself was having Alice tell him for the 100th time that his hair looked fine, but put his pants on backwards.

"(name)?" He calls out for you from behind, a hand on your seat as you turn around and smile. "Orpheus, good morning." You greet him as usual, his gaze on you is so soft. So warm and welcoming, he pulls the chair to your side and turns it so it can face you properly. "So, I wanted to tell you something." He began, trying to maintan eye contact with you as he avoided the urge to look away.

"(name), for the longest time, I-"

"I like you too, Orpheus."

He's not allowed to get another second in, and you look at him with the most serious expression on your face. "I like you." You repeated. His entire composure that he tried to build up all night melted. You smile a little at his reaction, watching him scramble to cover his mouth as a tint of red glows on his face.

You gently take his hand away from your face, and hold it in your own. "I'm sorry if I ruined the moment." You apologize, squeezing his hand as he's now left to show his entire world his very flustered expression. "No uh, actually I'm glad you did. I spent 5 hours trying to uh.. plan a confession and.. was left thinking of you and nothing else that I forgot to write something." He confessed, laughing to himself as his gaze was originally you and his hand intertwined together, but was pleasantly surprised to see you slightly blush.

"You.. were thinking of me?" You asked, "The question should be, when do I not think about you?" He answered.

There was a comforting silence, before Orpheus lifted your hand up to plant a kiss on your knuckles. Just incase that the lips was something you weren't ready for yet.

"Actually, I think that the question should be.. What now?" He said softly, and you quite literally pull him into a hug. "Take one step at a time. We'll figure things out together, right?"

He smiles, returning the embrace. "Right." He pulls away for a moment, looking you in the eyes and carressing your cheek before you gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Hah.. Thank you. For everything."

Maybe confessing wasn't such a bad idea after all.

[majorshatterandhare]

[ID: three images. The second two are under the cut and are reasoning as to why you should vote for each character.

Image One: an editied image which puts a photo of a depiction of Orpheus, from Greek Myth, on a vase or something similar next to a digital drawing of Loki from The Bifrost Incident by the Mechanisms; between them is a white stripe and “VS” in red. The depiction of Orpheus is back and orange. He is wearing a cape and a helmet with gold wings on it. He is holding a stone in his right hand and a golden bow in his left hand. The drawing of Loki is in black and white and is a mug shot. She has long wavy hair and is lookinv at the viewer.

Image Two: black text on a white background, explaining why Orpheus is tragic. It reads:

“What Do You Think Makes Them Tragic? *

Hard to put into words, I think I’ve made them sadder in my head, but its tragic to me that they were so in love and happy, and something no one could control ended that. but that didn't stop orpheus!! he basically went to hell and back to see Eurydice again, but it doesn't matter because it doesn't work! and I'm a sucker for a happy ending! but the ending isn't ever going to be happy! and whether you call it doubt/fear (which is reasonable, when you can't even hear her footsteps) or its the overwhelming love (like that one tumblr post says) Orpheus loses Eurydice AGAIN because HE turned around and IDK man the guilt would be suffocating I imagine. tragic because he tried so hard, he got so far, but in the end, it didn't even matter.”

Image Three: black text on a white background explaining why Loki is tragic. It reads:

“What Do You Think Makes Them Tragic?

Okay remember the Lyf entry? whilst Lyf was the investigator that had to warn everyone of their doom, Loki was someone who was LITERALLY ON THE DAMN TRAIN [all caps text reads: literally on the damn train]. she was the one who delayed it by eighty years to give people more time. SHE USED HER PUMPING HEART TO DO THAT. SHE LITERALLY STUCK A TUBE IN HER HEART TO SAVE THE YGGDRASIL SYSTEM [all caps text reads: she used her pumping heart to do that. She literally stuck a tube in her heart to save the Yggdrasil system]. and of course everyone still died, but that makes it even more tragic. and not even just that either. she KNEW [all caps reads: knew] that the bifrost (the wormhole) was yog-sothoth (and eldritch god), and she tried to prevent the train from ever taking off. she launched TWO MISSILES [all caps reads: two missiles] at it to push back the project, but all that got her was a public execution. she didn't die, though, because odin has switched her out in order to keep her expertise on the train. instead, Odin just. broke her brain. TO THE POINT WHERE LOKI COULD NOT EVEN RECOGNIZE HER OWN WIFE [all caps reads: to the point where loki could not even recognize her own wife]. but when the walls began to tear and all the doors were opened, she remembered everything. and those eighty years on the train were spent beside her wife as her heart pumped blood to the trainto keep it moving in the bifrost. RIP Sigyn and Loki but space lesbians never have happy endings in mechs albums.

