#i also snuck in a pact reference in here

[ishdaj]

Really enjoyed the first chapter of Claw.

Read chapter 1 here: https://clawwebserial.blog/2024/03/09/the-point-1-1/

[pacifymebby]

Cinnamon Girl / Bonnie Gold

Okay so this is a little one shot I wrote for @jomarch-wannabe and her follower celebration writing challenge!!!! Congratulations lovely, thank u for being such a bright little light in our writing community and also for being such a lovely friend to me!!! You were one of the first people to message me about my work and to become my friend on here <3 <3 <3

TW: cheating and vague reference to domestic violence. I went for my classics, hurt comfort and bonnie gold hehe.

🌜🍀🌛 🌜🍀🌛

You were kissing, it was secret, early evening. He held your cheek in the cupped palm of his hand and as his tongue pushed against yours he could taste cinnamon between your teeth.

You'd snuck away from your work mending holes in trousers and socks with the other girls your age to meet Bonnie in the woodlands when he was returning from his own work in the city. You didn't really know what it was the older lad did these days, it wasn't like your families to spend too long in the city doing business with gorjas and when he came home covered in scrapes and bruises, sometimes worse, you couldn't help but worry that he was getting himself involved in more than just a couple of boxing matches and a little horse trading.

Still, you didn't ask questions. That was part of the deal you shared. This unspoken pact, a set of rules which all tied into this secret love you shared. If you didn't ask questions about the city, Bonnie wouldn't ask you any difficult questions either.

Like when you were going to leave your boyfriend.

Or what you were doing sneaking around with him when you already had a man who loved you. A man who had recently begun hovering around you, standing over you like a shadow whenever he so much as caught you looking at Bonnie across the fire in the evenings.

No, it was better not to ask questions. Lately you'd developed an almost obsessive superstition over your secrets, convinced that the only reason you still had this slither of happiness to hold onto was that you were good at keeping secrets. That if either of you ever broke your unspoken rule and asked a difficult question of the other it would all fall apart. You would be discovered holding hands by one of the girls. Your mother would catch you kissing in the shade of the willow when she was walking with your younger brothers and sisters down by the river. Your father would follow you when you snuck out of the vardo in the early morning to meet Bonnie down where the wild herbs grew.

Someone would find you out. Something terrible would happen and you would lose everything you loved.

It was only a shame then that Bonnie didn't agree. A shame that the longer this unaddressed silence dragged on between you the further from you he felt. The more concerned he grew when you flinched away from his touch or got that fearful look in your eyes when you saw him with bruised and bloodied knuckles after a fight. When he found a new bruise on your wrist or arm, one which looked eerily like the bruises he returned with when he'd been in the ring.

No, the only reason Bonnie hadn't asked you any difficult questions yet was that he didn't know which difficult question to start with. He had a feeling you were keeping so many dark secrets hidden away behind those sad eyes, so many more than he wanted to imagine.

But the longer he stayed quiet, the longer he kept his questions swallowed down, the more scared of your answers he became and the further away from him you drifted. If things carried on like this one of these days you were going to flinch away from his kiss and never return to him. He felt as though you were slipping through his fingers and he'd never forgive himself if he let you get lost.

So that morning he'd made a vow to himself, a vow of honesty. He was going to tell you the truth about his work and then he was going to ask you to be just as honest with him. He couldn't keep watching you drift downstream further and further from his reach. So he was going to be honest, he was going to throw you a bit of driftwood truth to hold onto.

Only its easier to make vows to yourself in the hope of the morning, than it is to keep them in the evening when the sun is setting and your time is running out.

So you were kissing. He held your face in both hands, calloused palms holding you firm but gentle, as though you were the most precious girl in the world. Because to him you were.

He'd brought you a cinnamon bun back from the city as a gift and the two of you had shared it like children, sitting side by side under the willow tree that had become your favourite hiding place recently. You'd had a little blob of icing on your chin and he'd felt king of the whole world - never mind the boxing ring - when he'd brushed it up with his thumb and you'd sucked it clean, shyly taking his thumb between your lips and swirling your tongue around the sweet icing.

When you'd looked up you'd blushed to see him smiling at you and he'd cupped your cheek with his hand and leant in for a kiss you'd not pulled away from since. The two of you leaning further into one another, your hands gripping the collar of his shirt and then the hair at the back of his neck. His body was moving with yours, neither of you able to get as close to the other as you'd have liked, even when your teeth met his, clumsy and teenage, the kind of kiss of naive, first loves. And neither of you were naive. You were beginning to think that perhaps you were really in love for the first time. That is to say, in real love for the first time.

With your eyes shut, your nose pressed against his, his fingers gripping your cheeks as he held you close, you felt all thoughts blur, your mind soft white and daydreamy. It was bliss, the most comfortable you'd ever felt, your legs only untangling with his so that you could wrap them around his waist, so that he could lay your head down gently on the moss as he hovered above you on the downy woodland floor.

You opened your eyes for a moment, just to catch a glimpse of him, just to smile at the sight of his.

And then it happened again. His teeth grazed your bottom lip dragging you in closer to him, drawing a little whimper of pleasure from you, your desire running away with you for a second, snapping you out of the pleasant haze. Reminding you who you were and what would happen if the man you belonged to ever found out about this. The man your heart belonged to.

You went stiff in his arms, pulling away from him and pushing him away. Your lips left his and clamped tight shut, your eyes no longer flowing with love but with something like regret, something distant and sad and no matter how many times Bonnie tried to coax your gaze back to his, you wouldn't look him in the eyes.

So he fell away from you and leant against the thick roots of the willow, his head resting on one beside you which jutted out of the ground. You pulled your knees up to your chest and looked away from him, out at the river, the little drops of rain which disturbed the surface. His dark curls fell into his eyes as he pushed himself up on his elbows and looked up at you, silently willing you to turn around, to look at him and realise how desperate he was beginning to get.

"Alright," he said with a sigh, looking up at you, watching your hair move like a sigh around your shoulders when the breeze stirred between you. "Alright little dove this has gone on long enough," he said, his voice dark and tired but still gentle. It was that soft tone, almost sad, that made you turn around. You were trying to feign confusion, brows knitted, and because he could tell that things were pretty delicate, hanging by a thread, he let you get away with it. Pretended to believe in your feigned naivety.

"Don't like keeping secrets from you," he said with a small shrug, his own expression so serious then, so shadowed.

You remained quiet, your heartbeat quivering with anxiety as you chewed your bottom lip and tried to concentrate on breathing steady. On not crying. This was it, you could tell. He was going to ask you something difficult. You were going to lose him.

"The work I've been doin in the city..."

"Bonnie you don't have to tell me that," you said quickly, one last attempt at saving the two of you.

"I'm not tellin you cause I think I have to love," he said with a little chuckle laced with despair, "I'm tellin you cause I want to!' He said. His own final attempt at saving the two of you.

"But..."

"No," he said sitting up, one hand leant on in the dirt, the other daring to reach for yours which was lingering by your nervous mouth. "I don't like keepin secrets from you..." He said again, his voice lower, quieter, softer than it had been the last time he'd said those words to you. His eyes held yours and you were scared to find you couldn't look away, didn't want to tear yours from his.

"The work I've been doin in the city with me da, it's dangerous... Been workin for a gang dove, they're called the Peaky blinders they're..."

"Fuck Bonnie they're...they're..." You lost your words, the words which sprung to mind and set your heart beating too hard too fast in your chest too cruel for you to say out loud. Bonnie smirked bitterly.

"Criminals, thieves...murderers? Believe me I know dove... I ain't exactly proud of it y'know? I know it ain't right trust me... it's just the only way..." He said hollowing his cheek as he turned away and looked up at the trees mournfully, when he looked back at you you couldn't find any words for him. You were quickly realising now that you didn't know how to be honest with him - the most honest lad in the world.

"Ain't anythin else I can do..." He said looking at you with those dark and serious eyes, looking as though he were begging your forgiveness. Your mistake was in thinking he was asking your forgiveness for working with Birminghams most notorious criminals and not for what he was about to say to you...

"Bit like this..."

"What?" Your voice hardly sounded, the word lost to the space between you. But Bonnie could read your lips. Could see them trembling.

"This..." He said pointing his finger down into the dirt between the two of you. For a second he watched the soil he displaced and then he looked up at you. This time he didn't look away. "Me and you."

"Bon..." You started to say, a choked sob in your throat, your breath caught on the sorrowful lump. Even if he hadn't interrupted you you wouldn't have been able to speak.

"No," he said sitting forward a little, eyes locked with yours, voice still ever so gentle, so laden with care, "no don't say anythin little dove, not if you're gonna deny it... This between me an you you know it ain't right, you're an honest girl y/n I know you are so you know this ain't right, all this sneakin around, all these secrets we're keepin... I don't like it and neither do you I know you don't but... How can you be honest with everyone else if you ain't even honest with me..." he trailed off. He didn't look bitter, didn't look as though he were angry with you but his words had been. Bitter, angry. The kind of words which almost always lead to goodbye.

You tried hard to fight back a sob, your eyes brimming with tears you were determined not to cry. You opened your mouth to speak but when a sob escaped you clasped your hand to your mouth starring back at Bonnie in hurt and in shock.

He looked back, his own lips pressed tightly together, his own eyes a little watery, a little too emotional.

"Why are we doin this dove?" He asked, "you ain't engaged to him, you ain't even promised to him... You could leave him, could be with me the way two people are meant to be together..."

His eyes held something like hope holding on by a very thin thread.

You just shook your head. Longed to tell him how much you wished he was right. How desperately you wished you could just leave.

"Why?" He asked, his voice raised, teeth gritted in frustration for a moment before he realised and settled back down, forced himself to relax. "Why dove?" He asked softer then, those dark eyes a swell of emotion, troubled water eyes watching you, searching yours desperately for the truth.

