#i love it when magic hinges on the power of belief !!!!!

[seagullcharmer]

finished lesson one of the scholomance. absolutely adored it (will likely reread over the next few days) can't wait until the library has the next two available

[artist-issues]

About Greta Gerwig, Little Women, and Narnia

Greta Gerwig should not be in the Narnia realm at all. As anything.

The Narnia stories are inseparable from Christianity. Greta Gerwig is a Unitarian Universalist. This means she, in her own personal life, doesn’t believe in the saving work of Jesus Christ, which is a core belief of Christianity, and a core theme in Narnia. Everything in the Narnia books hinges on this, from the character motivations to the structure of the fantasy world to the way the magic in Narnia works.

Additionally, the women in Narnia do not adhere to post-modern or even antique feministic values. They are celebrated for their love and tender-heartedness and faith, all of which require self-sacrifice. Aravis of The Horse and His Boy starts out a proud warrior escaping an arranged marriage and ends up a humbled lady of Archenland court marrying the Prince. Susan Pevensie is at her best when she’s tender-hearted and at her worst when she doubts and becomes more concerned about her own identity than others. The school that Eustace and Jill go to in The Silver Chair is derided for it’s feministic views. By contrast, modern feminism is opposed to self-sacrifice, and that is the kind of thing Greta Gerwig demonstrates belief in throughout all of her works.

Am I saying that no person who isn’t a Christian or some type of conservative when it comes to feminism can ever work on Narnia? Absolutely not. I’m not saying that. Lots of people on the Walden Media Narnia movie (the first one), which was great, were not Christians and did not believe in the saving work of Christ. But they stayed faithful to the source material, even if they didn’t believe in the source material themselves. So the story retained it’s autonomy and power.

Greta Gerwig can’t do that. She has already demonstrated that she does not know how to make a story that hangs on to it’s integral source material if she, herself, doesn’t agree with that source material. She can’t be objective, and therefore, she can’t be faithful to what Narnia is.

How do I know that? Little Women.

I don’t care if you liked the Little Women movie by Greta Gerwig. I don’t care if the acting was “amazing” and I don’t care if Timothee Chalamet and Florence Pugh are great in it. I said exactly what I said. Greta Gerwig made a great movie—but she made a terrible adaptation of Little Women.

It was not Little Women. She made changes to Little Women. What changes, you ask? Changes to the specific pieces of the source material that did not reflect Greta Gerwig’s personal views.

That’s the cardinal sin for directors of adaptive stories or remakes—to make changes to the core themes of a classic tale, because you don’t agree with those core themes. That’s called mutilation, not “updates.”

Here’s how she did it in two major ways in Little Women:

She cut out Jo’s humble response to Friedrich’s gentle rebuke of sensation stories, and replaced it with a feministic self-pitying outburst from Joe and s borderline apathetic, cool piece of feminist advice from Friedrich. That takes all the continuity out of it and warps the characters. That scene is so pivotal in the book. It’s Jo, respecting a man who is much older and excellent in character than any other she’s ever known, and feeling immediately humbled by him calling her out. She’d never have responded that way if Laurie called her out. They would have argued. But this scene was supposed to show what Jo needed from a future romantic partner. She needed someone she respected, someone who could be wise and gentle—two things Laurie is not. She needed someone who would help her take her eyes off of worldly success and herself, and onto eternal benefits to mankind, specifically, the effect her stories might have on children. His gentle, respectful, wise love (and the love of characters like Beth) turns Jo from a self-absorbed writer into a selfless mother, like her own Marmee.

But Greta Gerwig never wanted Jo to be a selfless mother. She wanted, and I quote, “Jo’s love to be her work, and her romance with Friedrich secondary.” You know why?

Because that’s what Greta Gerwig believes in. Greta Gerwig’s life is her work. Watch any of her movies, you’ll see the smudge marks of that wholehearted belief all over them. She can’t even be objective when the whole point of a character is to make work secondary, as was certainly the case with the character of Jo March. No. She has to twist up one of the best American heroines ever into an automaton of herself.

The second way she mutilated source material is with Amy and Laurie. In the books, Amy and Laurie grow to love each other out of the character deficiencies that they make up for in one another. At the start of their courtship, Amy is ambitious and Laurie is lazy. Amy wants to marry for advantage, and Laurie wants to make much of his spurned love for Jo by giving up on life. And that’s it.

It’s Amy who first wakes up to feeling something romantic toward Laurie, not Laurie, and Laurie is not the first to make a move on her. Laurie does not know he is in love with Amy until well after she knows she loves him. Then, he does not make the first outward advance on Amy. They both come to the same conclusion together; when they do, she does not resist. In Greta Gerwig’s version, he’s back to falling in love with a girl who’s resisting, because that’s where Timothee Chalamet’s emotional acting shines or whatever.

But that’s not the worst part. The worst part is that she adds a feminism speech from Amy, as a reason for her resistance, and she subtracts the scene where Laurie actually proposes. The scene where Laurie proposes, in the book, is so beautiful.

The two characters are in love, they know they’re in love, and neither of them is insecure about it. Amy has learned that she needs a life-partner who knows her and will protect her, like her old home-values did, and not some rich aristocrat or prince. Laurie has learned that he needs a life-partner who can stir him toward change, not through big explosive arguments and hope of conquered affection like Jo, but with gentle love and sheer inspiration, found in Amy.

So, in the most beautiful analogy for courtship that ends in marriage ever, he proposes to her while they’re rowing on a lake. She’s sitting next to him in the middle of the boat, she’s got one oar, he’s got the other, and she says, “How well we pull together, don’t we?” And he says, “so well that I wish we might always be in the same boat. Will you, Amy?” And she says “yes.”

That’s it. No argument. No big, passionate, sentimental explosion like he had with Jo. No wrenched and broken heart-strings. He didn’t have to convince her. She didn’t have to resist. Because entirely without force, and entirely without insecurity, they protected each other’s hearts and came to a conclusion that was based on something so much deeper and more eternal than fleeting passion.

