#Murder in Hightown

[wardencommanderrodimiss]

"Man, Desire Demons are so full of shit. Ambition? I'm just fucking trying to make it to Friday." --Gen Hawke, probably.

[clavicuss-vile]

so because of the way the quests lined up, solace's playthrough of da2 has fenris breaking up with him, and less than a week later he finds himself banging and screaming on his ex(es) door(s) because he just knows his mother is in trouble.

imagine being fenris, breaking up with someone (painfully), you avoid them and they avoid you for a week or so, and then suddenly theyre screaming in your doorway like a sopping wet dog and the only real word you can understand is "help" and "please"

[himluv]

DA Review Series: Hard in Hightown

<<< Previous Review: DA2 Character Stories

It's been a minute, but I'm back to talk about more Dragon Age Media Tie-Ins!

Title: Hard in Hightown Author: Varric Tethras (with Mary Kirby) Year Published: 2019 In-World Year: 9:33 Dragon Verdict: I mean, it's Varric doing what he does best — telling stories. At only 72 pages, why wouldn't you read it??

Hard in Hightown is a noir murder mystery set in Kirkwall. It follows Donnen Bren— look, I'm going to be honest, I can't remember character names because they're all just DA2 characters with the serial numbers filed off. Varric populated his most popular serial with his friends and I absolutely love him for it.

The main character Donnen is obviously guardsman Donnic, but with some Varric flare thrown in. Carver is the rookie Donnen's been saddled with. Merrill, Fenris, Isabela, Aveline, and Hawke all make appearances.

As do The Executors. Which is the one thing that REALLY caught my attention beyond all this fun whodunnit nonsense. When do we first learn about Those Across the Sea? If I'm not mistaken, THIS book is the first time.

Of course, there are chapters of Hard in Hightown spread all over Inquisition, and the Executors are included in a war table mission, "Unmask Those Across the Sea" but... Why is the first time we learn of them in a work of fiction?

And how does Varric know about them?

Sure, they're dismissed as a sort of myth or legend, and aren't ACTUALLY in the story, but still. That's weird, right?

Anyway, other than the Executors, there isn't any lore here. It's just Varric writing "Friend fiction" as Bela would say. But what I loved most about it is that it FEELS like Varric. It SOUNDS like Varric. He even breaks the fourth wall and bungles his own 3rd person POV because he didn't want to research boats, which made me cackle (big mood, Varric).

So, hat's off to Mary Kirby. Her brilliance really shines through on this one when you stop to think about it. She's writing Varric writing Donnen and it's absolutely stunning work.

And it's just plain fun!

[v-arbellanaris]

so!!! i've talked a bit abt why i think rook might be part of the executors, but let me elaborate some more:

FIRSTLY, i thought that harding and varric were actually in kirkwall in the teaser - based off the architecture, and things like that - but thinking on it a day later, i think the little slave statues + the qunari architecture i noted here does support the idea that this is minrathous...

the first mentions of the executors as a group that we hear about is in inquisition - there's a whole wartable questline that, if you follow with leliana, shows the inquisition tracks the executors to a location in tevinter (though not minrathous specifically) until the executors ask the inquisitor to call leliana off.

BUTTTTT. absolution ended on kirkwall, and red templars in kirkwall having a new red lyrium source, and these guys in the beginning of the teaser are carrying red lyrium weapons and wearing red lyrium-embedded armour, so it COULD (to me) still be kirkwall and rook could STILL be an executor....

there's also another mention of the executors in varric's wartable questline in da:i, where you investigate someone who is writing sequels to the hard in hightown books, who is not him. in the process of investigating this hack writer, you find that a magistrate is the courier getting these books out of kirkwall - but by the time you investigate him, he's found dead and stuffed in a closet with a knife in his back, just like out of a scene in varric's book. investigating the murder further leads to a break-in at skyhold where someone leaves a letter like this:

'YOU ENCROACH UPON THE DOMAIN OF HIGHER POWERS. YOU WILL ANSWER TO US.' The letter is unsigned, except for a wax seal depicting six crossed swords.

leliana investigates the scene in the book and cross-references it with the murder and finds inconsistencies in the scene. it's at this point that we find out that there's a mention of the executors in varric's hard in hightown:

"Well, this doesn't look very interesting at all." Maysie frowned, disappointed. " 'What you have claimed belongs to greater powers. You will answer to us.' That's a lot of rubbish." ... "Oh, it's the Executors, of course!" Maysie peered excitedly at the wax seal, holding it up to the window for better light. "I should have guessed it from the silly 'great powers' nonsense. There's only been one example, on the letter claiming responsibility for the assassination of Queen Madrigal in 5:99! And this one is so much better! Just look at that imprint!" "Any idea how I'd contact these 'Executors'?" Donnen asked. "Oh, they're not real, of course. Everyone knows that."

additionally, the rip-off book consists of a lot of errors, and these errors seem to be a double-encrypted cipher. eventually, you crack the code, and it leads you to worthy, the runes guy in hightown, and it seems to conclude that he was both the killer and the author. HOWEVER, worthy himself says he didn't send the letter to skyhold, and i do wonder WHY worthy would lead a trail back to himself - especially since he has a whole little scooby doo villain line abt how he would've gotten away with it, if it wasn't for the inquisitor. so what if he didn't, and the executors really had gotten involved somehow and possibly assassinated the magistrate, and this whole thing was a ruse to cover up that murder? AAAAAAA

edit: as i'm writing this post, i just saw a sneak peak of the trailer which does seem to confirm early-game minrathous setting! i don't think this EXCLUDES rook from being an executor at all, nor does it necessarily mean he is not a kirkwall-based executor, but either way, the executors seem to have a presence in both areas!!! so!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA continues!!!!!