You shook your head and placed your hands down in the dirt, fingers spread in the soil as you moved to push yourself up on your shaking legs. You were going to runaway again, you were going to put that final distance between you so that you would never be able to find your way back to one another.

Bonnie felt his chest tighten as you wobbled, his hand shooting out to rest on top of yours, his gaze holding yours imploring you to stay still. To sit back down in the dirt. You hesitated, couldn't drag your eyes from his. Couldn't ignore how much you wanted to tell him everything.

"Don't do that..." He warned, "don't go little dove, I didn't start this to lose you so don't runaway from me now..."

You bit your lip, pressed your palm to your eye to try and catch your tears unable now to stop them falling thick and fast.

"There's..." you started voice catching on a sob which took over and left you shaking your head. It was no good, you couldn't tell him...

"What love?"

"There's..." Again your voice caught in your throat, your heart racing, your mind racing too.

There's things I'd like to say to you but I'll just let you live...

That was what you wanted to say to him, that was what you wanted to tell him so that he'd give in, let you go. Go and find himself a good girl, a happy girl who didn't keep so many troublesome secrets.

But you couldn't bring yourself to say it, couldn't bring yourself to push him away because you loved him. Because his hand resting on your hand in the dirt was the only thing keeping you grounded. He was the only person who could look you in the eyes and see past all the lies, all the faked smiles.

You thought you'd been doing so well to keep your secrets for so long and yet now here you were, realising that Bonnie Gold had known all along. Seen through your little act. That he was the only one who really saw you at all.

"There's..." You tried again but you couldn't find the words and bonnie was beginning to lose hope. You were so close to him, so close to telling him the truth. He couldn't let you go now.

"C'mon little dove, talk to me sweetheart... I know you're trying to hide from me y/n, can feel it, you're always tryna keep me at arms length, always holdin somet back... But I don't wanna love you like that..."

He trailed off again, watched as you crumpled before him, your knees digging into the dirt as you dropped back to the ground, no longer hovering between staying or running away.

You sat lookin down at your skirts all covered in dirt. Felt helpless. Sniffled and took a breath, knowing that you'd lose him forever if you didn't speak now.

"There's things I wanna say to you Bonnie..." You said, shaking your head, giving up. A flash of desperation shooting through your body. A flash of desperation he saw in your eyes when you snatched his hands up out of the soil and placed them to your cheeks, held them there a little too tightly for a little too long without saying a word.

All Bonnie could do was look back at you a little hesitant, a little nervous. You were shaking, your hands clutching his, pressing his to your flushed cheeks. Your tears gathered at his fingertips.

"When you hold me like this..." You started, "you're... You're always so..." You trailed off again, a lump in your throat as you thought of the man you had at home. The one you should have been with. The one you feared with all your heart.

You were scaring him but Bonnie didn't say a word. Just slipped one hand free from beneath yours,pressed your own palm to your cheek, stroking his fingers gently over your knuckles.

"You hold me without hurting me..." You confessed, your chest squeezing so tight that for a moment you couldn't breath and then, as the words left your lips you felt the air return to you, the squeeze released, the weight on your shoulders lift.

"You're the first who ever did..."

For a moment then there was quiet, just your hand holding his against your flushed cheeks, his hand holding yours there too. The two of you looking back at one another ragged and emotional. His heart aching just as yours had been aching now for so long because he finally understood you.

There were tears in his eyes and he tried to blink them away. His hand which was resting on top of yours squeezing you for a second, not to remind himself that you were still there but to prove to you that he was. Still there.

He drew in a breath, sharper than he'd have liked, shakier than he'd have liked. It hurt to look at you. Hurt to look and to see you in such obvious pain. The anguish in your eyes riddling him with his own.

"Fuck," he smirked sadly, his voice a little edgy, his eyes hardening a little, moody and stubborn as he moved to get closer to you, shifting himself to sit beside you, his hand smoothing down your neck, his other holding your head and drawing you into his embrace as he spoke with a quiet determination.

"Don't cry dove," he said, "don't cry now alright its alright, I'm your boy eh, I've got you and you're all alright..." He said it as though he were making a promise to you, watching the river flowing behind you, his eyes focussed on the water without seeing a thing because his mind was elsewhere. His mind was focussed on you, on keeping you safe, on taking revenge.

"No one's gonna hurt you no more little dove, I swear it..." He said pressing a firm kiss to your hair, his lips lingering in your parting. His eyes never breaking their stubborn glare at the water.

If it had been anyone else saying those words to you you wouldn't have believed it but as it was it was him, and you trusted him more than you'd ever trusted anyone before.

"I swear it love, no one's gonna touch you," he said his voice thick with emotion, gritty. He was struggling against tears, struggling against letting his feelings get the better of him. You were the most precious girl in the world and it hurt him deeply to know he hadn't been everything you'd needed. Hadn't saved you when you'd needed saving. "No one." He said again before a sniffle escaped him, his voice cracking as he let out a long shaky sigh, trying to laugh as he swiped the tears from his cheek.

With your hand on his heart you pushed yourself up, pulled away from his chest just enough to look up at him and see the upset flush in his rosy cheeks, the tears which trailed down them. His long lashes tried to blink them back. He tried to flash you that boyish smile. Tried to shake his crying off as nothing but you weren't having any of it.

You cupped his cheek in your hand and brushed his tears away with your thumb, kissing them away delicately, pressing your lips gently over each tear, collecting them. You held his head in your hands and climbed up into his lap so that you could rest your forehead against his, so that he could close his eyes and hold your face in his hands, his lips meeting yours again so that you could kiss in secret knowing that this would be last time you had to.

"No more secrets now eh little dove, think I've had enough..."

"Yeah," you sniffled through your smile, "me too."

[forbidden-celestia-lore]

so what's the haunted house then

well, thank you for asking, person who was definitely not sending this ask from their work computer!

first, bit of backstory: off the tail end of some Wizard Shenanigans, we followed a rider from the Whispering way to this tiny little fishing village, which has been experiencing a bit of Bad Luck for the last few months. The mayor personally welcomed us, hiring us to figure out what the fuck is up with the local church, one of a sea god, supposedly. We (read: Thela) broke into investigated this church, found… some headless bodies, a chest that smells like fish, some freaky ass carvings, a bloody altar, slugs that posses you and make your head explode (remember this one), and a giant spell casting crab monster. Suprise! it’s a cult. We go in the next day at noon like the chumps we are and get ambushed, killing a bunch of the priest/cultists, and finding some more Loot. We tell the mayor, and he tells us that the head priest disappeared into the woods a few days ago, heading off to some mansion thing. We want our money, and we may as well finish the job, so we pack up and follow. 

Got all that? Great. 

So we’re heading out to this random house in the woods, right, and my idea is that the head priest is part of the Whispering Way, cause we found the rider we were following headless in the slug room (don’t ASK me how that works), and that he was going out with a bunch of local contacts or smth to do Secret Plotting. So we get there, actually we haven’t really even “gotten” there yet, as the map hadn’t even been drawn when my dad asks us for a perception check, which we all of course fail. Or we think we’ve failed, because all he tells us is that we see a ripple on the nearby lake, putting us all on edge. A fitting start!

So we’re at this house, and I don’t think we’ve ever entered through the front door in our lives, which means that we pick the wing closest to the path we came in on and sneak up to it. I’m pretty sure my dad was internally screaming (or laughing, depending) at this point, because when we got in (undetected I might add!) and kinda sorta relaxed, and Jafar sat on the fucking couch a SWARM OF TICKS POURED OUT OF THE FUCKING COUCH. TICKS. So Celestia screams (literally, I had her do that canonically, would have totally ruined our stealth had there been anyone around to care) and runs out of the room, ducks through the first doorway she sees and immediately starts changing into her cultist disguise, in case someone did hear her and is coming. Thela climbs into the air using her immovable rods, Obezyana and Krono (who were by the door) run back outside after setting Jafar, who is now covered in ticks, on fire. And then from outside they do it again. And maybe one more time I’m not sure, but fire was the only thing we had that would hurt those ticks, until Obezyana had the legit bright idea to use color spray, which stuns every critter in a certain area. My dad was gracious enough to let him warn Thela, so she wasn’t affected, but the ticks were STUNNED and we LEFT as quickly as we could.

We regrouped in the main entry hall, Celestia now in her Whispering Way garb, and decided to look at the second wing before going into the main hall. All that was in that wing was an old storage room, where a fight of some sort had taken place recently, and we found a box that used to have a statue in it (the statue had been stolen from a museum, and we’d had to prove it wasn’t the beast Simon who stole it, but the Whispering Way, so we Knew they were here). We also found a horse! Clearly the horse the Whispering Way agent had ridden, but they’d been there for a few days without food or water or anything. We fed it, watered it, and made our way to the main hall. 

On the map, the house was drawn as one big circle in the middle, representing the main hall, with two rectangles coming off of it at a little more than a 90* angle. It turns out that the house was constructed this way because the main support beams for the central structure were a fucking druid circle, creepy ass alter included. We actually found a secret compartment on the Cursed Altar that had a Big seed in it, which we did Not touch. At which point and actual literal Giant came through a door on the other side of the hall and asked us what we were doing. I, being the diplomat of the group, told everyone to shut up and pretended I was supposed to be there, can’t you see I’m part of your cult (which I wasn’t but I didn’t know that)? This sufficiently confused the giant, letting us march past him, except then we had to act like we knew what we were doing which meant that we went through the first door we saw, and of course it was the one with the Head Priest behind it. Thankfully he was merely a pathetic spellcaster (I say, a spellcaster), so we were able to subdue him in two rounds and render him unconscious in like, three. Except!!! Surprise!!!!! He’d been possessed by one of the slugs!!!! And his fucking head exploded into tentacles!!!! Celestia screamed and scrambled backward. Thela jumped. Obezyana took a step backward. Jafar screamed and tried to shove them back into his fucking neck.

We may have panicked a little.