Greta Gerwig cut that out and listened to Meryl Streep and put in another stormy lover’s-quarrel speech from Amy about why she couldn’t be with Laurie because she was in Jo’s shadow, and feminism and marrying for advantage, blah blah blah. It’s terrible. It’s mutilation. It ruins everything the original Little Women had.

it doesn’t matter if she got some of the characters right. It doesn’t matter if she got a lot of the quotes right. It doesn’t matter if all of Act 1 of the movie is mostly-book-accurate. If you change load-bearing themes or character motivations, you show that you can’t be objective and faithful to the source material.

It is fine if Greta Gerwig wants to make a movie about a woman who loves her work more than anything else. It is fine if she wants to make a movie about how women are under-appreciated for their minds and souls, and have characters that go on a journey to prove it. But it is not fine to use someone else’s story to say it. Make your own story, Greta Gerwig.

Oh, you already did? See: Lady Bird? See: Frances Ha? Then come up with something new. Don’t shoehorn your same beliefs into every franchise that is offered to you, like vomiting, then eating the vomit and regurgitating it over and over in new colors. Figure out how to tell someone else’s story in a faithful way, objectively, or else keep your stained hands off until you can clean them up. Especially, keep them off Narnia.

Greta Gerwig makes movies for Greta Gerwig, by Greta Gerwig. She can’t be objective, and for that, she can’t do Narnia. She can’t do it justice, she can’t do it faithfully, because she makes movies for herself, by herself.

[saintsenara]

now, if you'll excuse him, he has to go and fall to his knees before either dumbledore or voldemort.

ok hear me out why must there be an or. why can’t we have snape/dumbledore/voldemort all at once (in the interest of unhinged ships that really could be rather hinged if u think about it, i am waiting patiently for u to tell me how actually, we very much can have snape/dumbledore/voldemort)

hot.

anon, you are so right that snumblemort has the potential to go really, really hard and i am now entirely compelled by it as a concept.

i back each of the constituent two-person pairings entirely - i've written about snumbledore and riddledore, and i know there's an ask sitting in my inbox about snapemort [which i promise i'll get to].

and, i realise, i back them for exceptionally similar reasons.

both snumbledore and riddledore work because the potential for horror baked into them [the age gaps, the fact that dumbledore was both men's teacher, and so on] exist in conjunction with the fact that there would clearly be the foundations for genuinely meaningful relationships chilling cutely among all the ways in which they're fucked up.

all three men are the only people in the series who can be feasibly described as the others' intellectual equals - and all three share the same outlook on what the purpose of magic is and how one ought to relate to it [even if dumbledore hides this behind his shame at how his belief in the value of magic and magical experimentation as power triggered the whole grindelwald debacle...]. i think there's an immediately compelling prompt for a fic in which the three end up being forced to work together to solve some sort of mystery - the chance to pour over ancient manuscripts in candlelit libraries, or race against time to unravel the base of a curse or a poison, or try to figure out a series of puzzles or clues contained within dark objects would be right up their alleys, and nothing's hotter than a man who takes an interest in your sapiosexual pretensions.

but i'm also really interested in the ways in which snumbledore and riddledore really work as the most plausible pairings in which dumbledore can be made to do some actual self-growth.

his canonical relationship with both snape and voldemort is born of his own self-loathing - when he tells snape, in the prince's tale "you disgust me", he's speaking to the memory of a man whose selfish desire to impress someone he loved was utterly destructive; he is not disturbed by meeting the young tom riddle in half-blood prince until he describes himself as "special", and his loathing of the adult voldemort's obsession with fame and notoriety is evidently caused by the fact that these were both things he once [and still] desired.

and he's forced in canon to confront this in his relationship with snape - after snape agrees to kill him in half-blood prince - and to come to regard snape as brave, loyal, steadfast, and trustworthy. he's never - for obvious reasons - made to do this for voldemort in canon [and, indeed, he is strikingly oblivious in half-blood prince to the things about voldemort which inspire harry's sympathy - above all his lingering grief over his mother's death], but i think there are numerous plausible scenarios in which being forced into closer proximity to voldemort could bring this about. the canonical voldemort has an extremely profound - if also extremely odd - sense of honour, and he also possesses the capacity to - in his own little way - be surprisingly brave, and i always think there's something quite moving about fics in which dumbledore has no other option but to recognise this.

and dumbledore having to drop his mask would be good for both snape and voldemort. it's clear in canon that one of the reasons voldemort dislikes dumbledore is that he considers him a hypocrite [especially because he decries voldemort's ambition for public attention while courting such things himself] and that one of the reasons snape dislikes him is that he feels he conceals things from him because he distrusts him, even as he's asking him to risk his life for the order. both of them learning why it is that dumbledore constructed his public mask of benign eccentricity would help them make sense of why he is the way he is.

and it would allow all the similarities between the three to fully emerge. one of the reasons why snapemort really slaps as a ship is because snape and voldemort have so much in common - especially their experiences of childhood poverty, their disappointing fathers who they greatly resemble, and their periphery to the posh, pureblood world they both long to be fully part of and also long to undermine and humiliate. and dumbledore has the shadow of a similarly difficult childhood - and a similarly difficult relationship with his father and his legacy - lurking over him. all three also carry the weight of life-altering grief [even if voldemort is the one of the three unwilling to admit to this]. i think there's a lot of opportunity for the recognition of each in the others that they all canonically use to drive their own loathing to mutate into something which might look a lot like respect...

do i think it would be healthy? ...eh, probably not. all three clearly have really fucked-up views on intimacy and love, for one thing, and i doubt whether any of them really has the potential to let go of their original ways of seeing the others, to be properly honest, or to relinquish the power dynamics established between them from the beginning of their acquaintances.

and yet...

[silverraindropliliacsky]

I saw someone else do this and now I want to share my opinion of this incredibly niche topic.