DOUBLE EDIT: I ALSO FORGOT TO MENTION i think it's kind of weird we keep running into this faction and bioware keeps writing ways for us to NOT find out more about them as a group of people and i dont THINK we've actually seen them as a group in the trailer yet (i feel like ive seen venatori and POTENTIALLY red templars, unless im horribly wrong BUT I DONT THINK I AM because of the templars/andruil parallels around hunting!!!!!!!! and the probably link between andruil and the origins of the blight!!!) which makes the most sense if WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT ABT THEM AS AN EXECUTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mourn-and-watch]

I haven't paid much attention to it during my previous playthroughs because I was already overwhelmed with all the mass murders, power abuses and hate crimes happening in the game but oh boy. the templar order in kirkwall is even more messed up than it seems because despite all the big words about "noble cause" and "protecting the people" no templar genuinely believes or cares about that. among the ones in charge at least.

the thing is, one of the main motivations for hawke and carver (or hawke and bethany but mage hawke's case gets more hilarious in the following acts) to join the deep roads expedition is to escape the templars. they aren't planning to move in the deep roads until meredith resigns or something, they need to get money to escape the templars. to bribe them. and this is actually what happens in act 2! hawke is rich af and nobody bats an eye there is a mage living in hightown and breaking chantry laws whenever they want! they can approach cullen to show him alrik's documents and he immediately suspects they're the one who killed alrik but then proceeds to do nothing. they can spit in elthina's face by calling her useless and still. she does nothing.

it gets better and better in act 3. hawke is a champion and them being a mage is practically a common knowledge. and not just a mage, but a very skilled and dangerous one. also their friends are a possessed apostate and a dalish blood mage. these three are literally the type of people templars are obligated to capture asap. it's like, red alert levels of danger. yeah, meredith can blackmail hawke if they try to turn her down, but she still let them walk freely while they do some favors for her. she acknowledges this. she sees hawke as a threat, but won't touch them as long as they're useful. oh, but where did the "we must protect the city from mages! we must protect the mages from themselves!" bravado go?

templars won't lay a finger on hawke because everyone in the city, the nobles as well, will be mad if someone threatens their favourite friendly amell neighbour and then their champion. if someone threatens champion's friends the champion will be mad too.

kirkwall templars have a reputation of being strict and distrustful but capable, when in fact they beat frightened kids up and make them tranquil for exchanging love letters but if someone who can actually fight back shows up they will shit their pants. even the most dangerous and self-righteous ones.

does meredith believe that she is doing the right thing? I guess so. will she make an exception for extremely powerful uncontrolled mages because otherwise they will endanger her position and become an obstacle to her seizure of power? oh sure she will.

it's not a game conventionality though. if it was one we would get another inquisition where you simply can't be unhinged or say or do stupid reckless shit because it would put the whole organization in a very unpleasant position. inquisition just doesn't give you that option because it had no intention to elaborate on it. meanwhile in da2 all these topics are addressed: hawke can be rude to people in power, they can be openly pro-mage and other characters acknowledge that as well as their class and it makes sense. that's just a templar hypocrisy at it's finest for you.

[sapphim]

This cut quest, The Trouble With Traitors, was supposed to take place in Act 1 if Harrowmont was king, a counterpart to the Last of His Line quest if Bhelen is king.

No NPCs were completed for the quest. The NPCs pictured in this video are just random background NPCs from the Keep, dae021_bureaucrat_1 and dae021_keep_servant. My apologies for potentially implicating them in an international incident.

All existing text for the quest under the cut.

plt_lgt120pt_bhelen.plo The Trouble With Traitors Look for a contact near the Blooming Rose in Hightown. Kill the dwarven traitors. Their leader is in Hightown; the rest of the traitors hide out in Lowtown at night. The dwarven traitors are still alive. All of the traitors are dead. At night, look for Ser Ivhan near the Blooming Rose in Hightown for a reward. All dwarven traitors were eliminated.

lgt120_orz_bln_off_messenge.cnv Messenger: You're Hawke, right? Someone wants to see you by the brothel. Hawke: Anything else? Messenger: No. Sounds important, though!

lgt120_orz_bln_off_official.cnv Hawke: A messenger said you wanted to see me. Servant: This is Serah Hawke, messere. The one I told you about it. Ser Ivhan: Refugees like you aren't the city's only problem these days. Ivhan: Our latest headache is a demand from the king of Orzammar that we execute several dwarven traitors operating in Kirkwall. Ivhan: King Harrowmont's request is tricky because the traitors are in the employ of his rival, Prince Bhelen. Servant: So we need someone… with a talent for violence to make these traitors disappear. Unofficially. Hawke: (Why not do it yourself?) The viscount employs guards doesn't he? Why do you need me? Hawke: (Why not have the guard do it?) Why ask me? You employ guards. I have one standing right here. Servant: And she will be expected to keep this out of her reports. It is… diplomatic in nature. Servant: Many dwarves believe Prince Bhelen should've been crowned king, apparently. Ivhan: And most of the Carta support Bhelen. If the city acts openly… Varric: Orzammar politics. Couldn't the city just be under siege? It would end better. Varric: Harrowmont's not a popular king. Not in Orzammar, and even less on the surface. Varric: If the viscount sides with him, the Merchants Guild will have him killed. Varric: Ignore him, and Orzammar will cut off lyrium trade to Kirkwall. How long before the templars come knocking, then? Hawke: So the viscount wants them murdered, instead. Aveline: He would not! Ivhan: He wants it dealt with. He set Seneschal Bran on it. Who then set me on it. So now it's on my hide. Hawke: (I'll pass.) I'm not an executioner. Find someone else. Ivhan: Pity. Hawke: (I'll do it.) Just tell me who I'm after. Ivhan: The traitors dabble in smuggling. Their leader is meeting someone in Hightown—right now. Servant: And their base. Remember? Ivhan: Right. And they have some sort of base in Lowtown. Ivhan: Handle this and you will be well compensated.