Eventually (and surprisingly quickly) by doing the combat equivalent of hitting him over the head with a baseball bat and screaming we were able to kill whatever the Fuck he’d become, except!!! Another surprise!!!!! He exploded AGAIN!!!!! This time into more slugs!!!!!! Six of them!!!!!!! What fun!!!!!!! Kill me!!!!!!

Turns out arrows work really well on those bastards, which is great because it meant that Obezyana was able to shoot like three all at once while Jafar smashed another one or two, but three of them slimed away out the open window into the woods.

“OH NO YOU FUCKING DON’T” said Obezyana, leaping over the balcony railing and running off into the woods after them, the speedy bastards. 

“Let’s burn this place to the ground” said Thela thoughtfully. “Great idea but let’s loot if first” said Celestia, greedily. “NO” said literally everyone, smartly. “But MONEY” said Celestia with her singular braincell, running off down the hall and opening the first door she found.

Now TO BE FAIR, she didn’t like, fling it open. She may be careless and greedy, but she’s not stupid. Good thing too, cause behind that door was a library, half collapsed and rotted away, inhabited by a pair of bloodthirsty ghosts! Thela had wanted to leave, but once she knew there were undead there she was obligated to at least try and help them leave, for Pharasma reasons. So she stayed behind with Jafar while Celestia was like “OKAY GREAT LET’S KNOCK THIS HOUSE OUT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE I’LL JUST RUN AHEAD” and powerwalked into the next room. 

The room right next to the Ghost library was actually an empty bedroom, excepting a cradle and a mobile made of seashells hanging above it. There was no draft, but when she had to roll a perception check and it moved when Celestia opened the door. She didn’t go in. 

The room after THAT was actually more of a fancy hallway, with a desk in the middle of it, looking away from some stunning views from the floor to ceiling windows behind it. THIS time Celestia actually did good on her perception check, and she was able to notice (and identify!) the yellow powder covering the desk as a type of mold that fucking EXPLODES into a POISONOUS CLOUD when disturbed!! Because what ELSE would this house have!! NORMAL dangers??? don’t be ridiculous (still tried to open it tho)

But after deciding aGIANST that, she went to the door at the other end of the hall room, because Celestia’s completionism knows no bounds. This entire time, Thela and Jafar had been dealing with the ghosts, and I don’t remember their bit very well? I think I wasn’t paying attention (or it was literally happening concurrently with my little adventure, whoops), but the gist of it was that the ghosts were Not up for conversation and FLEW at the pair of them, and Thela slammed the door in their faces and walked quickly on over to Celestia. So when Celestia opened the door at the other end of the hall, which will now be referred to as The Bedroom Door, Thela was there too, to help her out! Which was good! For reasons to be explained!

Behind The Bedroom Door was, well, a bedroom obviously, but it was. Hm. Literally cursed? It was dark, with a large, blood stained bed, and the ornate carving of a ship on a storm tossed sea above it carved into, just, cut to pieces. Someone had carved “THE PACT HAS BEEN BROKEN” into this fuckin ruined bed in this ruined house, and I think Celestia could see… things. The shadows were moving, or wrong, or something, but it meant that she did NOT want to go in. Thela, however, could be convinced by loot, and since she has a stupid high stealth snuck into the room to try and get into the attic. 

So part of the fun of Pathfinder, or any ttrpg really, is that not only do you get to roleplay, you get to act and see what the Universe thinks of your decision. So when Thela rolled very, very high, it really added to the experiance that my dad (the DM) sighed with relief before describing the room. +31 stealth! I’ve got the second highest at +16! Sage rolled REALLY HIGH! SIGHED with RELIEF!! 

The, things, that had such a high perception, were… not, dogs. They were large, shadowy, quadrupedal, with long, long thin legs and mouths full of teeth. Glowing eyes. And when you looked at them, you could feel your mind… twisting. Thela had to roll stealth again. A little farther into the room. Then she noticed that they weren’t… they were completely visible (well. no. they never were.) but they weren’t standing in the room. She could see them as if there was nothing in the way, but they were also very clearly standing outside of the second story bedroom. She signed this to Celestia (they both know sign), succeeded her final stealth check and BOOKED IT upstairs and away from the not-dogs. (here’s a drawing I did of them, if you’d like to look)

Celestia went downstairs, while Thela went upstairs to the attic. She found a book up there! Called smth like Non Euclidean Geometry. Written in Abysmal. Fun!

She also found the smashed corpse of a Whispering Way cultist, in a crater, and realized it must have been dropped from a very high height, which didn’t make sense considering there was only open sky above her oh my god what the fuck is that. SURPRISE!! I GIANT FUCKING FLYING BIRD DRAGON REPTILE GRIFFIN BUT NOT THING!!! IT REGULARLY EATS ELEPHANTS AS LIGHT SNACKS!!! AND OBEZYANA IS OUTSIDE!!!!!

anyway I’m gonna add the next bit in a reblog because this is getting long and tumblr doesn’t let me save this as a draft so this is all on my clipboard, making me nervous.

[simplyplain42]

MERRY CHRISTMAS! @heterocosmica I was your Naruto Secret Santa this year. This was the first time for me to participate in this kind of event and honestly it was so fun. I was thrilled to get to write about sasuhina as that’s my top ship, so without further ado I hope you like this fanfiction I wrote you. Hopefully its angsty enough :). Also this is like an alternative timeline from the show where the Uchiha clan never got slaughtered. 

Title: The Promise of Rebranding Category: Naruto Pairing: Sasuke x Hinata Rated: Teen. Summary: Sasuke and Hinata are arranged to be married. Neither one knowing each other very well and can only recall each other from the academy. Once they are wed, they not only have to learn to love each other but put up with the pressure from their clans. 

The Promise of Rebranding

Sasuke had always known that when he was older, he would be expected to have a wife and kids. He dreamed of being a successful shinobi when he was a kid and for the most part he had succeed. He was a Jonin and the Captain of the Uchiha Police Force with an 89% success rate.

He was an adult now, yet the idea of wife and kids was a dream he hadn’t pursued on his own. The thought was on the back burner in his mind. His occupation had been his focus. Kids were a time for later, until his father broke the news to him one morning.

He was to be wed. The arrangement was already set and done by his father.

“You have a duty to your clan and your family. If you are to see this through, it’ll will be the first step of recognition to the Uchiha’s legacy. The Leaf won’t be able to ignore this pact between the Uchiha and Hyuga. If they slight us, they will also dishonor one of their most prestigious and oldest clans in Konoha. They will have to treat us with the same respect as the Hyuga,” his father, Fugaku, explained with a deep tone. He was already sensing his son’s disapproval.

“You expect me to do this for political gain?” Sasuke remarked with an edge of bitterness to his voice.

“Precisely.”

“Hn…” Sasuke shook his head at the audacity of his father. “And why do you think the Hyuga agreed to marry into a clan the Village neglects? What do they get out of it?”

“Our sharingan.” Fugaku mentioned as if it was not the clan’s most precious heirloom.  “If it even does pass onto your offspring. The child, of course, will be safeguarded regardless. It will be raised and nurtured here in the compound and out of the Hyuga’s hands.”

“This marriage sounds like a disadvantage for Hyuga.” Sasuke quipped, unamused.

“They’ll see it as a gain,” his father enlightened. “The Hyuga is losing their weakest member in hopes of having a claim to the sharingan while their second heiress takes on the role of clan leadership. “

“I will be marrying their heir.” Sasuke stated, eyeing his father. He was looking for confirmation although he did not ask the question.

“Correct. You’re being wed to Hinata Hyuga, eldest daughter of Hiashi Hyuga and the rightful heir to the Hyuga Clan.”

“Don’t make her sound more prestigious than she is,” Sasuke retorted with heavy disdain. “You did not witness how graciously she fought in the chunin exams.”

“You should be more courteous to your new bride. Arrangements have already been made. You’ll wed the Hyuga girl by the end of next week.” His father mentioned before signaling Sasuke’s dismissal.

Sasuke had to bite back his tongue, out of respect for his father, even if he was not happy about the arrangement. He knew he did not have a choice as he grumbled inwardly about it.

He became increasingly unhappier the longer he dwelled on the impending situation. His mind entertaining thoughts on his new wife to be. The woman he was to share his life with. He didn’t know her much and could only recall her from back when they were genin. All he remembered of her was her shy and timid demeanor. She was soft-spoken and had lacked confidence in the academy. He wondered if she had matured and was self-assured now.

He was sitting outside on the patio while he was thinking things over when his older brother, Itachi, joined him.

“You don’t look so happy,” Itachi stated. His tone was calm and his voice smooth.

“Hn.”

“I felt similarly when father first told me I was to wed Izumi.” The tips of Itachi’s lips pointed up in a knowing smile.  

“So what?!” Sasuke snipped at him. “Are you going to tell me I should be jumping for joy at this wedding?”

“No. But I did come to offer some advice.” Itachi responded coolly, taking a breath in before continuing. “Do your duty and marry the girl, but this marriage is yours to choose to love. You can choose to disdain your marriage, or you can choose to find happiness in it. I didn’t think Izumi would be the one for me, but she surprised me. All I’m saying is keep an open heart.”

With that Itachi stood up and left his little brother alone to his thoughts.

Sasuke Uchiha.

The name ran through her head so many times within the last week.

She was to wed Sasuke Uchiha and she would become Hinata Uchiha.

His name did not sit well on her tongue at first. She remembered the cool, stoic boy that sat near her old crush, Naruto. A boy filled with dreams and determination. What was Sasuke filled with? She wasn’t sure.

She did not disapprove of the match her father had made and she had come to accept her fate in the week that followed. Her father had made it clear to her that she will not be the heir to the Hyuga clan. That her birthright had been won by her sister when she was thirteen and her sister eight.

Hinata knew she was not as strong or as gifted as her sister in the gentle fist. She was a disappointment to the clan. The weakest member born of the strongest branch. Her father blamed her gentle character. He had tried to strength her. He tried to train her, and she failed him.