What Do You Think Makes Them Tragic? *

I cant words about her. shes soooooo blorbo to me. okay so basically she had her memories taken from her we don't know why its never specified in canon and she only got them back when the apocalypse started. she remembers her wife Sigyn just in time to have her wife sit by her side for EIGHTY YEARS [all caps reads: eighty years] as her blood slowly drips away, just to buy the rest of the world a little more time before the apocalypse happens. EIGHTY YEARS [all caps reads: eighty years].

End ID

Note: the text was edited in the ID so that the first letter of characters’ names are uppercase, words such as “I’ve” are uppercase and have the apostrophe, to ensure all acronyms are all caps, and to add lowercase version of all caps non-acronym words and phrases; these were done for clarity purposes.]

PROPAGANDA UNDER THE CUT: [SPOILERS AHEAD]

ORPHEUS:

LOKI:

[elvensorceress]

The Heart of a Man by @elvensorceress

gifs by my dearest, most beloved ❤️ @daisyssousa ❤️

buck/eddie | rated: T | read on AO3

This is my little Halloween-esque series of s4 but make it paranormal, mythological, Orpheus & Eurydice. 🌹 With lots of pining and magical epic love that transcends all else.

dedicated to my darling, @leothil 🤗❤️

~ snippet preview below the cut ~

The man Buck finds beside him isn’t company.

He looks clearly young today but the bartender doesn’t card him. Just brings him a martini and says nothing. He removes his suit jacket and the sleeves of his silk dress shirt are rolled neatly to his elbows, exposing black ink tattoo sleeves of a repeating geometric pattern. The air around him smells like iron and steel. Maybe with a hint of fossil fuel oil. “I thought you and I should have a talk.”

Buck doesn’t know why his presence makes the air thin or why he can’t taste his beer anymore. His mouth is dry, cotton, sand, and tastes of blood. “A talk?”

The man nods and extends a hand in greeting. “My name is Haden.”

Warily, Buck accepts the handshake, surprised that it feels, well, normal. Nothing out of the ordinary. As if he’s just another person. Who the hell knows, maybe he is. “Buck,” he offers in return though something tells him this man already knows his name. And more about him than he’d like. “So, what are we talking about?”

Haden takes a drink and focuses elsewhere. “Love is a funny thing. Don’t you think?”

No, most people don’t really associate Buck with much thinking. What would that have to do with anything? Let alone strange dreams, weird visions, incongruous sensory experiences. “What do you mean?”

Haden rubs his thumb against the inside of his fourth left hand finger where there’s a thick gold wedding band quite the opposite of his usual silver accents. “It takes over us like nothing else. It consumes, possesses. It’s associated with happiness and joy and yet it brings more pain than the worst physical torture imaginable.”

“That’s dark. And depressing.” Buck glances around the bar in hopes that someone else might’ve overheard and been able to share in his disturbed reaction. “Why are we talking about this?”

His voice is smooth, unadulterated, deep as cavernous underground. Earth that swallows and divides. “Stories will tell you that I’m the antagonist. The one keeping you from what you need and the thing you desire. But I have no control over life and death. I don’t decide the choices people make. I don’t determine any outcome here.”

A gradual, creeping spiral winds its way into Buck’s stomach. A slow, unnerving tightening that might squeeze the life out of him and everything else. “Okay. Any chance we could be a little more direct and a little less monologuing supervillain?”

Haden almost laughs. It’s something like a laugh. Or a weird, stifled huff close to amusement. “It’s not easy being separated from your partner. I understand your need to fight. I fought and I didn’t exactly win. My wife is… away. We’re apart half of the year.” He looks at Buck but it doesn’t seem menacing? He sounds more lost than anything else. “I can’t change what will happen. I don’t blame you for fighting. I’ve let people come to you with warnings.”

Buck waves a hand between them, at the words he’s been given. “You know, this is still not very informative?” His own words are too tremulous, but there’s too much bile churning in his stomach. “And also very creepy?”

“You know. You just don’t want to know. You’ve forgotten some things completely. But I know you feel it. The clock ticking down. The timer running out.”

What he hears are drums, pounding in his skull like that stupid hangover. And sirens over explosions and fire.

Haden reaches toward him, grips his shoulder, and stares into him with swirling black eyes.

There’s a loud, deafening crack of a gunshot.

And Buck flinches, jolts as if it’s present in the bar, in this moment.

But there’s nothing. No one notices or says anything.

There aren’t any people here.

The bar is empty.

Buck is empty.

Haden lets go of him and wears sorrow like a familiar cloak. “I know you’ll fight. I know you’ll ask me, beg me to change it. But you’re the only one who can.”

Buck’s hands are shaking. There’s blood everywhere. It’s not there, but it’s there. There’s so much of it. It’s farm water and collapsed soil and clawing with bare hands in the vain hope he might reach the underground. “How? How would I change it? I—” He couldn’t do anything. He was helpless. He watched it happen and screamed because his heart and soul had been ripped in half. But he couldn’t rescue. He couldn’t reach. 

He couldn’t save him.

(read on AO3)