Ser Ivhan: I thought you said we could rely on the Fereldan. Any other brilliant ideas?

Ser Ivhan: Just get rid of the dwarven traitors. I don't care how. And don't worry about the guards.

Hawke: The dwarven traitors have been dealt with. Ser Ivhan: Our faith in you was well placed. Here you go. Servant: If anyone asks, the viscount had nothing to do with this, right?

lgt120_orz_bln_traitor_lead.cnv Traitor: Them's the ones that was talking with Ser Ivhan. Make an example of them. Traitor: Mind your own sodding business.

[theluckywizard]

Unrequited Hawke/Aveline, a few to combine (or not) as you wish: spooky fall bingo, 'heavy fog'; whumptober, 'it's all for nothing'; whumptober, 'hunting or hunted'

Hiiiii thank you, Ammy! For @dadrunkwriting I had a wonderful time writing a little glimpse into my Hawke's history here!

Pairing: Garrett Hawke x Aveline (unrequited) WC: 860 Content Warning: Dead body Tone: Angst

They stood over a cold body, Aveline and Hawke. The investigation had already gobbled hours of sleep as he postulated late into the night and chased leads across Lowtown. And here in this forgotten corner of the docks, in this forgotten alley, Hawke felt the force of failure grinding at his soul.

Aveline surmised by their limp tissue and the blackened blood on the pavement stones that they’d been murdered yesterday. It couldn’t have been by the Templars, not in an official capacity anyway. But Meredith had been sending mercenaries after those she felt posed a serious threat. Hawke was often one of those people. But this mage was different. A sudden legend on the lips of the harried masses of Lowtown and Hightown alike. An alleged mortalitasi.

“We should hurry,” said Aveline, her tone even though the words suggested nerves. “That fog won’t be our friend in another fifteen minutes.”

He searched the apostate’s body, gingerly lifting pocket flaps and the drape of her robe in search of anything useful but she’d already been picked clean by scavenging urchins and the woman’s staff was nowhere to be seen. It could have just as easily been an unlucky encounter with a desperate someone as it could have been the more unscrupulous templars that Hawke knew sullied the ranks. 

What he wouldn’t reveal to Aveline is that he and her have been searching for her on entirely separate missions. He’d been hired by the apostate herself to track the threats against her as she searched for her younger brother, an escape of the Gallows. Aveline was merely answering Meredith’s open call to secure the streets.

“I suppose the Knight-Commander won’t complain,” said Aveline.

Her indifference smarted inside him. The woman hardly deserved such hardened apathy, far from her home in Nevarra in search of her last remaining family.

“Ah Kirkwall. Where murder is a Maker sent convenience,” retorted Hawke. 

Aveline flicked him a fraught glance that managed to be sisterly, judgmental and rueful all at once. He felt the hopelessness of the years spent pining for her at the deepest levels. Her nigh intractable marriage to the law had severed any possibility of love ages ago but he scrambled to hold onto any remaining thread that connected them. His brow was heavy with regret, layers upon layers of it. 

“Let me guess,” said Aveline. “You haven’t been working for the Order.”

Hawke sighed, scratching a hand in his hair.

“You’re really playing both sides still?” she scolded him. “Maker, Hawke. Look around. You’re going to end up on the wrong side of Meredith at this pace.”

“The mage hired me. Felt like someone was hunting her. Not the Templars though… something worse.”

“As a body guard?”

“No, well. Only the first night or two. But after those nights were quiet it was just to see what I could find out when I put my ear to the ground. And it looks like my ears weren’t sharp enough.”

“Hawke,” she scolded him. “How could you be so foolish?” It was always the same with Aveline. Oh there’d be jokes about it, but the sisterly reproof was a given. He hoped for years that he’d break it but at this point he could only accept the punchline that it had become.

“I can take care of myself,” he answered. “I know you can. But it’ll be a little bit harder when the Templars decide to take you in. Aiding and abetting apostates can be waved off well enough, but a necromancer?”

“Well it’s not like she went around raising all the dead!” he argued.

“But some of the dead is all right? Maker, Hawke,” she said.

Hawke regarded Aveline, the freckles that dusted her cheeks, the deceptively darling sweep of her nose. He searched for the spark that had flickered and glowed inside him for so many years when he looked at her. Their bond had been forged in blood and trial, the narrow escape from Ferelden. The honorable end she gave her first love that he bore witness to. He’d thought it had all meant something, but now his hopes had settled into quiet embers.

“She just wanted to find her brother. He escaped the Gallows two months back—”

“I don’t understand you sometimes,” she muttered, shaking out a sheet and drawing it over the body.