Now she was to be wed for a set of ruby eyes.

The hot water of her bath could not calm her sense of nerves. She would be given to Sasuke Uchiha in two days and on the morrow her fate will be sealed.

“Will it hurt?” Hinata spoke softly into the steamy air.

Her handmaiden from the branch family paused in her action at her heiress’s question. It did not take her long to figure out what the young woman was referring to.

“No, Hinata-san. You’ll be asleep when it is done.”

Hinata nodded briefly. “Thank you”.

The handmaiden continued lathering her hair as Hinata dreaded what was to come.

The day of the wedding, guests from the Hyuga and Uchiha clan attended the ceremony to see the heiress of the Hyuga be married off to the second heir of the Uchiha. Elders of the village also came to bear witness to this day of integration between the two oldest clans in Konoha.

Both bride and groom were nervous but hid their nerves in different ways. Sasuke looked grim and irritated even though his stomach was tight with obligations while Hinata wore a tight smile and vacant expression. Underneath her façade was a quicken heart with nerves dancing under her skin.

She could hardly recall anything that morning. All she knew was she had been prepped and beautified to fit into her elegant white gown. Her bouquet was of pink lilies but even her sense of smell was gone.

Quick enough, she found herself walking down the aisle to her husband to be. He looked devilishly handsome in his black fitting tux, but his sharp gaze left an apathetic impression in the air. When she reached him at the end of the aisle, her father gave her away and her hand was swept into Sasuke’s cool one.

“We have gathered here to bear witness to this new union of this man and this woman. To become of one soul and of one voice as husband and wife. Through rich or poor and in sickness and in health. Now if you will repeat after me,” the pastor spoke to Sasuke and then Hinata as they each took their vows in front of God and men.

The good pastor lightly bounded their hands together as he breathed life into their union, pronouncing them husband and wife. He stepped back as he gave permission to the husband to now kiss his wife. Hinata turned towards Sasuke on cue almost robotically. Her eyes hesitantly trialing up his form to find his stony expression.

In one efficient move, Sasuke took the edge of Hinata’s veil and flipped it over her head to have access to her face. He could easily see the heavy white powered foundation she wore and the light pink lipstick she bared on her lips. Without a second to waste, he swooped down to peck her lips to seal the ceremony.

His lips were warm and smooth against hers in that fainted touch. She was dazed when he pulled away before she even had a chance to respond. The audience began to clap at the success of their union, reminding Hinata that they were not alone in the room.

With tinted cheeks, she stood facing their guests, turned away from the alter, with her new husband’s hand loosely held within her grasp. The room was praising their union as they stood before their witnesses until the music cued their exit.

Hinata was eager to let her husband lead her from the alter, away from all the prying eyes but she knew she wouldn’t get any peace anytime soon as they went to their next event, the reception.

The reception was as a blur to Hinata as well. She had received many hugs and many gifts after the ceremony. She hardly tasted the food as her senses were still shot. Her stomach twisting for the night to come. She knew she would have to give herself to her new husband. It was expected of her. Her father expected her too and she had been officially bought and paid for in some respect.

She snuck a shy glance at her husband that was seated beside her at their wedding table. She had been doing so for most of the night. She was trying to get a read on his mood. At the ceremony, he seemed irritably resigned. Now it seemed he was no longer as annoyed as before, but he wasn’t content either.

While observing him, Sasuke never seemed to smile and that concerned Hinata heavily. She tried to recall ever seeing the dark-haired boy smiling or happy, but she could not. She wondered how could she make her new husband happy if he never smiled? She even wonder could she ever be happy with him.

She stopped her depressing train of thoughts before they got worse. She couldn’t perceive her new marriage as negative yet. It had just begun and she wasn’t going to perceive it as doomed from the start. She was going to try. She wanted to be a good wife. She wanted a proper life and maybe, she will get to be happy if she tried.

Her head perked up as she made herself positive and made her nerves dissipated.

Sasuke caught her gazing at him and he pretended not to notice. She was studying him, much like he was study her during the night. He felt she was even more quiet than she was at the academy. He was very pleased to hear her stutter had subsided somewhat when he heard her engage with their guests. Her voice was soft to the point she was hard to hear, but her voice had an airy quality to it that he could get used to. Her voice was not like his previous teammate’s pitchy voice.

He hated loud and obnoxious voices as the sound of them could make him irritable.  He had already suffered on a team with the two loudest ninjas in Konoha. Both were big mouths that were constantly arguing with each other ever since the academy. He was glad that his team had disbanded ever since they made the rank of Jonin and their sensei, Kakashi, was honored with the promotion of Hokage. His blond teammate, Naruto, was still preparing and training on becoming the next Hokage and his female teammate had taken on a large shift at the Hospital.

His team was parted, but they manage to see each other on occasion. Like for this instance, they had come to see him wed. Naruto was stoked for him. He was happy to see his teammate begin a family of his own. When Naruto offered his best wishes and was talking Sasuke’s ear off, Sasuke was closely watching for Hinata’s reaction.

He knew she used to have a crush on the blond. Everyone knew in the academy. It was plain to anyone that could see. He was mildly appreciative to see that she had no obvious reaction to his teammate’s words. She had accepted his best wishes with a tiny smile and thanks. Rose colored cheeks did not consume her face, leaving Sasuke to believe that she had gotten over her silly little crush.

The white made-up bed looked daunting to Hinata. She bit her cheek, wondering who was going to break the ice first. Was her husband going to make the first move? Should she? They both knew what their clans expected, but before Hinata could further dwell on the impending action, Sasuke had already made their decision.

“We don’t have to tonight,” he stated nonchalantly.

Surprised from his statement, she turned her wide eyes from the bed to him. He did not return her gaze as his own stayed lock on the bed. There was a short pause before he reiterated himself.

“We’ll do so when you’re ready and comfortable,” he mentioned.

Hinata felt her heart clench. She felt relieved and her heart filled with gratitude. She was smiling at the news as she watched him begin to untie his tie and remove his coat. After realizing he was starting to undress, she turned away. Her cheeks dusted red despite him being still fully clothed. Plus, he was her husband, she should not feel ashamed to see him.

Fighting with herself, she made her escape to the bathroom to similarly undress and get out of her wedding gown. She closed the door for some privacy. Looking in the mirror, she saw piles of makeup caked on her face from what her stylist had done early this morning.

She quickly found a towel and let the water run warm from the sink as she took off her veil. She undid her long indigo hair, relieved to no longer have it pinned up. She wet the towel when the water was warm and wiped at her face to clear the makeup away.

She had it nearly off, but the sight of her forehead under her bangs made her pause. She shook her head a moment later, looking sternly at herself in the mirror. She wasn’t going to pity herself. She was going to make the best out of her life from now on she decided, before moving on to take care of her dress. She tried reaching her hands behind herself to undo the buttons of her dress and unzip the rest, but she found difficulty doing so.

After a minute or two of struggling to get out of her wedding gown, she reluctantly knew she had to ask for help. Quietly, she opened the bathroom door to peer into the bedroom. She spotted Sasuke on the bed. He had already unbuttoned his dress shirt and was now taking off his shoes and socks.

His dark eyes had glanced at her when he heard the door opened.

“Would you mind… helping me unzip? I can’t… do it” She asked timidly while stepping into the bedroom.

He nodded after a brief pause as he went to stand. She turned around, giving him access, as he approached her.

Skillfully, Sasuke managed to unbutton the five buttons that ran down from Hinata’s neck to below her shoulders. Then he unzipped her steadily from her shoulders to the small of her back, spying her creamy white skin and white undies as her gown grew slack around her form.

She was blushing greatly from what Sasuke could tell from the redness on her neck. When he was done, she looked over her shoulder to thank him while holding the dress to her form.

“Thank you.” She squeaked out softly.

His dark eyes caught her own, ready to let her retreat into the bathroom, but a glimpse of green caught his eyes.

“Wait,” he directed, holding her there.

Hinata’s eyes grew wide as her husband’s hand came up to her cheek, turning her to look at him. She grew weary to what he might want but saw that his eyes were narrowed in on her forehead. She froze when his hand deftly lifted up her bangs, spying her forehead. His fingers were combed through her hair as his thumb rubbed at the left-over makeup on her forehead. She held her breath as she witness the pensive look that came over his face.

“What is that?”

She gulped. She was apprehensive in that instance. “A seal given to branch members of the Hyuga clan.” She spoke shakily, she reverted her eyes from his when they met hers.

“You’re the heir to the main branch,” he spoke, stating it as a fact although the question was implied.

“I… I was,” she admitted shamefully. “My sister, Hanabi, is the heir now.”

“What’s the seal for?”

“To protect the secrets of the byakugan,” she answered truthfully, but she refused to look her husband in the eye. She was afraid to see his judgement. Afraid for him to finally see what he had bought.

Sasuke studied the seal while the back of his teeth were clenched together. He knew this was not part of the deal when his father made arrangements with the Hyuga. Otherwise, his father would have forewarned him.

He was sure his father did not know of this. Personally, he had mixed emotions seeing a branding seal on his new wife. He took his eyes off the seal to search her face.

“Hn.”

His hands fell away from her head, making Hinata look up. He was letting her go she realized and she watched him move back to their shared bed. Swiftly, she retreated to the bathroom to continue to undress and slip on a light night gown that reached her knees.

When she was done composing herself and undressing, she reentered the bedroom to find Sasuke already laying on his side of the bed. His bare back was to her and in the dim light she could only make out some of his physique.

She assumed he was resting already and quietly made her way to the bed to slip under the covers. She tried to strictly stay to her side of the bed to give her husband some space. It felt odd sleeping in a bed with someone when all her years she’s always slept alone.

It was hard for her to fall asleep, leaving her to wonder what Sasuke could possibly might feel for her. Or how he might possibly feel for her in the future.