DRV3 cast as Homestuck God Tiers based on the attached diagram

Kaede Knight of Hope

Knights are both wielders and protectors of their class. Kaede's goal is to spark hope within everyone. Her memory keeps hope alive within Shuichi, and hope is her legacy.

Shuichi Prince of Void

Prince players destroy the concept of their aspect over time. When Shuichi starts the game he is the very embodiment of void, the absence of self. Over time he becomes more and more sure of himself, culminating in his dismantling of the entire game that brings nothing but misfortune and holds them all captive.

Rantaro Knight of Light

Another knight, like Kaede- but this time the aspect is light, knowledge. Rantaro fights to shed light on the situation they're in and within Rantaros' lore we unlock the final piece of information that Shuichi needs to solve the game. Rantaro is information, Knight of Light.

Ryoma Heir of Doom

One who inherits his own self-destruction. Doom is an aspect of sacrifice, illness, and over all bad vibes and Ryoma never pulls himself out of that ideology. To the very end he is his own misery, he is his own past.

Kirumi Sylph of Rage

Kirumi does not fail. (Usually) A Sylph has the power to take one thing and transform it into its opposite, and rage represents losing control. Failing. Falling. These are Kirumis' biggest fears, and her biggest downfall. As she attempts to change all the failures of the world, she loses control and the rage changes her instead.

Himiko Maid of Space

Himikos' talent of magic aligns perfectly with the space aspect, as this aspect is the closest thing to witchcraft the game has. Space players are very powerful and typically also quite reserved and distracted. Himiko is a faithful devotee to her beliefs and her sense of self. She blossoms throughout the game play and maintains a sense of home and belonging for Maki and Shuichi.

Angie Witch of Breath

Witches are very powerful and usually very unhinged, quirky individuals. The class allows one to manipulate or invert their aspect. Angie demonstrates this by seamlessly restricting everyone through her cult and her ideology hinges upon the idea that wanting freedom is selfish and wrong.

Tenko Maid of Breath

Contrary to Angie, the other breath player is one who values and encourages the aspect. Tenko is a faithful servant to the idea of freedom and always charges forward with her heart on her sleeve because of it. She inspires others around her to think for themselves and is generally just a very good and fair person. Her sense of maid allows her to relate to Himiko and want Himiko to open up more, while simultaneously putting her at odds with Angie who is actively working against that mind set.

Korekiyo Thief of Doom

Thief's take from one and give to another. Korekiyo spreads death and misfortune everywhere he goes in an attempt to gift his "true love" with that pain.

Miu Rouge of Light

Rouge are usually pretty wild-child in nature but have noble motivations. Light is information and assistance, and Mius main goals are to share her "incredible brain" with the world. She goes to extreme lengths all to make sure her inventions can help humanity.

Gonta Prince of Mind

The second prince, princes tend to hold a lot of weight in a story and are usually regarded as a critical point in a plot line. Gonta losing his memory, being persuaded by kokichi, and his general lack of knowledge on most common knowledge things lends him to the prince of mind role. His ignorance and selflessness causes his own downfall, and the story takes a huge leap from there as everyone is affected by this.

Kokichi Seer of Life

Starting off I knew I wanted Kokichi to be a seer, more than anyone else he has this ability to just look right through the other classmates. He cuts through BS like he's used to it and can easily see the core of who someone really is and what their intentions are. He senses when something is off and acts accordingly. Seer players are sarcastic, aloof, and play their cards close to the cuff. He may instinctively know a lot about the people he interacts with but you'd be pressed to get any of that information out of him.

Kaito Page of Heart

Kaito as a page of heart just makes sense. It's a passive roll and Kaito is a passive player. His murder was basically all someone else's idea down to the book of lines he was asked to read, and when faced with a real challenge he always folds. But, he also deeply believes in his friends and is a very sweet person. You want a Kaito type on your side, he will lift you up and encourage you to be the best version of you, no matter what.

Maki Heir of Blood

Aside from sounding cool AF, blood players are all about unity and keeping things together. At the start of the game Maki is a standoffish loner who believes she can never be truly close with anyone. Over the course of the game she strengthens her bonds so deeply, she falls in love, becomes Shuichis best friend, and is part of the surviving 3. Maki by the end of the game is the very embodiment of keeping everything together, as shown by her using the flashback light, attempting to rescue Kaito and even her offering to give everyone a quick and painless death.

Kiibo Mage of Mind

Unlike the coyness of a seer, mages are considered an active source of knowledge. And mind governs logic and consequences. Kiibo thinks more rationally than any other person in this game, he stays optimistic but also realistic. His critical thinking keeps him on track throughout the trials, and he is a very reliable source of information. His logical reasoning ability is what drives him to take action against the school itself, which proves effective in freeing the survivors.

Tsumugi Bard of Time

She destroys the time line. She also creates a new timeline, and then destroys everything in it.

I've ignored the gender discrimination.

[thegreatbeargod-writes]

Hi there! I didn’t even know these intros were a thing until yesterday, but I’m always looking for new writing friends, so better late than never!

Name: Orion Arthur

Pronouns: he/him

Age: 25

Authors who inspire me: Brandon Sanderson, Leigh Bardugo, Neil Gaiman, Suzanne Collins, V.E. Schwab, Becky Chambers, Philip Pullman, Ursula K. Le Guin

Other inspirations: mythology and folklore, theology, history, music (this space left intentionally vague or we would be here all day), The Adventure Zone: Balance, Camlann (podcast), Welcome to Night Vale, Over the Garden Wall, Firefly, Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom

Other hobbies: TTRPGs, visual art, crochet

Genres: fantasy with horror elements, sometimes fanfiction

I like to write: messy queer characters, dramatic irony, the power of love and friendship, hope in the face of impossible odds, art as magic and magic as art, divinity in the ordinary

Bonus features: queer, trans, neurodivergent, unhealthy relationship with serif fonts, crippling addiction to commas, almost failed classes in high school because I did NaNoWriMo instead of homework

Main/personal blog: @bisexual-kelsier

Project blog: @wherethelightdances

My WIP

Saint of Kindred Spirits

The spirits will have their vengeance.

adult fantasy

3rd person

multiple points of view

primarily queer main cast

working on draft 1

Ellis Daling is many things--a powerless prince, a drunken rake, a charming musician. He spends his days suffocating in a palace where he has no place and his nights sneaking off to seedy taverns where he can forget who he is for a while.