“Likewise,” he answered in a soft, bitter snort.

It had all been for nothing, all those years hoping she’d know him deeply.  Truthfully he wondered if she had the capacity. He chased true justice wherever it lay, inside or outside the confines of the law. Perhaps she’d always hoped to school him, to pull him out of chaos and into order. Perhaps that’s why she kept him close.

Hawke silently made a note to find the lad she’d been looking for and help him get back to Nevarra. It was the least he could do.

The arriving fog stuck against his skin and shrouded all the miserable ambiguities of Kirkwall. The body between him and Aveline was a cold reminder of everything that separated them. Of how wrong he’d been.

And Maker, he hated being wrong.

[dragonagekeeper]

Disclaimer: This is not directly record in the keep, but rather the choice of whether he overall lives or dies is there. This is specifically how your Hawke handled Gascard during Prime Suspect, there will be another poll covering how he is handled during/after All That Remains, if he is let go without being executed.

DA2 Act 2 Polls

Dragon Age 2 Polls

See quest and choice descriptions from Dragon Age Wiki/Keep below

The quest begins in the Gallows where Emeric will ask Hawke to go to Gascard DuPuis' estate in Hightown to find evidence of his guilt as the murderer of the young women.

When Hawke goes to search the DuPuis estate, they are attacked by shades, giving credibility to Emeric's suspicions. Finding evidence that Gascard is a blood mage and is searching for mages escaped from the Starkhaven Circle, Hawke eventually finds Gascard with a woman named Alessa. Gascard claims to be innocent of the murders. He says that he is in fact hunting the true killer, who murdered his sister several years ago, and that he only took Alessa to protect her, as she was to be the killer's next victim. When Alessa says that Gascard hurt her, he explains that he only took her blood so he could track her with blood magic should she be abducted. She doesn't believe him and runs out of the estate, fleeing for her life. Gascard is concerned that she will link him to the murders.

Let Gascard go

Gascard DuPuis is alive:

If you let Gascard DuPuis go then Moira will tell you there is a dangerous mage about that the Knight-Commander Meredith will want captured. She asks if DuPuis is the killer.

If you tell Moira that "it's not that simple" and then lie about his location then she says she hopes he is innocent but will still have the City Guard track him down. This option leaves him alive for All That Remains. If you tell Moira that you don't think DuPuis is the killer then she says the templars will investigate this. This option leaves him alive for All That Remains.

2. Let Gascard go, but informed Moira of his location [ Gascard is executed]

If you tell Moira that he fooled you, or that "it's not that simple" and tell her he is in Darktown, then she says she will inform the city guard and that Gascard DuPuis will not escape the city alive. This leads to his execution off-screen by the templars, meaning that in All That Remains you must rely on Gamlen to find the Dark Foundry.

3. Killed Gascard

While ultimately not responsible for the disappearances, Gascard's methods for "protecting" them were unsavory.

Gascard DuPuis is dead:

If you already killed Gascard then you can tell Moira you already did so. As he couldn't have been responsible for the shade attack on Emeric, the conclusion is that he was not the killer; the only storyline impact is the restriction imposed in the later quest, All That Remains.

[natandwandaseries]

Any recommendations for a new crime solving tv show?

I like a female main character or co-protagonist and the show started after 2000

I have watched:

FBI

Criminal Minds

Bones

Mentalist

Lie to Me

SVU

Quantico

Rizzoli and Isles (started this, didn’t like acting from Rizzoli)

NCIS Los Angeles

Castle

Covert Affairs

Blindspot

Brooklyn 99

Hightown

Chicago PD (until Sophia Bush left)

Only Murders (some)

SWAT (stopped watching with new season)

I have every streaming platform except Peacock, but ya know 🏴‍☠️ so not really limited

[laresearchette]

Friday, January 26, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: MASTERS OF THE AIR (Apple TV+) SAGO MINI FRIENDS (Apple TV+) 13 HOURS: THE SECRET OF BENGHAZI (Paramount +) THE LEBANESE BURGER MOVIE (Paramount +) HIGHTOWN (Starz Canada) 10:00pm

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA THE DAIGLE EXPATS THRILLER THE UNDERDOGGS YOU HURT MY FEELINGS

CBC GEM GHOSTING WITH LUKE HUTCHIE AND MATTHEW FINLAN

CRAVE TV 299 QUEEN STREET WEST ALI CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT THE CONJURING EASY A THE OTHER HALF PEPPA PIG: FESTIVAL OF FUN THE STAR TRANSAMERICA TRANSPLANT (Season 4) WATER

NETFLIX CANADA BADLAND HUNTERS THE BLACKLIST (Season 10) LOVE IS BLIND: SWEDEN SIT DOWN WITH STAND UP UDOM TAEPHANICH

PWHL HOCKEY (TSN/TSN5) 7:00pm: New York vs. Toronto

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 7:00pm: Panthers vs. Penguins (SN) 10:00pm: Blues vs. Kraken

DOPPELGÄNGERS: FACE TO FACE (documentary) 7:00pm: People meet their lookalikes and find out the resemblance is more than skin deep.

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN4) 7:00pm: Mavericks vs. Hawks (SN1) 7:30pm: Clippers vs. Raptors (SN Now) 8:00pm: Thunder vs. Pelicans

A.RTIFICIAL I.MMORTALITY (Crave 2) 7:40pm: Exploring the latest thinking and technological advancements in AI.