When morning came, he felt incredibly warm. He tossed back the blankets, hoping to rid the heat, but the lack of blankets didn’t help. There was a long pillow snuggled into his side. His foggy brain knew that was incorrect as he slowly cracked open his eyes.

He soon found out that the source of heat was emanating from his wife that was huddled beside him. His eyes trailed over her in the soft morning light. The blankets were kicked down to their feet and half tossed over his side of the bed when he got too hot. He noticed that she was cold and had buried her head into his side while cocooning herself with her arms and her legs entangled with his.

He stayed still for a few moments longer, to soak in the image of her before carefully getting up out of bed. When he did so, he heard her whine ever so softly, before he tossed the blanket that had fallen to the floor back on her.

He then made his way to the bathroom to take a cold shower so that he could start his day. Unbeknownst to him, he had started the routine for their daily life.

Hinata woke up to an empty space that was still warm, but she was no longer cold, thanks to the blankets draped over her. Groggily, she heard the hum of the shower and knew that’s where her husband disappeared to.

Her husband. She was still getting use to that phrase and knew it will take some time before she felt it was natural on her tongue. Every day the phrase came a little easier.

Each morning seemed to go the same way. Hinata would wake up curled on the wrong side of the bed with blankets covering her as her husband got ready for the day. She would do the same and help her husband out by preparing his coffee in the morning and on some mornings offer him breakfast too. He would either decline or accept, but Hinata learned he hardly had an appetite in the mornings. He would survive on black coffee until he was free in the afternoon.

When she learned of his schedule, she packed him a lunch, quickly learning the foods he enjoyed and the ones he didn’t. He was always vague with his responses of gratitude and Hinata figured if he didn’t tell her to stop, then she was okay to continue doing so.

She would then see her husband on his way out the door to his high important job at the Uchiha Police Station. He was gone from eight in the morning to five at night. She couldn’t say she missed him when he left for work, but the house often felt bare without his presence. She was still getting used to living in the Uchiha compound and often reflected back to her old home. She didn’t miss it but learning the Uchiha customs were coming slowly to her and getting acquainted with her husband was even harder.

They only had a brief two days to spend together on their honeymoon. It had been short and sweet but not long enough for them to fully understand each other. They were both given passes to a massage and bath house parlor. The massages were received separately and Hinata had never felt so pampered in her ninja life. The masseuse’s hands rubbed all the knots out of her body and her skin felt silky smooth from the spa treatments she received. The bathing portion was an awkward setting for the two of them as they had a tub of hot water to share.

The Lovers Soak was what the establishment called it.

So as husband and wife, they got to join each other in the hot pools.

They didn’t do anything beneath the water, but it was the first time that she got a full view of her husband, literally all of him. He didn’t stand there to let her gawk but entered the pools casually. She only managed to sneak a handful of peaks, feeling bashful while doing so but he seemed unaffected by her gaze.

She tried to look as confident as he was when she stepped into the tub. Her body had been on display for him and she tried not to feel bashful.  Her cheeks were bright red as they soaked in the tub in comfortable silence for the majority of it.

Besides seeing each other naked, their physical relationship only made minimal progress. Every morning before she would see him off to work, she would receive a peck on her lips. The routine had come about when she first offered him a packed lunch. She had to reached on her tippy toes to brush her lips to his cheek. The next time, he made the move to peck her lips before leaving the door as he mentioned his thanks.

The gesture was not romantic yet, but each morning she looked forward to his lips a little bit more. Their relationship was growing with the small kisses, hand holding, and dinner discussions. She was learning to understand him.  Like how he was often closed off to people, his emotions were heavily guarded, his opinions hardly wavered as he was stubborn, and he was assertive. He didn’t just talk about what he was going to do, he always seem to do it. She could learn to appreciate that aspect of him and respect him for keeping his word. He wasn’t a liar that she knew of.

When he was gone during the day, Hinata kept the house tidy. She wanted to be a dutiful wife, but that’s not all she was. She was a chunin still, but missions were scarce, and her team had disbanded ever since Kurenai became pregnant. Her other two teammates were rather busy too. Shino was studying and preparing to become a teacher at the academy. Kiba was working on becoming a ninken trainer and breeder. Both were too busy for missions unless it was of dire importance.

Hinata kept up with her ninja training however, and bid as the Hokage asked of her. Whenever she was training or had to be in uniform, she wore her forehead protector around her head to cover her seal on her forehead. Outside of work, she wore a bandana when shopping for household items or when outside in the Uchiha compound. She only let her seal show at home with her husband, but even then, her bangs covered it as best they could.

Their first intimate kiss was shared on the training grounds.

Sasuke happened to stumble upon Hinata at the fields. She was busy working on her gentle fist, practicing each move in repetition to make her attacks more fluid. He knew his wife trained, but he had never thought to train with her until that day.

He was mildly curious. He had not seen her fight since the chunin exams when they were young. He had heard of her defeat from Naruto firsthand as the blond idiot had vowed to beat her opponent in the next rounds. He remembered he had not been impressed at the time, learning that she was struck down by her own family.

He thought it was downright pathetic when he was younger. That the girl couldn’t even land a blow on her kin. She was weak in comparison to her cousin, Neji, but now, something rang true in his head. She had fought tooth and nail against her own blood, making her windup in the hospital for it.

She didn’t give up even when she was clearly out matched. She so desperately wanted to prove herself and it partially remind him of himself. He had always wanted to prove himself too. He sought recognition from his father by trying to be better than his older brother, Itachi. He had given his all every day just so that he could be in the same league as him. Now, here he was. Captain of the Uchiha Police Force while his brother was retired from Anbu Black OPs with a family of his own and was becoming ingrained into the clan’s responsibilities.

A lot had changed for Sasuke since he was in the chunin exams and a lot has happened to make him the shinobi he was today. So, he looked upon his wife with fresh eyes. He was intrigued to see the ninja she was and assess her skill level.

He appeared to her on the field. She was not startled by his presence but was more than curious to see if he was of need of something. When the offer came, Hinata was willing to spar with her husband. He was quiet and analytical as he took on the defensive to test her strengths, he did not move to strike or counter strike until he felt he had seen all her offense moves.

When he flipped the script and took on the assault, Hinata braced herself. She pivoted and dodged as much as she could. For the most part, she could avoid his attacks, although he was not trying to outwit her but merely understand her fighting style. She was graceful and swift. Her attacks were few when on the defensive, but they surged with power that could take a person’s breath away.

During their training sessions, he would give small pieces of advice and she do her best to follow them. She was greatly appreciative of his words that were meant to make her thrive than cut her down. His voice was cool and level, but she did not experience a bite to his words the way her father’s words did when he trained her. Her husband may not have been gentle, but he was certainly not harsh and cruel.

On one late afternoon, after weeks of training together, Hinata was charging at Sasuke about to strike. He was going to make a hasty sweep to the right to avoid her palm when he noted in mid-attack she lost her footing. She was off balance and was about to fall.

He reached out to steady her. She was panting, and her cheeks were red from exertion. Her lavender doe eyes were looking up at him in surprise.

She was trying to catch her breath, so she could thank him and was oblivious to the fact that he had been fixating on her lips. They were full and pink. He thought they had looked kissable, so that’s what he decided to do.

His lips connected to hers, stealing her breath away once more. He kissed her longer than he ever had before, and he heard her faint hum of approval before he felt her kissing him back.

He couldn’t recall when they had moved under the shade of a tree and when he had her back against it. All he was focused on was the feeling on her lips on his. One of his hands tangle in her long locks and his other hand holding her steady at the hip. Her hands were placed at his chest and face. She seemed to be enjoying the kiss as much as he was. Their kiss only ending when they felt small drops of water falling through the tree leaves as the clouds began to sprinkle.

They were puffing when they parted from each other. Their breathes heating the air. Neither one knew what to say or how to proceed. It took a minute for Sasuke’s thoughts to recollect themselves as he suggested they go home before the down pour.

When they got home, they were soaked to the bone. Hinata offered to let Sasuke steal a shower first but he refused and told her she should go.

Hinata nodded about to step away but turned back to her husband. Her face was beat red as she looked to the floor.

“We can share the warm water if you like,” she mentioned timidly, feeling embarrassed.

Sasuke understood her offer and slowly nodded his head. His eyes skimmed over her. Her wet clothes roughly sticking to her body and he couldn’t help shying away at his thoughts as he looked away to.

They had been legally wed for only four months, but their relationship was only now starting to bloom.

A few more months had passed with nearly the same routine.

Sasuke would wake up for work in the morning and his wife would kiss him bye. She would take care of the household chores and run to the market from time to time. When Sasuke had days off, he would join her. Sometimes he even tagged along if she only wanted to window shop. Other days when he could spare time in the afternoon, he would find her training and they would spar with each other.

Rarely, Sasuke would be called out on a two-day mission. However, that occasion only came once in a blue moon, due to the fact he was needed at the station. Hinata had similar missions from time to time but much more frequent and less duration. Her missions were typically C or B rank whereas Sasuke had A-rank or higher.

On nights, when Sasuke came home from work, they would sit down to a homemade meal Hinata had prepared. Occasionally they would receive a visitor or two, so Hinata learned to make extra helpings. Naruto was apparently notorious for stopping by unannounced just to fill Sasuke in on the loop around town, to talk about his missions, or complain about their sensei.

Other times, Hinata had to receive her mother and father-in-law. Both of Sasuke’s parents were often curious how their marriage was going. Itachi had stopped by a few times too. He usually warned them if he was going to come over. Hinata found Sasuke’s family pleasant enough, but she enjoyed Itachi’s visits the most, since he was courtesy and had a soothing aura about him.

When the two of them were not receiving visitors, Sasuke would treated his wife out on a date over the weekends. He made sure to give his full attention to her to help make his marriage stronger. He was deeply taking Itachi’s advice to heart by trying not to be closed off to Hinata.