But his life is turned upside down when a chance encounter with Carian, an infuriating rebel leader with mysterious origins, awakens magic he never knew he had--an ability sure to get him executed if the wrong person finds out about it.

Ellis is forced to turn to Carian for help learning to control his newfound powers and finds himself quickly pushed to the forefront of the rebel cause, caught precariously between his family, his beliefs, and his budding feelings for Carian. It's only a matter of time before he'll be forced to choose his priorities, and the fate of his nation may hinge on his decision.

Content warnings: alcohol abuse, bigotry, violence and mild gore, familial tension, non-explicit sexual content — this list is not exhaustive, I am a discovery writer first and a person second

If you’re interested in beta reading this project, swapping writing, etc., please shoot me a message! I’d love to get to know you! For personal comfort reasons, I will not be sending my work on this project to anyone under 18.

[tiodolma]

Arthur is egotistical in way that he doesnt want to be wrong, to be called out most of the times. Despite already seeing multiple evidence of Merlin not being an idiot, he still believes he is one. Despite seeing and experiencing the good kind of magic, he refuses to learn. Despite having been giving knowledge of his father’s cruelty, he refuses to see the full extent of it all. He is stubborn. He remains ignorant. He ‘d rather have the familiar than look inside himself and see how wrong he was.

Merlin is egotistical in the way most young people like him are. His self-worth still hinges on the opinions of others, especially ones most close to him. Fresh out of ealdor he was still mostly afraid of himself but wasl ready to prove the world. His mother told him he was special but had wished he was not. He believes himself a monster. He is told he has a gift. Gaius tells him to keep hidden, to be quiet, to be patient, to wait for his time. Kilgharrah tells him he is destined for great things. His mother told him his power needs a purpose. Gaius confirms this and supports him as he becomes a prince’s servant.

He meets arthur and sees a possible friend. But he does it to an extreme. He desires to be accepted for what he is. And that grows into something else. In time Merlin’s ego become fixed on Arthur’s approval, on Arthur’s acceptance. This Coupled with the fear Gaius instilled in him and the purpose Kilgharrah (and the fates) loaded on him, Merlin starts to stop thinking about himself and his own beliefs and gives himself up to destiny.

In the rare moments that a friend comes by: Morgana, William, Freya, his dad, Lancelot show him that he just Is Merlin. A Whole Person. That He Doesn’t Need a Purpose. That He Can Just Be. Him. That he’s enough as He is. Unfortunately they die, whether in the hands of Arthur or Gaius or by Fate’s design.

Merlin loses his self-respect. Sees himself as lowly. Prostrates. Thinks he is lesser. Writers reportedly says he is written to be humble. That’s a double edged sword. Humility can also mean lack of self worth/ low estimate of one’s importance. That’s egotistical because his basis of self-worth has come external sources, from others, has come from the ones he loved and trusted. He cant see any other option. Everyone who could tell him otherwise have all died.

Arthur dangles “equality” in front of him. And he accepts. When it was is taken away he goes back to feeling worthless.

Honestly this is why i think he would have liked a council seat if he was properly offered one. His ego was already so fragile. He has already been told his mission: to be a protector, guidance, shield, to serve. And he accepted all of that, after all other exit options had been cut off.

Therefore One sincere word from Arthur was all he needed actually. A promotion would have fulfilled all his roles easier anyway. The trust that arthur sometimes give him, he already honors that steadfastly. What more if it was an actual council seat, a place of high respect, “equality” and trust? Merlin’s ego would’ve taken a new boost of level. He’d be joyous at it. That’s what I think.

[withinycu]

🔥

Unpopular Opinions Meme | accepting

I hate this weird cult around seeing movies in a THEATER. It's so fucking pretentious not even factoring in the pandemic. First off it's classist as shit, not everyone can afford to go to a THEATER every time they wanna watch a movie. There are also emotional and personal factors. And furthermore, the whole 'movies must be seen in a theater' garbage hinges on the idea of there being this magical ideal experience. That you'll get the best sound system, you'll have the best seat, the best audience in there with you. I mean I'd love to visit that dimension but I don't live there I guess.

I mean is someone less able to appreciate the art of Van Gogh or Frida Kahlo because they can't travel and pay to see the physical artwork?

It also just shows a fundamental lack of faith and belief in the power of art and cinema in general. Art moves you when it's going to move you. Some of my most intense movie-watching experiences have been when I'm alone at home because it feels like I'm seeing something intimate and sacred. If your movie is only going to be watchable under some mystical ideal experience it sounds to me like either you don't have much faith in your movie or it's garbage.

[kaetastic]

Secrets Not To Be Told

pairing: Lucius Malfoy x Pureblood!Slytherin!Reader

summary: Draco invites his circle of friends to his manor for an allegedly said-project. This brings a friend of the boy into his father’s attention. [requested: @queenofmankind​]

word count: 3k

warning: fluff, cheating, smut, fingering :)

note: the only reason i made the reader a slytherin and pureblood is because i needed her to be in the draco circle if you know what i mean. i hope this is alright! thank you so much for this request!! i truly love lucius <33 i think after posting one more request i’ll be closing it for awhile to spend more time on my posts :3

The scurrying of petite feet grazed across the stone floor, squeaking a screech every time the bare skin of the creature slapped the ground. Although the manor had been exceptionally cold the past week, the temperature had wrapped a blanket of icicles around the walls of the once a cosy home. If that ever existed with the infamous beliefs of the previous and current owners. 