MARKETPLACE (CBC) 8:00pm: Putting electric vehicles to the test; Charlsie Agro hits the road to explore issues with range, charging infrastructure and reveals the challenges with repairs.

MILLION DOLLAR ISLAND (Discovery Canada) 8:00pm: Only 79 players remain, but that will soon change as two camps are put in a head-to-head arena battle; at the end of the epic war, the entire losing camp will be eliminated.

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF JERSEY (Slice) 8:00pm: Tessa and Sascha renew their wedding vows; upset about not being invited, Kate and Margaret hold their own version, with Kate Taylor playing Tessa.

BOLLYWED (documentary) 8:00pm: Kuki and Sarab lay down an ultimatum with the second location; the kids think outside the box.

GARAGE SALE MYSTERY: THE MASK MURDER (Super Channel Heart & Home) 8:00pm: When Jennifer buys a storage locker at auction, she discovers a dead body inside -- along with a mask matching the deceased woman.

ABOUT THAT (CBC) 8:30pm

THE FIFTH ESTATE (CBC) 9:00pm: Search for the Smugglers: In 2022, smugglers left the Patel family to cross the Canada/U.S. border on foot during a snowstorm, an ordeal they would not survive; the pursuit of the men who Indian police allege planned the crossing leads to a surprising location.

PARADISE HIGHWAY (Crave) 9:00pm: To save the life of her brother, truck driver Sally reluctantly agrees to smuggle illicit cargo -- a girl named Leila. As Sally and Leila begin a danger-fraught journey across state lines, a dogged FBI operative sets out on their trail to save them.

THE SUMMIT AUSTRALIA (Discovery Canada) 9:30pm: The group falls a day behind; the remaining ten members have seven days to get to the summit with $785,000 left in the prize money on their backs.

NLL LACROSSE (TSN3) 10:00pm: Mammoth vs. Warriors

LITTLE BIRD (CTV) 10:00pm: Esther finds members of her family who help her put together the pieces of the past; Esther returns home to Montreal to confront Golda, her adoptive mother, about the revelations she's uncovered that shine a new light on their life.

[redheadbigshoes]

“A masculine-feminine gay couple” trope (a gay couple where one acts masculine and the other acts feminine)

*Reminder that all the media included here does not necessarily portray the characters as something positive, this is just about which media has this trope.

*Pls check parental rating if you’re a minor.

MOVIES:

Lesbians: 100 Girls, Fear Street (trilogy), Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives.

Sapphics: Adam (2019), Alena, Anna, Below Her Mouth, Best in Show, Blue Is the Warmest Color, Bonnie & Bonnie, Bound, But I'm a Cheerleader, Cassanova Was A Woman, Chasing Amy, Deadpool 2, The Fox, Future World (2018), Gia, Girls Like Magic, The Guest House, The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love, Jack & Diane, The Kids Are All Right, The Killing of Sister George, Maggie & Annie, Margarita, The New Mutants, Princess Cyd, Riot Girls, Room in Rome, They/Them (2022), V for Vendetta, What Keeps You Alive, When Evil Calls, The World Unseen.

MLM: The Birdcage, Legend (2015).

Bisexuals: Love Is Not Perfect.

LITERATURE:

Lesbians: Amateur City, Of Fire and Stars.

Sapphics: Black Dogs, Girls Don't Hit, Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Minority Monsters, Patience and Sarah, Malazan Book of the Fallen, Tell Me How You Really Feel, The Well of Loneliness.

Bisexuals: Of Fire and Stars.

MLM: The Teresa Knight Trilogy.

TV:

MLM: 13 Reasons Why, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Interview with the Vampire (2022), It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Queer Eye (2018), Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Teen Wolf.

Lesbians: Batwoman (2019), Betty, The Boys (2019), Cold Case, Conversations With Friends, The Haunting of Bly Manor, A League of Their Own (2022), Lip Service, Only Murders in the Building, The Pact.

Sapphics: Control Z, Das Boot (2018), Dates, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Euphoria, Feel Good, Gentleman Jack, Hightown, In the Dark, Intergalactic, Jupiter's Legacy, The L Word, The Mick, Motherland: Fort Salem, The O.C., Orange Is the New Black, Pandora, Schitt's Creek, The Shannara Chronicles, Switched at Birth, Tipping the Velvet, Twenties, Utopia Falls, We Are Who We Are, The Wilds, Yellowjackets.

Bisexuals: Conversations With Friends, Only Murders in the Building, The Pact, S.W.A.T. (2017).

Gays: Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, Reaper, Riverdale, Will & Grace.

[flowersarefreetherapy]

Shadow of Stars: Chapter 2

CW: Implied past spice, arguments, angst, implied past violence, mentioned character death (minor)

The representatives line up in order of how big their villages are. It allowed the biggest villages to have their needs addressed first, so the most people could be helped. Or so that was the idea, but as the Shadows’ attacks have grown over the years, that is no longer the case. 

Voices echo around the hall, bouncing off the marble in a cacophony of noise, everyone fighting to get their voice heard. Star clears his throat, but the sound is lost. It’s as if someone has built a wall in the back of his throat, cutting off his words. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t form words. 

Thaddeus must have seen his panic, because he bellows “Quiet!”. The sound rattles off the walls, silencing everyone in a moment. Thaddeus crosses his arms and glares at the crowd.

“You know the drill,” he growls. “This is nothing new. Line up and the king will hear all your grievances shortly.”