Every day was progress to breaking down the shield around his heart to let his wife in. He wanted this to work and he believed he was even growing fond of being with her. She was quiet, but she was considerate and thoughtful. There was nothing about her so far that he had immediately disliked except for her seal on her head.

He had nearly forgotten that bitter seal until they were having an evening out with Hinata’s family and the high elders from the clan.

It was right around the holidays and they were over to celebrate Hinata’s birthday with a family dinner.

They were received at the door with custom pleasantries. Sasuke and Hinata had spruce up for the occasion, holding hands when one of the branch members had greeted them at the door.

The first look upon Hiashi’s face was disappointment after examining them, but his face did not look any grimmer than before. He welcomed them with fake warmth and wish his daughter a blessed birthday.

The food had been decent, but Sasuke felt Hinata could cook better as the dinner table fell into light small talk. When sake was being poured that’s when the pleasantries ended.

“Would you care for some, daughter?” Hiashi offered, ready to have Hinata’s glass poured.

“No thank you, father,” Hinata declined politely.

His face was pensive before he took a sip of his cup of sake. “Do you not care for the taste? Or are you with child at the moment?” He quipped.

Hinata squeaked in embarrassment. All eyes were on her and she could tell the elders of her clan were waiting in anticipation for her reply.

“No, father… I’m not with child. I simply wish not to drink,” Hinata answered softly, looking abashed.

“Hm,” her father hummed his disapproving thoughts before he spoke. “After nearly half a year of marriage, one would think you would be heavy with child. I hope there haven’t been any medical complications,” he subtly pried while looking pointedly at Sasuke.

Hinata shook her head mortified. She couldn’t believe her sex life was being brought up at the dinner table. She even felt her husband tense at the line of questioning from her father. She sneaked a glance at him to read how he was feeling and saw irritation in his eyes.

“Perhaps these two adults haven’t had enough experience in the bedroom. A marriage is not real until it is consummated. Maybe one of them hasn’t figured out where to put it,” one of the eldest seniors of her clan added. He was a raspy old man who had a tendency to speak without much filter in his old age.

Hinata hurriedly stepped in. Her voice shaky as she tried to take the blame. “No, no, no. The fault lies…with me. I haven’t been ready… and Sasuke has been more than lenient with me.”

She felt Sasuke’s eyes upon her and she was too nervous to look as see if he was displeased with her answer. Her father on the other hand seemed to weigh her answer before responding carefully.

“I’m glad to see some chivalry left in this world and as much as I like to hear that you are respectful of my daughter, Sasuke, I have to say that the two of you won’t be young forever. Age only further increases complications and I’m sure both our clans would like to see the next generation come into this world.” Hiashi voice was smooth and his speech was delivered solemnly.

“Children pave the way to the clan’s future. Hanabi’s own children will need protectors much as Neji has spent his life for yours,” the elder added.

Hinata felt the sting with Neji’s name and was left speechless, although Sasuke was quick to respond.

“You mean for our children to be your slaves?” Sasuke snapped heatedly.

“Slaves?!” The elder mocked, preposterously. “Your offspring have the honor and the duty to protect the main branch. The Hyuga’s lineage only passes on through their pure blood which your children must protect!”

“Tch. Never mind about our children. They’ll be of no concern of yours.” Sasuke spoke firmly, glaring heavily at the old man.

Before the elder could further respond, Hiashi held up his hand to stop him.

“I’m sure my son-in-law did not mean to give offense with the term slave. He has merely misconceived the importance of our branch family. They are not branded and sealed to be our slaves. They are branded to keep the byakugan within the family and to keep its secrets safe. Branding is a cautionary measure, surely the Uchiha have some devices they use to—”

“No, we don’t.”

Hiashi’s mouth formed a hard line in contempt. The table grew quiet and the air was thick with tension. Hiashi’s stare matched Sasuke’s glare.

“Well we should expect the sharingan trait to be passed down without a problem since there is no protection in the matter,” the elder mocked once again.

“My children will not be branded. They will not be enslaved. You have plenty of branch members to keep your family’s traditions going,” Sasuke stated firmly.

The elder was fuming as he began to counter. “Hinata is of Hyuga blood. She has obligations to protect the main-“

“She was Hyuga.” Sasuke curtly cut in with an icy tone, “She is an Uchiha now. Her obligations are to me. To bear my children. To carry on my family name and traditions. Not to be branded like cattle.”

Another elder stood up from his seat, enraged. “Insolent boy! Your family name is being carried on by your eldest brother.  He is heir to the Uchiha. You are nothing but a –“

Hiashi commanded silence when he stood up from his seat nosily. The two bitter elder sank back down in their seat as Hiashi’s eyes leveled with Sasuke’s. His voice was like steel. “If I were you, I would watch my tongue.” He advised. “Hinata might grow weary during such passionate discussions.”

The threat hung heavy in the air.

Sasuke clenched the back of his teeth shut, nearly grinding them with the force he was using not to spit something back at the old man. He only kept a cool head for Hinata’s sake. The thought of her even potentially getting hurt was enough to make him hesitate. He couldn’t tell them how he really felt even though he already done as much, but he couldn’t escalate it farther. Not while Hinata was vulnerable. Plus, it was her birthday.

“You’re right.” He breathed out coolly. His eyes were like daggers piercing into the man’s throat. He eyed them all making a mental note of all the ones in attendance. “Hinata has grown tired. I’m sure you won’t mind if we take our leave.”

“Not at all.” Hiashi smiled accordingly. The tension in the room slowly dwindling. “It was a pleasure to have you. I’m sure will see you soon. Rest up my daughter.”

Hinata nodded numbly. She was still too shocked to coherently speak after everything that had happened. “Yes, father.”

Within minutes, Sasuke and her were out the door and swiftly making their escape out of the Hyuga compound. Hinata could feel Sasuke was stewing. She felt an immense dark arura about him. She knew he was not pleased and she could hardly blame him. Dinner had not gone well, and she struggled to keep up with her husband’s long strides.

He was pacing fast down the quiet street. There were other people along the roads but Hinata paid them no mind, focusing on staying by his side.

It wasn’t until they were half way to their house when Sasuke had stopped and took her by the waist. He kissed her sharply with fiery hot passion, leaving her breathless. His eyes were fierce when he looked upon her, deep with devotion and resolve. His mouth was set in a hard line. His hands brushing at her bangs to spy her seal. His eyes narrowed at it.

When his dark orbs finally drifted back down to meet her own again, she felt speechless at their intensity.

“As my wife you’re an Uchiha. I won’t let them have power over you or our children. So, on this day, I swear, I’ll do whatever it takes to find a way to get that seal removed.” He promised as he kissed her fiercely once more.

His voice was softer when he came up for air.

“I won’t let them harm you,” he promised.

She couldn’t help but smile as she reached up to kiss him softly back. She couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift from him. To regain her freedom from her clan would be wonderful and to know that their children wouldn’t have to share the same fate.

She was filled with warmth as her heart was skipping with joy.

She knew she couldn’t have gotten luckier to marry the man that she did.

The End

[seanandpuckkendrick]

there are dragons: an Extensive Summary

So I’m currently working on a thing that I’ve nicknamed there are dragons simply because that’s how I start the book (“there are dragons in the sky”) and it doesn’t have a title yet (although I have a few in mind that I’m tossing around). I talk about it a lot here because it’s my WIP that’s the longest (only 31 pages but shh) and the one I’m most fond of; however, I feel like I haven’t really explained what’s going on, and I love talking about my characters, so I’m going to give a Rough Summary followed by Overly Extensive Character Descriptions bc I want to keep some story elements to myself (bc I’m very fond of it) but I can’t shut up about my characters because I’m very fond of my band. 

so here goes nothing~ 

Setting: 

It’s a basic medieval fantasy story set in a country that’s only referred to as the Kingdom, simply because they believe there is nothing more on the planet. The North of the kingdom contains people as cold as the landscape. They are resilient, but, in comparison to the rest of the Kingdom, primitive. To the South lies thick rainforests. Here the people are the geniuses of the land; they live in complex villages of tree houses and spend much of their time creating. And finally, cutting though the center of the Kingdom is the Plateau. It’s mainly a barren desert with a scattering of border towns to help you cross. The people here are intelligent traders; they know the dangers of the desert, and more importantly they know how to combat it. 

The Kingdom is not all that is on this land mass, however. To the East lies the mountains. No one really knows what the contain, or what lies beyond them, but many theorize they are home to the illusive yet deadly dragons. They are correct. 

Plot: 

There are dragons in the sky. Well, they look like dragons at least. In reality, they are human shape shifters. Basil is a young boy living in a border town or the Plateau known as Renora, but he's really not what he seems. He's always been drawn to the dragons in a way unlike anyone else in the town. As if that doesn't make him odd enough, he lives with the only parent he's ever known, his mother, Lavender. As far as the town is concerned, she's just an insane woman, but in reality she's just paranoid. When she was younger, she had a run in with the dragons that raid the border towns. Normally, the dragons just destroy and pillage, but this time was different. She met a dragon and learned that they could shape shift into a human form. This dragon was Archer, Basil's father. The two fell in love, and Lavender left the town to be with him. She was told she could never return to her home village because in doing so she would risk outing the secret of the dragons. No one knew they were humans, and they wanted to keep it that way. 

But Lavender couldn't keep away. One night, she begged Archer to take her home to see her parents, and he couldn't say no. They snuck away, but despite their efforts they were caught. Lavender and Archer were cursed to never meet again, and a magic promise was made between them. Lavender was pregnant with a child, and when they were born, they were to live with Lavender for 17 years; then, on their seventeen birthday, they had to join the sky pirates. This child was Basil. 

The story begins, after a prologue because I can't resist a good ol' prologue, on Basil's seventeen birthday. By this time, he's been told his father is a dragon, but he's never met him, and Lavender wants to keep it this way. Try as they might, however, magical promises cannot be broken, and Basil is taken away to join the sky pirates. 