The floppy ears of the elf danced with every stomp of feet he took, bouncing into the air just like that of the choreography of his heart. Arms swinging by his body, he could hear his heart thrum against his eardrums. Almost as if someone had plunged their fingers through his chest to pluck out the pumping organ. There was nothing else pinned on the board in his mind, just the change of events. Need to tell Master. 

The words echoed in his head, a reminder for him to get to the desired room as soon as possible. Even though the creature had been serving the Malfoys for longer than he could count on his hands, he couldn’t help but realize the different personalities of each owner. However, the ground remained stable with the current master. Slightly more merciful than the previous ones. The elf couldn’t help but shudder at the memories of being bruised to punishment. With the tainted thoughts of those who he had served, he passed a second to slam his head in the frigid wall. Bad Nory. Bad, bad Nory.

The elf barely had time for his lungs to increase to its maximum capacity and his head to digest what he was to do, his boney knuckles rapped against the wooden door. As the noise echoed into his ears in surges of wailing, no different to that of his spilt tears the night before, the creature finally understood what he had done. There wasn’t any time for him to waste by sprinting away to leave the master to be answered by silence. 

Master Malfoy had ordered a clear instruction; this issue was to be solved with the towering wizard of the home. Running away was an option, but the elf couldn’t see himself walking away from the scene without punishing himself. No sound seemed to seep out of the cracks of the sealed door. With a gulp, the elf took this as a reply. So, with his blood vessels quivering set an energetic speed, he opened the door with a creak. The noise that indicated the ancient hinges lingered in the air, longer than he wanted it to be. Almost as if it was to taunt him of his grievous mistake. Was it a mistake if he was to inform a sudden issue to his master?

“What is it?” The man who occupied the lavish green armchair practically hissed, his words swerving out the cracks of his teeth in a body of a slithering serpent. Even when he had found comfort in the tranquillity of the air, nothing fell into place to his desire. 

Lucius was a lucky man, some would say. The pureblood wizard had inherited money which seemed to be an endless body of water, the main reason why he had found no need to occupy a job. However, the demands he had asked, such simple ones, was of no use. His son had dragged his friends to the manor, individuals Lucius had approved of as their status. 

The pureblood wizard wished for the school his son had been educated at, to find the true meaning of blood. Blood purity. There would be no use of those with half-poured blood of muggles while the other half were to be species who held great power in their hands. Not to mention the wavering group of barely a tint of magical blood in them. Draco would have his fun while his wife had occupied herself in Paris. The beginning of Christmas looked fun as Lucius was left alone.

There was no need to wait for the creature to bring up its excuse to its... excessive, boisterous noise of walking. No matter the times the wizard had scolded the elf for creating such irritating sound, the habit was ingrained in the creature. 

“Master, Nory is sorry,” The elf stuttered, its eyes blaring onto the polished ground before it brushed over the overlapping strings of the carpet. “There’s a woman at the door, she said she’s Master Draco’s accompany.”

Lucius’s eyes snapped to the quivering elf, his peripheral narrowing onto its raggy clothing. Placing down the crinkling newspaper, he clicked his jaw, “I only assume that you have brought her inside because we treat guests at our utmost respect,” The elf watched as honey dripped from the wizard’s lips. Not sweet honey, never sweet honey. Venom embedded honey. The viscous liquid was ready to pierce blades. “Bring her in.”

Nodding (almost beheading his own head at the incredible speed), the creature’s feet echoed into the tranquil air, “Come in, come in.” Lucius listened to its muffled hearing before the noise of shuffling of feet amplified into the dining room. 

Towering over the elf was a figure, the cloak heavily rested on her shoulders, “I’m sorry if I caused any problems. I’m Y/N, Draco had invited me.”

Lucius quirked his eyebrows at her accent, “Draco came in with his friends.”

“Oh, yes,” Y/N let out a faint laugh. “There were some problems that needed fixing, so I was late.”

Lucius noted before standing, his stride towards the door halted to stand next to the witch, “Well then, I’ll show you to Draco.” The creature was long gone, knowing its presence was not needed by the two. 

Silence sang in the air, only their steps mumbled into the long hallway. Long for Y/N; a short path for the man who had grown in the manor. The same hallway his father and previous generations had sauntered through, “You’re not British, are you?”

Y/N couldn’t help the quirk of her smile, “No, I’m not. I’m a transfer from Ilvermony.”

“Your blood?”

“Pure.” That was all Lucius needed.

Lucius munched on the gentle texture of the egg, its creamy yolk caressed the muscle of his tongue with every so softness. Just the way he liked it. The bright yellow paint smeared against his porcelain teeth, cladding around to cover the source of sparkling glitter whenever the wizard was to shoot a smile. Not a smile of joyfulness because lately, life had been lacking in supplying said-happiness. Everything seemed to rather get on his nerves; no one seemed to comply with the pureblood wizard. Something that had infuriated him. Almost as if they had mocked him. 

With the freshest Daily Prophet hovering on the table, blocking his view of the wide-opened door, he was too caught up on grazing his eyes over the lines of the commotion of giants. Just kill the lot if you ask me. The wizard couldn’t help but curl up the corners of his lips from his thought. While he showered himself in the enticing idea of him ruling over the wizarding world (too brutal of gushing blood to clean out the bad blood), Y/N made way into the dining room. 

Too lost in the golden imagination, she took the time to take in the room. It was like no other. The rest of the house, those she had only stumbled into, of course, had been rather gloomy and full of lurking shadows compared to this one. While she had enjoyed her time in the Malfoy Manor, most of the moments of exploring the vast home with the owner’s son, she couldn’t help but be in doubt to why the room had been more... brighter. 

“My wife wanted more light,” Lucius answered the question she had quirked up in her head as if he had read her mind. Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, had she said it out loud? With a flick of his wand, the swooshing noise of the newspaper slicing through the air to land its back on the grand wooden table crackled. “She said she could barely see what she was eating, hence this.” Following his gesturing hands towards the window wall that had been adorned by curtains that had been hugged at their waists to prevent it from closing, Y/N hummed. The morning light glistened through the glass panes, streaking lines of golden paints against the sombre-coloured table. 