The room fills with the shuffling of feet as they move to do as he orders. Star’s gaze meets Thaddeus’ and he gives a silent nod of thanks. His gaze drifts back out across the crowd. He can do this. He has to do this. He can-

His heart stops. 

No, no, no, no, no! No! You’re not supposed to be here! Killer, murderer, monster!

Daniel stands near the front of the line, staring at Star. He looks human, like every other time Star has seen him. Average height, with a strong jawline and lips that curve all too easily into a smile. His hair is pulled halfway up, loose strands falling around his face in a way that is wholly unfair in how attractive it is. Star’s fingers curl around the armrest, remembering how those strands felt tangled in his fingers as he stared down at the man he considered his everything. 

He looks human. It’s hard to reconcile this man who played with baby sheep and picked flowers for Star every day with the same Shadows that tore out his family’s throats and wiped out entire villages. 

You have to tell Thaddeus. He’s a killer. He’s here to kill you. 

“Your highness, I am from Hightown,” the first man says, bowing deeply before the throne. Daniel is two people away. “We have been battling thieves and do not have enough coin to keep paying hunters.”

Star rips his gaze away from Daniel’s face. He sucks in a deep breath and says, “How, how, how much d-do you need?”

“One hundred would suffice.”

Star nods at Robin, who writes it down. There is more negotiation he can’t remember, answering without thinking, words falling from his mouth without rhyme or reason. The next person comes up. Their crops are failing and they need more water diverted from the river to water them. He whispers his agreement and then there he is. Right in front of him. 

Every night they’ve spent together comes rushing into his mind. Every whispered promise, every moment spent exploring each other’s bodies, every kiss stolen in the darkness. The darkness. Every Shadow’s friend. But what about the flowers, the bread, the simple life Daniel showed him that Star instantly fell in love with? What about the soft morning kisses and braiding Daniel’s hair and asking him about the spring lambs, all named after the old myths? What about the happy life they could have had?

You never could. He’s a Shadow. He would have killed you.

Robin coughs. Star flinches and realizes everyone is waiting for his answer. He blinks several times, the back of his neck and tip of his nose burning.

“I’m sor-sorry, can you, you repeat your r-request?”

“Of course, your highness.”

It's unfair how those words sound as Daniel dips into another small bow. The ends of his blue scarf fall off his shoulder and Star bites his lip hard enough to draw blood. He bought that scarf at one of the festivals they went to, laughing about how it matched Daniel’s hair so nicely. 

It still does. 

“Longport has been suffering from several outbreaks of plagues. We don’t have the medical supplies to treat it and twenty people have already succumbed to this illness. We humbly request more supplies.” 

Star presses his lips together. He shifts on the throne, resisting the urge to flee from the room. From the corner of his eye, he can see Robin’s concerned look, but ignores it. He’s not going to explain to the last remnants of his family of his failed relationship. 

“How, how did this out-outbreak start?”

“We don’t know,” Daniel says. Unlike the others, he dares to meet Star’s gaze. The dark brown reflects the light in a way human eyes never do. Something else. “We have been tracking down every trader who came through the village in the last three weeks, but have yet to find anything.”

Star watches his mouth as he speaks, searching for any sign of those hideous teeth. Nothing to do with the memories of what Daniel did with his mouth, on his knees, rough bark scraping Star’s back as his cries echoed among the trees. The soft morning kisses he would press to his lips when they just woke up. How he would moan Star’s name, nails digging into his back, leaving marks that stung in all the best way under his shirt. 

“Please,” Daniel whispers. Please, your highness, make me scream. “Women and children are dying. We’ve already lost too many good people to the Shadows. Don’t let this take more of your people.”

“You th-think I wish, wish, wish-. . . I don’t w-want the Shad-Shadows to attack, in case you have, have forgotten.” Star leans forwards, glaring at Daniel. “They killed my, my parents.”

“Forgive me, your highness, if I stepped out of line. I merely wished to impress upon you the seriousness of the situation.”

“You th-think, think I am a fool?”

Daniel throws up his hands. Were they once covered in blood? Did they hold down someone’s shoulders as he tore at their throat, nothing but an animal in search of food? Would they have ever done so to him, pinning him down as Daniel took every drop of lifeblood from his body? 

“No, your highness, that is–I do not take you for a fool. I am merely concerned for my village.”

“So you, you can kill th-them, is that, that why?”

“Your highness?” Robin asks, their hand drifting to the hilt of their silver sword. 

“I know h-him,” Star whispers, glaring at Daniel. He relishes the moment his eyes widen. “He’s a Sh-Shadow.”

Thaddeus and Robin move before he finishes naming the monster standing before him. Daniel makes it two steps before they tackle him to the ground, his head hitting the floor with a crack that echoes through the chaos. Everyone is shouting, fighting to get as far away from Daniel as they can. He snarls, trying to throw Thaddeus off him. There are the ugly fangs, gnashing at the air as Robin wraps silver rope around his wrists. They haul him to his feet, holding him at arm’s length as they drag him to the throne.

“What are we to do with him, your highness?” Thaddeus asks, taking Daniel from Robin. He hisses, twisting the ropes around his wrists. Already his skin is raw and blistered. 

“Lock h-him up,” Star breathes. His voice is hard, harder than he has ever heard before. He doesn’t recognize it. “I want, want him chained in the, the courtyard. F-full sun.”

Daniel’s eyes widen. He jerks forwards. A flash of bright light and Robin’s sword is at his throat, a hair’s breadth from his skin. 