And that's all the plot I'm going to talk about~   

Main Characters: 

Basil: the main character; the book is told from his point of view. He's the child of Archer and Lavender and spent the first seventeen years of his life in the border town of Renora in the Plateau. He's a trans boy who's spent his life just trying to be treated like a normal guy, but the town isn't so quick to accept him. He's a pessimistic and downtrodden person with a cynical sense of humor. He wants to believe that there is more to life, but he's been stamped down his whole existence as a freak, both for his gender and his interest in dragons. Despite this, he's ambitious and willing to lie and twist arms to get what he wants. He tries not to be too emotional because he's worried about being emasculated, but he's full of love and happiness and sadness and everything; he just needs someone to get him to open up. And speaking of that someone... 

Reed: Reed is a member of the band that Basil becomes a member of once he joins the sky pirates. He's a fellow seventeen year old with a positive outlook on life. Reed had a dark and twisted past with a lot of death and destruction (ooh), but he doesn't let that get him down. Instead, Reed strives to make the world a better place, so no one has to go through what he did. It's odd, then, that he would join a band of thieves, but he takes on a Robin Hood-esque way of pillaging. He leaves the poor houses alone in favor of burning the rich mansions down, mainly because he knows they've got ten others. Reed has a true talent for putting his foot in his mouth in his efforts to be helpful, but everyone knows he truly means well. He is also head-over-heels in love with Basil but too timid to do anything about it. Ultimately, Reed is a feel-good kind of character, despite all the twists and turns his life has taken to lead him to where he is. (ooh plot hints~) 

Archer: Archer is the leader of the band and Basil’s father. He’s a happy-go-lucky sort of person as well, but he has a darker world view than Reed. Despite his high rank in the village, Archer manages to be friendly with people on a personal level. This won’t stop him from going to any means necessary to protect his band. He loves Basil more than he can articulate, considering he’s not such a feeling sort of person, and he accepts him as his son the moment he meets him. Archer cares for the band more than anything, and he would lay down his life for any of them. This sometimes goes a bit too far, and what he’s willing to do to protect his charges could end up leading to distress for others. 

Eloise: Eloise is the Enchanter of the band, meaning she has the ability to use more magic than anyone else. Any kind emotions from her are kept behind a brick wall of worry considering her past. Eloise comes from a family of powerful Enchanters, but it comes with a price; her family wants control of the Kingdom. Dragons are considered a hazard to some and a myth to others, but Eloise’s family wants to rule. She distanced herself from them with an exception of her brother, who she had always been close with. That doesn’t mean he’s any different from the rest of the family, and it doesn’t mean he’s any less of a danger. 

Farley: Farley is the muscle of the group, although you wouldn’t guess that from seeing him. He’s a gentle giant sort of person. In battle, he’s a fierce warrior, but outside of it he wouldn’t even dare to tattle when someone breaks Archer’s rules. He and Archer have a strong bond; they trained together when they were young and made a pact to join forces. Farley knew Lavender, but he refuses to give out any information on her. He doesn’t want to get tangled in the complicated mess Archer created when he fell in love with a human. Farley doesn’t really get romantic stuff; all he knows is he wants to keep Archer, and the rest of the band, safe from humans. In his eyes, the dragons could stay hidden forever and he wouldn’t care. 

Kai: Kai is one half of an important pair on and off the battlefield. They’re nonbinary and mute, but they have a quick sense of humor and contagious enthusiasm. Because they can’t speak, they invented their own sort of sign language (since things like ASL don’t exist because America doesn’t exist) that they mostly use to communicate with their partner, Aspen. They love card games (this is important, trust me), especially when they can cheat, and having a good time. They would also die for Aspen; the two are hopelessly in love with each other and are rarely separated. 

Aspen: Aspen is the other half of the band’s fighting pair. She shares Kai’s enthusiasm and love, but Aspen is a bit more cynical. She wants to see the best in people but rarely does. Rather, she doesn’t trust people until Kai trusts them because she believes in their ability to judge people. Ultimately, all she really wants is the best for the band and the best for Kai. Being a sky pirate wasn’t her first choice, but she has made life long friends and met the love of her life through it, and so she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

A Conclusion: 

So that’s a very basic run down of my story! I doubt anyone will read this, especially this far, but it was nice to write it out and really solidify my characters in my mind. I mean, I’ve done a lot of work with them, and I’m just excited to see where it goes! Every day the story expands and new elements are added, and I just hope one day I can finish it and share it with the world. 

Bye~~~

[we-are-lawyer]

A contract analysis with regards to a fictional contract signed on a popular tabletop gaming show

I allow my fondness for overly complex titles to overtake me far too often. As you can probably guess, this specifically pertains to the contract signed by Percy recently on the critical role webseries. As such, spoilers for that, and earlier/future episodes - though since I will be mainly focused on how the contract could be enforced, I will not in the slightest be referencing episodes past the signing. So, let’s get into it. I’ll go step by step, talking you through how I’m reading the contract, as well as comparing it’s legality to some legal systems of which I am aware. I’m using the pre-negotiations contract because it’s the only one I can find written down, and it’s also where the contract will be most set up to screw the recipient. Shall we?

(anything is bold is wording from this post provided to me by @batsintheshadows, many thanks for that. Also bear in mind that I am not qualified to give general legal advice, and and advice given here is purely for entertainment purposes only, I accept no liability for issues caused by following this advice, out of roleplaying game or in it.)

This contract binds the scribe and recipient into a deal of chosen escalation for an unending period of time, or this contract is voided by an agreement on the part of both parties.

Now, reading this is setting off so. Many. Alarms bells. Unending period of time is the first, mainly because if you want to get a fair contract, you want to get some form of timeframe - even if it’s just a decided upon timeframe for renewal. This naturally implies that the signatory (That’s the person signing the contract, referred to here as the recipient) is going to be in the deal for the rest of their lives (in a world with a tangible afterlife, that is not a good thing.). The voiding agreement is fairly standard, it’s essentially a get-out cause, however the fact that both parties have to agree gives way to the idea that if the ‘scribe’ doesn’t make an agreement, the recipient is going to be stuck in the contract. This isn't good for obvious reasons. Any contract that doesn't allow either party to end it without the consent of the other is a bad deal (this doesn't include requiring notice beforehand, or having conditions that must be met before voiding the contract).

Upon agreeing to and signing this contract, the recipient is bound to their agreed obligations and parameters within the first pact, as is the scribe. Upon completion of the agreed obligations and parameters on both sides of the initial pact, the first pact is considered complete and concluded.

This is fairly standard, essentially saying that each party has to do what they say they’re going to do. It also sets out that the first pact is concluded once each party does their thing. Nothing too fancy here - it’s the pact that would make this bit bad.

This contract as a whole remains until the predetermined period of eternity, allowing the recipient, should they feel inclined, to invoke and trigger the second or third pact any time thereafter through verbal acceptance in relative proximity of this contract.

This part has that ‘vague enough to screw you’ vibe about it. The ability to accept the second and third pacts at any time is rather interesting, but the ‘relative proximity’ part that is worrying. With verbal agreement, essentially you could say it within pretty much any proximity and it could be considered relative. You just need to be kind of near to the contract. I’d argue for a specific clause stating that the recipient must be aware of the contract being within the distance and within a specific distance - 5ft seems good to me, given that this is D&D. Verbal acceptance is also pretty vague - I could take pretty much anything said in a manner showing intent to accept the pacts (but not specifically stating that you accept them) and take it as acceptance if I wanted to.

The obligations and parameters agreed upon within the second or third pact then become binding and immediate to be fulfilled on part of both parties within an agreed upon period of time. Upon completion of the agreed obligations and parameters on both sides of the Second or Third Pact, that pact is considered complete and concluded.

Again, fairly standard. It does hint at more negotiations to happen at some point - either at the accepted time, specified in the pact or to happen at the signing.

This Contract remains in effect through all Pacts and thereafter, maintaining any agreed upon specifications and obligations that remain outside of a Pact’s completion, for Eternity.

This is rather nasty. With vague enough wording, you could keep someone under an obligation that you’ve snuck into the contract for eternity, or for them to fact the consequences. Not very kind.

Any violation of this contract on the part of the Scribe immediately holds this contract null and void, requiring a penalty payment of 15,000 gold pieces to the recipient to be paid immediately. Any violation of this contract on the party of the Recipient immediately locks the claim and ownership of the everlasting Soul of the recipient, invoking the laws of the Pact Primeval, under the control and dominance of the Scribe for all of Eternity, sending the Soul of the Recipient immediately upon death to the scribe to do with as they see fit.

Fun tip for you all: don’t sign anything like this. Ever. This is the most tipped deal in existence. If the scribe breaches the parameters, you get 15,000 gold. Yay. If you breach the parameters, the scribe gets your soul. Not so great. This is why you get a lawyer present. My iconic lawyer, Curio (Who you can read more about here) is more than willing to travel to another dimension to stop someone signing over their soul to a demon. Just don’t do it people. With the last bit, you know, the eternity bit, it’s not great - you will 100% breach the contract at some point and end up losing your soul. Also, the contract isn’t voided by you breaching it - meaning that you’d still be bound by the contract even if you lost your soul!

First pact

The Scribe, Ipkesh, agrees to enable safe passage into the depths of Mentiri, specifically the Bastion of Flesh, unharmed.

The Recipient,            , agrees to be the instrument of assassination leading to the death of Utugash, the Herald of Vassalage, without the revealing or leaving of evidence that could connect or incriminate the scribe in the Act or reasons for the Act.

This is rather interesting. The safe passage part is good for the scribe, mainly because it only requires them to get the recipient in - not out. And it also doesn’t specific how they’ll get there, who they’ll get there, how long they’ll be there for, how protected they’ll be while they’re actually there (Not while they’re travelling, just actually there - ‘safe passage’ only currently applies to travel).