The dining table was long, separating the dining room into two halves equally. Despite the enormous room, it didn’t feel spacey at all. There were clusters of iron armour statues decorating the walls, alongside moving paintings of landscapes and what Y/N would assume were family. Pushing the table aside, the twinkling chandelier was a sight to behold. Its arms, no different to that of an octopus. Teardrops of creatures that resided in the body of water draped from each rod, singing a faint song with every quiver despite the room being impeccably still.

“So, may I ask what you’re doing in my home?” Before she had the chance to think of what she was to do, a faint chuckle fell off her lips.

“Oh, right. It seems I had forgotten an item of mine.” 

Lucius quirked his eyebrow, “Well, wouldn’t it have been easier for you to just send an owl?” 

Y/N scratched the nape of her neck, “I have, it seems Draco had not received it.”

The wizard nodded before the clanking of metal slamming against ceramic echoed into the dining room, “Come, where was the last place you’ve left it?” Y/N was sure, with him being a pureblood- it would’ve been easier to accio the lost item. She didn’t question.

“Are they your family?” Y/N quirked up, slicing a blade through the thick air. Now that she had noticed, the hallway had not been occupied at all. Just the head of the family and her. Well, she wasn’t sure where Draco would be as Lucius had informed her that he was to do additional training.

“Yes, they are.” Lucius answered, the words lingering longer in the air as his eyes grazed over the paintings. The green wall had been plastered with squares of paintings and moving pictures. It would surely be just a cluster of dots if viewed from afar. The heads of similar blond hairs had tint features of what had been passed on onto Lucius. No doubt, it was his parents as the young Lucius sat on the chair with their hands planted on his shoulders. Oh, to be young again.

Turning her head to face the man, she inquired, “What were they like?”

Lucius pondered, a second of silence poured into the air, “Loyal.” Despite his short description of his family, Y/N knew it was more to it. There was never just one adjective for pureblood parents. However, she didn’t even bother pressing onto the manner. She gazed upon his eyes grey eyes.

The still air she once had cut into two loaves of bread had tightened around her chest as her lips rested on his. Her fingers hovered over his chest, awkwardly quivering at the peculiar position. Lucius saw a coat of darkness while his body had been leaning on hers, his ears fed with the sound of their lips; his tongue had been given a treat of the taste of her. Y/N watched as the familiar absence of light entered her peripheral, holding a sheet between her sight and her.

Although it had felt as if she had been snoozing off to the lullabies sung by the devil, she was soon shaken to her core at the realization. Yanking back to snap the sudden noise of their lips ripping away from one another, she stared at the towering man, chest heaving, “We can’t...”

“Why not?” Lucius questioned, eyebrows shooting up as his eyes narrowed at her.

A minute passed, and she had no answer to his question. Maybe it had been the captivating man who had sucked out all of her ability to grasp on reality. Or air was just not enough to supply her head, “I’m Draco’s friend, and you are his father-“ She hated that she stuttered. However, it had all to be blamed on her intermittent flickers of thought to come up with a reason. A reason to push away the man. A reason to stop him. 

“You are of age, aren’t you?” Y/N nodded, though, quite reluctantly as she feared for what he was to say. 

“Still, isn’t this wrong?” The words squeezed out of her throat, almost as if she didn’t want to say it.

“Nobody has to know.” Although the first thought that had popped up in his mind was his wife who was possibly sauntering on the roads of Paris, it was soon wiped off from existence as the familiar warm puffs of air-filled every crevice of his mouth. The wizard’s hands crept up, fingers trailing from his side to gingerly grasp her waist. 

Nothing was uttered in the air as the two lost themselves in a rhythm they soon fell into. With her hands plastered on his shoulders, she couldn’t hold back the shudder when her fingers grazed over the chilly ornament on his neck. The pureblood wizard pulled away, his eyes brushing over her confused orbs, “Not here, come.”

Breezes of wind kissed his skin, piercing an inch of skin as if a missed arrow that had somehow managed to caress his cheeks. Lucius didn’t know how fast he had paced towards his room. Maybe it had been a foolish thing to do, but he didn’t care. Nothing else mattered but the thrumming of his heart for what he was about to do. 

A cane in his hand for preventing any consequences he was to face, no walls would stay up high with the persistence of the wizard. Lucius wasn’t sure if he had felt relief when he had not seen those scrambling creatures in the hallways or up the stairs. He could’ve just pulled up the punishment cards or obliviate the house-elf. It would’ve been amusing for him to watch, but there was a slight clench in his chest that had been more than glad at the absence of the elves. What would’ve Y/N thought?

Flinching only slightly at the abrupt, boisterous noise of the door slamming shut, Y/N could barely let out a gasp before her lips were sealed shut once again. With her back against the wall beside the door, there was no time for her to gaze upon the room the wizard had dragged her into. That was until Lucius had somehow urged himself to pull away. Mumbling in a raspy voice, Y/N felt wind crawling down her back, “Undress.”

So she did. There were sprinkles of chest heaving from the air-stealing exercises despite the two shredding off their clothing. Lucius couldn’t hold himself back. The way her tongue brushed against his; the way her fingers would gently grip onto his chest was as if she had handled glass. It was entertaining, to say the least- Lucius liked it. It was different. Different than his wife. 

A sharp gasp fell off her lips as the mouth that was once smeared over with freezing paint which now had been warmed up as if it rested next to a fireplace landed on her neck. Lucius’s ears trickled with wanton sounds of her moaning, quivering down his body. She knew what it did to him, yet, her body was not placed in a position for her to decide. 