“I will slit your throat,” they threaten. Daniel doesn’t seem to hear them, pulling Thaddeus forwards another step. 

The legendary strength that tore his brothers limb from limb, that broke down the palace doors and left them in splinters. The strength that Star never saw. Just another part behind the veil. 

“Please,” Daniel breathes. “Star, no, please, your highness, please reconsider. Please, I haven’t killed anyone! You know this, you know I am not a killer!”

“I, I know nothing, nothing about you,” Star hisses. “T-take him away.”

“Your highness,” Thaddeus acknowledges. He drags Daniel back, ignoring his attempts to get away. Robin dips their head towards Star and follows, sword held lightly in their hands. 

When the door slams shut behind them, Star slumps in his seat, staring out at nothing. The other representatives are gone, long escorted out by guards. The rumors are already spreading. Something he can’t have. Leaving Daniel somewhere public will do good. Show the people in a very public way that the Shadows can be beaten, they can be held back. 

Yet he can’t shake the memory of Daniel’s pleas echoing off the walls of the throne room.

Tagging: @blood-is-compulsory @darkthingshappen @whump-for-all-and-all-for-whump @whumpinggrounds @pigeonwhumps (let me know if you want to be added/removed!)

[the-cryptographer]

WIP Wednesday/Whenever

So @ephemeronidwrites tagged me a couple weeks ago to share a snippet of a WIP. Consider yourself tagged back, and would like to tag forward @blue-eyes-white-privilege69 and @tinygigas, if you'd like to share something you're working on :')

Been working on a lot of things on and off (still mostly dragon age orz) but I guess one of the ones I'm more proud of (and least sure of when I'll be posting) is- finally decided to try my hand at Carrill. As a certified Carver-torturer(tm), I think there's a bit of an untapped potential in Carver getting the exact girl he wanted, and then realising that she's... you know... Merrill. Not the Madonna he imagined, not fixing any of his personal issues with resentment or feelings of inferiority, in fact causing more problems for him because now he has to devote energy to learn what 'flat ears' and 'cultural imperialism' and 'spreader bars' and 'safewords' are. Um, also Carver is disabled here. So that adds an extra dimension or twelve.

So here's a snippet of them being cute-ish after pillow talk. Bit nsfw if mentions of ejaculate squick you.

“Are you sleepy?” she asked. “Exhausted,” Carver exhaled. His hands were free from her restraints now. He drew them against his chest. Merrill pressed a warm washcloth over his body. “You have to be up again early in the morning, right? Because everyone wants their bread early, and would be very upset if you got it to them late, right?” She kissed his forehead. “Did you want me to put you to sleep, lethallin?” He kind of did. Maybe she’d sleep next to him. He reached out for her arm. “Oh, but your brother and everyone will be very worried if you don’t make it back to the big house in Hightown, won’t they?” Merrill pulled away absent-mindedly. She crossed the room, and tugged down an overcoat she had hanging over her mirror. Wrapped it around herself, over her shawl. Another layer between her and Carver. “I’ll help get you dressed and walk you back, lethallin. It would be terrible if we kept everyone up all night, worried about what happened to you,” she asserted. Carver didn’t give a shit. If Aaron was up all night, worried about what happened to Carver, then it served him right. Carver didn’t need to his brother looking after him like he was a child. “You don’t have to,” is all he told Merrill, though. “Oh, no, that’s silly,” Merrill said. “I know the Hahren said those hooligans that are always graffiting up the vhenadahl stole your cane and gave you all sorts of trouble last time you visited. And anyhow, I’d like to walk you home, vhenan.” And who was going to walk Merrill back down to the alienage then? But he already knew the answer. Merrill was a blood mage, and a member of his brother’s highly revered murder squad. She didn’t need anyone to walk her home. Carver grumbled. But his mood improved, once Merrill had helped dress him and fetched his cane. Even though she’d cleaned him and rubbed salve into where she’d gotten him sore, she hadn’t cleaned herself. So she walked him all the way back to Hightown with his cum still on her leggings. And she held his arm, and chatted about sweet and nice nothings as they went – the shape of the clouds in the night sky, and how colourful the street lanterns were, and what the ideal set of horns on a Qunari was. And when they got to the front of the Amell Estate, she kissed him on the lips and said she loved him. So it turned out they were officially an item after that.

[haitilegends]

"If you haven’t watched Inside Man yet what are you doing "

⁣

Atkins Estimond

Biography:

"Atkins Estimond is quickly making a name for himself in the entertainment industry by playing an array of characters from a doctor to a hacker, from a laidback optimist to a gangster who follows a code of ethics. He currently stars in Jerry Bruckheimer's critically acclaimed drama series, "Hightown" (STARZ) alongside Monica Raymund and James Badge Dale. Set in Provincetown, Massachusetts, the series follows a hard-partying National Marine Fisheries Service agent, Jackie Quiñones (Raymund), whose life is thrown into disarray when she discovers a body on the beach - another casualty of the opioid epidemic. She is convinced it is up to her to solve the murder, putting her at odds with Cape Cod Interagency Narcotics Unit sergeant, Ray Abruzzo (Dale). Estimond shines as Osito, a hardened gangster, who is of Haitian and Dominican decent, and is connected to the investigation. Critics have praised Estimond's performance: "the standouts include...Estimond as a killer with a philosophical cast of mind" (The New York Times) and "With every episode, Estimond adds new fascinating layers to his character" (RogerEbert.com) to name a few. Season two of "Hightown" premiered on October 17, 2021.