This next part makes pretty much full sense, it’s just an agreement to an act. The act is illegal - like, massively, so any actual contract would instantly be voided by this (You can’t contract someone to do something illegal and have it be legally binding. You can enforce it in other ways, however. But that’s illegal. Don’t do that.) but hey, this is weird stuff, lets assume that it doesn’t work by our laws, because it doesn’t. Obviously the scribe is covering their tracks with the leaving of evidence section. If you wanted to nitpick, you could point out that the ‘Act’ was never specified (In a sentence like “assassination leading to the death of Utugash, the Herald of Vassalage, henceforth know as the ‘Act’”), but it’s fairly obvious so I wouldn’t rely on it.

Second pact

The Scribe, Ipkesh, agrees to immediately conjure forth a cadre of devils in service to the Recipient, whom shall remain under the command of and dedicated to the protection of the Recipient for the duration of 1 month. The cadre shall include four Hamatula and a single Osyluth. Should any devils bound within this agreed upon cadre be slain outside of Baator, they are absolved of future service to the Recipient.

Fairly obvious, fairly cool, fairly fun. I can see why one would agree to this part, desperate times and all that. They also can’t really screw with you for the month period, but after that, if they hold a grudge, they could turn on you - I’d watch yourself with them, and maybe just find youself some mercenaries instead.

The Recipient, ______, agrees to introduction and installation of at least two chosen of Dispater, who have been selected by the Scribe, within a place of divine worship of the Scribe’s choice. The Recipient must not interfere with this installation upon completion, and any interference will be considered a violation of this contract.

So, these guys could be whatever. Spies, assassins, thieves, whatever the scribe wants to put in any place of worship, he can place. And you can’t get them out. You can’t do anything that would even vaguely constitute interference or you’re gonna have to say bye-bye to your soul. So, uh, do yourself a favour and don’t. Just. Don’t. Leave this pact be.

Third Pact

The Scribe, Ipkesh, agrees to immediately impart the recipient with knowledge of ancient power beyond their grasp, enabling the use of divine powers granted under the grace of Lord Dispater that can instantly restore themselves or allies to a health state, or rend the lifeforce from their opponents. These powers remain within your possession until death.

Free magic. What could go wrong? I have a list. It’s alphabetised. These ‘powers’ are vague at best and downright suspicious at worst. You don’t know what kind of magic this is - you don’t know what kind of effect they’ll have on you, or how this ‘lord dispater’ (who sounds like a shady character to me - would not want to meet on a dark night, 0/10) will affect you or your companions.

The Recipient, ______, agrees to immediately lock the claim and ownership of the everlasting Soul of the Recipient, invoking the laws of the Pact Primeval, under the control and dominance of the Scribe for all of eternity, sending the Soul of the Recipient immediately upon death to the Scribe to do with as they see fit.

Hahahahhahaha, Don’t. Never. Reject, ignore. You’re gonna get shady powers in return for your soul. Eternal torment for powers that might not even be that good - you don’t know, it’s like a lucky dip, except 99% of the things in it will kill you. Politely decline, or get someone like Curio to re-write and return the contract.

Signed by the agreed upon parties, under the laws of the Pact Primeval.

And that’s your lot. I think you can guess my advice, should your character be presented with such a contract. Reject or rewrite. Preferably get a lawyer on call also. Adventuring parties could be helped so much by lawyers, yet they always seem to forget us.

If you’d like to see me go through another fictional contract, send it my way! I’m always happy to pick something apart!

[xaeneron]

On The Head of the Snake

Fourth time’s the charm; another release, another list of rambling bullet points as I chatter a bit and talk out my thoughts on the newest Living World Episode and the trimmings that I’ve encountered so far.  Overall, fairly solid episode and a surprisingly expansive new zone, and a lot of quality of life updates and changes to existing content that I can get on board with.  

Oh and that brand new raid wing that I cannot wait to jump into.  Agh.

As usual, below a cut because it got long (really long, I’m sorry) and there are no bars on the spoilers.  So yes, beware many LWS3E4 spoilers. :>

On Lake Doric:

Aight, aight so we did actually end up getting Lake Doric.  And it actually ended up being a rather pretty zone.  It feels fairly alive, and it has a lot of little nooks and crannies to poke through.  I rather enjoyed exploring for several hours because there always seemed to be more to look at.

The centaur watchtower is the most hilariously tuned area ever.  A guildie and I spent half an hour trying to sprint up the gauntlet on the hill and dying repeatedly.  Then three of us found an alternate route and snuck in for the POI while watching centaurs run by.  #leatherfarm

The “meta event” White Mantle attacks run like molasses.  I can understand the mob density if there’s maybe 2 or 3 players in the zone, but if there is scaling, it’s incredibly bad.  2-3 mobs attacking one side every minute or so?  It gets pretty boring watching the bar move down so slowly.

The miniature tonic is absolutely amazing.  We ran fractals as tiny tiny people and proceeded to troll another guildie into thinking we glitched the game.  And might’ve followed around a few unsuspecting passerby as a swarm of tiny people.

On random content:

The HMS Divinity is well-designed, well-detailed, and probably could have had a pretty cool legendary journey.  But it’s a rifle.  It’s niche, and even then it’s not a particularly popular weapon.  It’s a great-looking (if not a bit silly) legendary, but it’s still a rifle.

The Thaumanova changes are interesting and not unwelcome.  It took us a couple tries to acclimatize to new Subject 6, but still a smooth run overall.  I do like that you can now save a platform from falling on the anomaly, but I do think it also makes the fight noticeably easier.

On the story:

Taimi sounds more insane with every passing episode.  Tone it down, child.  Or get some sleep.  Sleep is good.

Queen Jennah’s decision to suspend the ministry is surprising and actually somewhat alarming.  We’ll see if it’s the correct decision in the long run, but it’s as ominous as the recent swapping of the White Mantle and Shining Blade taglines (”DISMANTLE!” vs. “OBEY!”)

Also just super relevant considering the day and age we live in. ><

I knew Logan was going to show up this episode given that it’s Kryta and Queen Jennah (and unlike Glenna, Logan is entirely a puppy).  I’ve never really liked Logan.  I was not particularly excited to see him.

ngl I was kind of disappointed to run into Faren wearing pants.  It would have been amazing to have Swordmaster Jungle Lord Faren in Divinity’s Reach.

The White Mantle mesmer who made an...ahem...illusion of a sexy Faren was hilarious.  And mildly awkward.

The part in Lake Doric helping Logan scout the area and support the Seraph felt equal parts reasonable and unnecessarily long.  I think it does encourage exploration of the zone, but I did end up repeating a couple of hearts on accident because I explored the zone before doing the story.  Which is more my fault than anything, but it still felt awkward.

I think the Seraph readiness scale is the most glaring detail here.  I think it’s reasonable and the Seraph do need to be ready to hold against the White Mantle, but it felt like a bit of a timegate.

You know, I honestly thought that Laranthir was being hinted at as the next Pact Marshal.  Which I was indifferent to.  What I did not expect, and completely did not appreciate, was the fact that the next Pact Marshal is going to be Logan Thackeray.  I will begrudgingly admit that there are very few equal picks to Logan to succeed the position.  I think he will probably be at the very least decent at it.  But I am not above admitting that I personally don’t like Logan as marshal, and neither does Ive, who has never been particularly fond of him.

A guildie noted this might mean we’ll see less of him because Almorra wanted marshal to be a desk job.  Who knows~

I actually really like how Demmi Beetlestone has developed.  For a minor character, she’s gotten more progression than a lot of major characters (in part due to the renewed focus on Caudecus), and in general it’s pretty good progression.  Her voice acting was also great.  But because Caudecus is a bloodstone-scarfing drama llama, it’s sad to see her go.

It was quite funny running through Caudecus’ Manor backwards.  Also the snark about the barn door.  And Caudecus’ kinky bedroom mirror.  And the giant portrait of Logan.

There is now a giant portrait of Logan and his luscious flowing locks in the SLAM guild hall.  The SLAM guild hall is very strange.

The creepy face room.  Oh Caudecus.  Also easter eggy.  xD

I think they kind of went too far off the deep end for Caudecus.  It’s quite clear he’s a rather immature leader from the way he acted in Bloodstone Fen, and is getting desperate based on the messages posted around Kryta.  But the backstabby thing with his wife seemed like a bit of an over the top way to say “oh look he’s evil.”  And not just “bloodstone makes you evil,” but “look guys he was always evil.”

Canach is wonderful, as usual.  Ive’s fellow snark salad.

As I said to one of my guildies, “I think this season just confirms that you’re just the guild leader of a guild no one wants to join, and even then no one is going to listen to you.”

Which honestly is okay with me for Ive’s canon, since he had no interest in founding or leading Dragon’s Watch.  He also thinks the name is stupid.  

The Lazarus aspect reveal is...interesting.  And I am intrigued to see where they go with this if it’s true.  It’s believable, considering that the historical events that the documents refer to are canonically true.  And it would be utterly fascinating if it were true.

My primary hope is that if there is one, then this mastermind impersonator is someone we already know.  I would not be particularly impressed if the impersonator is someone completely new /or out of left field who just happens to walk in and be a complete genius who’s been playing everyone all along.

The release felt more subdued than previous ones.  The past few had rather literally explosive endings (and a whiny teenage norn), and while giant bloodstone bodybuilder Caudecus and his tiny tiny room of AoEs were eye-searing, the finale and big reveal felt calmer than previous releases.  Still alarming with a “dun dun dunnnnn” attached, but less in your face about it.  Not a bad thing; more an interesting change of pace.

On Bastion of the Penitent:

We are raiding this evening and it’s going to be a complete shitshow and I’m so excited you guys.  Because YES.

Walking into the zone and immediately seeing the Eye of Janthir and OH GOD WE’RE GOING PLACES AREN’T WE.