Tightening her grip on the crumpled cover of the bed, a staggering moan caressed her lips. Lucius pumped his sole finger at a languid pace, the corners of his lips curling up at the way her hips buckled. While she had been melting her head into the soft pillows, the same ones his wife would slumber upon, his lips descended down to flick his tongue on her pebbly buds. Y/N wasn’t sure if it had been from the second finger he had added or the way his tongue had suckled on her breasts, or both, but she didn’t bother. 

She arched into his body, fingers weaved through the long locks of his hair. Lucius grunted at the sudden clench of his fingers. Her legs thrashed, wavering in shudders when he drew quick circles on her clit. Then she felt as if she had been chunked down the mists of clouds. Y/N watched as his fingers that had been coated of her coat his tongue. If there was any slight drop left, it was to be mixed with the tint of his saliva.

His fingers wrapped around his cock, stroking the hardened shaft while his eyes watched hers. Inch by inch, his pelvis had splayed against her skin. Youthful skin. And oh, if Lucius had let down his walls, he was sure he would’ve lost at the tightness around him. Breathless puffs were then dancing in his lips. 

Lost in the way his tongue danced with hers, she let out an unexpected whimper as his hips pulled back. The emptiness of the inch was prominent. The feeling lingered in her. However, it was soon thrown out of the window when he had snapped his hips. The first of the many wanton noises were forgotten in a blurry haze as his thrusts started a series of moaning and groans, “Lucius...”

Her moan fell into his ears in a bouncing string, just like that of a fishing rod with bait at its hook. Y/N’s legs wrapped around his hips, another surge of pleasure crawling through her body. With his head bumping into her temple, it wasn’t long before they plunged into the sea of a familiar feeling. 

Still breathless, he huffed out, his skin finally screeching of pain from his back, possibly the clawing of her nails, “Listen, my wife shouldn’t know-”

A knock on the door sliced through the still air, “Father, mother’s home.” 

The faces of the two could have been seen as that of a permanent freeze.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Why is it that people treat how Callum destroys moon opals or the Primal Stone differently from the way Runaan does? Both use them for their intended purpose and/or as a last resort.

I’m gonna guess that people treat those circumstances differently because they can see a difference between them.

Short version up top: Runaan understands the Moon arcanum, and Callum doesn’t. Runaan knows how to use its power to make useful changes, but Callum doesn’t. When he does learn that, I think it’ll be part of him connecting to the Moon arcanum so he can stop cracking opals quite so often. And Callum’s future Moon magic uses should come at times when the plot hinges on it, like it did for Runaan. Because, if you look closely... Callum’s Moon magic use didn’t actually change the main plot. But this is a great opportunity for his character to grow! I’m actually pretty excited about this now!

Okay, so:

Runaan’s a Moonshadow elf raised in Xadia, with Xadian beliefs and traditions. He has the Moon arcanum, and he’s a fully grown adult with a lifetime of experience at what he does. He’s probably been over the possibilities for his moon opal in case of emergency a thousand times because he’s a deliberate and contemplative person. When his team’s lives were in danger following Rayla’s “mistake,” he used his opal to save them by hiding them in plain sight. Mystica Arbora is a passive defensive spell, kind of a minimalist approach.

Callum’s a 14 year old human with an arcanum that’s less than two months old. He grew up with human beliefs and traditions. In the Storm Spire, he took about seven seconds to go from “Hey this moon opal my girlfriend gave me to remember her by after she dies has magic in it” to “I wanna break it and let out that power.” He took less than a day to crack the next one even after Lujanne told him that rebuilding the Moonhenge should never happen, and the last one he used to do exactly what Lujanne forbade him to do.

Thing is, Callum didn’t need to break any of his opals for the plot to go the way it did. If he never cast Historia Viventem, Rayla would still have stayed and fought. Amaya and Janai would still have arrived, and Amaya would still have created her battle plan that put Callum down below with his Zap Hand.

They’d still have ended up at the Moon Nexus with Phoe-Phoe’s feather at that new moon. Rayla would still have asked Soren about Runaan’s fate and learned that it was uncertain. But breaking the other opals and opening the portal for her didn’t give her any answers at all, so if none of that happened either, then Rayla would still have the same burning questions in her mind about Runaan, and she’d go in search of Viren and answers anyway. And if she was headed for Viren, she’d still leave Callum behind.

Callum didn’t need to break a single one of those moon opals. He could still be wearing Ethari’s around his neck and Rayla would still have left him at the Nexus and vanished into the night, because that’s what Runaan demonstrated to her when he tricked her into leaving the castle so he could continue solo on the dangerous mission they’d previously shared, with all the risk on him. Nothing Rayla could do was able to shake how much Runaan loved her and thought he was doing the right thing by chasing Harrow down while sparing Rayla from danger. And nothing Callum could do was able to shake Rayla of the same sentiment about Viren. No amount of Moon opals can overpower unconditional love.

Runaan used his pendant when his team’s lives and the fate of his mission were all at stake together, and his choice made a huge difference in the plot. Callum used all his moon opals to go against others’ wishes, even though he was trying to help, but he didn’t change the plot at all. The only difference is that now Rayla knows her parents aren’t cowards--which is a nice thing indeed--but if she ever gets a hold of Viren’s coin pouch, she’ll figure that out anyway.

On the other hand, Callum does understand the Sky arcanum, and smashing the primal stone was a step on that journey. Yes, things could’ve gone differently. If the Dragaang had never dropped the egg into the ice, if they had trusted Rayla, if they hadn’t been arguing near the avalanche area, then they’d never have slowed down to visit the Moon Nexus, and they’d have been somewhere else entirely when Soren and Claudia caught up with them. Zym would still be an egg, and Callum would still have the primal stone. And as long as he had the stone, he’d have no reason to look within himself for that connection to magic again. Things would’ve been very different indeed! The brodigies might even have successfully captured them, since Lujanne wasn’t there to help them out with her illusions.