Estimond is also set to appear in BBC One and Netflix's four-part thriller series, "Inside Man" opposite Stanley Tucci (premiere date TBA). The series follows a prisoner on death row in the US, a Vicar in a quiet English town, and a maths teacher trapped in a cellar, as they cross paths in the most unexpected way. He is also known for his role as the eternal optimist, Gerson, in AMC's and Paul Giamatti's critically acclaimed dramedy series, "Lodge 49" alongside Wyatt Russell.

Additional television credits include recurring roles in FOX's "The Resident," Crackle's "StartUp" alongside Adam Brody, and Playstation Network's "Powers" with Sharlto Copley, as well as guest starring roles in ABC's "How to Get Away with Murder," YouTube Premium's "Step Up: High Water," truTV's "Bobcat Goldthwait's Misfits & Monsters," OWN's "Love Is_" and SundanceTV's "Hap and Leonard."

On the film side, his credits include Roadside Attractions' "Trial by Fire," Samuel Goldwyn Films' "Lila & Eve" with Jennifer Lopez and Viola Davis, Gravitas Ventures' "Folk Hero & Funny Guy" and "An Actor Prepares," Columbia Pictures' "SuperFly," Universal Pictures' "Get On Up" and his film debut in "Dumb and Dumber To" opposite Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels.

Born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and raised in Atlanta to Haitian immigrant parents, Estimond started acting in high school productions his freshman year. His love of acting began from watching movies as a child and seeing his older brother perform in plays at the local Boys & Girls Club. After graduation, he pursued a career in music, playing guitar in a band. Then, he went on to pursue acting, booking roles in "Dumb and Dumber To" and Lifetime's hit series' "Devious Maids." Additionally, Estimond enrolled at University of North Georgia, to hone in on his craft, majoring in Theatre, while continuing to book roles in film and television. He eventually decided to pursue acting full time and has been working ever since. He hopes that by increasing his visibility that he can inspire more Haitians to pursue a career in the entertainment industry and ultimately be able to tell stories about Haiti and its rich culture.

Estimond currently resides in Atlanta with his wife, Kristen, and their two daughters. When he's not on set, he enjoys spending time with family, playing music and traveling."

Source:

#InsideMan #BBCiPlayer #iPlayer #netflix

[reignitepod]

Episode #6.09: Magistrate’s Orders - Getting It Done On The Sly

There are many people for us to speak to while we wander around Hightown, one of which is a magistrate who has a mission for us. He has heard that we are able to get things done on the sly and wants us to battle our way through ancient ruins to collect an escaped convict and bring him back for justice, the ancient ruins are filled with beasts that normal guards are not equipped to handle, but who cares if we throw our lives away right once we arrive at the ruins we learn that there is more to this convict than we were initially told, because of course there is this convict has a history of abducting and murdering elvin children, and nothing has been done about it. An elf whose daughter was most recently abducted and presumed dead requests that we put the murderer down instead of bringing him back alive as ordered. Special thanks to Redd Spinks for our amazing logo as well as to Miracle of Sound for the song Age Of The Dragon, which we use as our theme music.

Check out this week's Fandom Corner: Conor Carroll Art

Also check out Dragon Age: Vows & Vengeance here!

You can find the show on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Bluesky and Facebook!

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Check out this episode!

[tvrundownusa]

tvrundown USA 2024.03.01

Friday, March 1st:

(exclusive): Megamind Rules! (Peacock, animated series premiere, all 8 eps), "Murder Is Easy" (BritBox, two-part Agatha Christie adaptation), Side Hustlers (Roku, entrepreneurs reality premiere, all 5 eps), Somebody Feed Phil (netflix, season 7 available, all 8 eps), Blood & Water (netflix, season 4 available, all 6 eps), Furies (netflix, Paris criminal underworld drama, all 8 eps), Maamla Legal Hai (netflix, Hindi district court dramedy, all 8 eps), Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre (netflix, African supernatural drama, all 6 eps)

(movies): "In Bloom" (Para+, anthology of 5 short films), "Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate" (Peacock, animated, 85mins), "Spaceman" (netflix, sci-fi drama, ~110mins), "The Parades" (netflix, Japanese supernatural drama, ~135mins), "My Name Is Loh Kiwan" (netflix, Korean romantic drama, ~135mins), "You Are Not Alone: Fighting the Wolf Pack" (netflix, Spanish assault documentary, ~105mins)

(streaming weekly): Apartment 404 (APrime), Undead Unluck (hulu), The Traitors (Peacock, penultimate), Masters of the Air (apple+), "The Dynasty: The New England Patriots" (apple+, next 2 eps), The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin (apple+, comedy premiere, first 2 eps)

(streaming twice/week): Flex X Cop (hulu)

(also new): Gold Rush (DSC, season 14 finale, 3hrs++)

(hour 1): S.W.A.T. (CBS), BMF (Starz, season 3 opener), Shark Tank (ABC), Penn & Teller: Fool Us (theCW), RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV, 90mins)

(hour 2): Fire Country (CBS), Hightown (Starz), Totally Funny Animals (theCW) / . / Totally Funny Kids (theCW), RuPaul's Drag Race (MTV, contd) / . / Untucked (MTV)

(hour 3): Blue Bloods (CBS), CMT Campfire Sessions (CMT, season 3 finale), Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)