When Callum smashed the primal stone, he changed the plot. Zym went from being a pretty egg to being the title character, and he bonded with Ezran and then saved Rayla and Callum’s lives on the Moonstone Path. Having him hatch also affected the villains’ plans: if he’d been an egg, Viren and Aaravos would’ve needed to hatch him in a storm to get to his power, and they’d need to chase Callum down to retrieve his primal stone--assuming he somehow survived the Moonstone Path and/or the brodigies.

Callum and Runaan have thus far used Moon magic very differently, and Callum has used Sky and Moon very differently as well. But again, once he connects to the Moon arcanum, I think one of the things that will click for him is the knowledge of when to use it and why.

Basically, it looks like Callum’s somewhat feckless use of moon opals does mean something specific, but it means something great for his character development potential, and for his eventual connection to the Moon arcanum. Let’s let the boy practice, he’s doing his best and learning to be a better person!

[dettiot]

Fic: late-night interruption 6/?

late-night interruption Author: dettiot Rating: G (for now) Summary: When Obi-Wan receives a late-night comm from Sabé, he’s not sure what to expect. But what he learns will change many lives . . . and the fate of the Republic.

Also available on AO3!

XXX

Twins? Twins?!?

How had he not realized that? He didn’t even have to reach out in the Force to notice the two lives within Padmé’s body. They were so blazing bright, so alive--too great a power to be a single baby. 

He had been blind. About so many things lately. 

Padmé gripped his hand, wincing. “Ani . . .” 

“What is it?” he asked, feeling panic overtake him.

She winced again, but then smiled at him. “Our children are just as impatient as you are.” 

Children. They were having children! More than one!  

A gentle prodding from Obi-Wan, an unspoken message of get yourself together, Anakin! resounded through their Force bond.

Taking a few deep breaths, Anakin did his best to release his panic into the Force. Obi-Wan was right--Padmé needed him to be supportive instead of acting like a fool who had never heard of a woman having twins before. 

“I bet I’m not the only impatient one in this room,” Anakin said, smoothing back Padmé’s hair. Sabé pushed a damp cloth into his hand and Anakin smiled at her quickly before sponging Padmé’s forehead. 

His beautiful, amazing wife smiled up at him. “Obi-Wan, right?” 

Anakin snickered as Obi-Wan snorted in disdain. 

“So this is what I’ve been missing out on,” Obi-Wan said as he stepped closer to the bed. “Padmé, is there anything I can do? Anyone you would like me to contact or anything to arrange?” 

Padmé shook her head. “No . . . Sabé took care of everything earlier.” 

“I did,” Sabé agreed. “Everything’s ready--Dormé is going to be appearing in the Senate while you recover. And while we didn’t plan for twins, the nursery has enough supplies for the next few days.” 

That reminder made Anakin swallow. He had wanted to help with the nursery, but only a few days after Padmé had told him she was pregnant, the Outer Rim sieges had started and he had needed to report for duty. 

But now, he had a second chance, Anakin realized. He could stay with Padmé for the next few days, and he could help with putting together a second crib, ordering more tiny baby clothes--all the things he had missed. 

Looking down at Padmé, he smiled softly at her. “Okay, angel?” 

She nodded. “I’m so glad you’re here, Ani.” 

“Me, too,” he said, kissing her forehead lightly. 

“All right, now that Mr. Naberrie is here, we can begin the Senator’s delivery,” the Mon Cal healer said. “The room needs to be cleared.” 

Anakin did his best to smile at Obi-Wan, savoring the support from his former Master, while Padmé and Sabé spoke quietly to each other. And then, Obi-Wan escorted Sabé out of the room, leaving Anakin and Padmé alone with the healer. 

“Now, Mr. Naberrie, you’ll want to support the Senator’s head and torso,” the healer said in a soothing voice. “Senator, I’m going to check your dilation and the position of the twins. Just breathe and try to relax.” 

With a nod, Anakin quickly shifted to sit behind Padmé, drawing her shoulders back against his chest. “All right?” 

“Yes,” Padmé said, a strange catch in her voice. Her swallow was practically audible. 

“Padmé?” he asked, hoping his worry didn’t come through in his voice. 

“It--it just feels odd . . .” Padmé said, gesturing to the healer between her legs. 

From her sense in the Force, Anakin could feel her uncertainty, her own worry. And all he wanted was to make her feel better. Help her feel calm and prepared for what was to come--even though he wasn’t really sure what was to come. Other than two babies.

All the time he was away, fighting battles and dealing with Jedi business, he had wanted to be with Padmé, helping her and loving her. And through some turn of the Force or luck or something even more magical, he was actually here when she needed him most. He wasn’t about to waste this chance. 

Those dreams of his didn’t mean anything now. The very idea that Padmé could die in childbirth felt like utter nonsense. Not with the vision he had shared with Obi-Wan, not when he was holding Padmé and waiting for their children to be born. 

Giving her shoulders a gentle rub, he dropped a kiss on top of her head. “I’m right here, angel. You can do this.” 

She craned her head a little to look up at him. “I hope you’re not trying to use a mind trick on me.” 

Anakin couldn’t help the wide smile he gave her. “I don’t need to do that. Because I know how strong and capable and amazing you are.” 

Her lower lip wobbled before Padmé took a deep breath. “Thank you, Ani.” 

“Just speaking the truth,” Anakin said with a smile. 

Padmé suddenly drew in a breath and the healer spoke. “All right, Senator, you’re ready. You are fully dilated and the twins are well-positioned. We shouldn’t have any complications.” 

“Thank the Force,” Anakin whispered into Padmé’s hair. 

Nodding, she looked up at him. Her eyes were full of thousands of words and emotions, and Anakin felt tears cloud his vision until he quickly rubbed them away with one hand.

Her soft, warm, loving smile made his heart fill with hope. Then her face twisted and she looked at the healer. “Push?” Padmé asked, her muscles rigid with tension.

The healer nodded. “Yes, Senator, push!” 

Anakin felt an onrush of emotion as Padmé began to push. Determination and strength and love from Padmé . . . and a wild churning of half-formed feelings. 

The twins! 

Even as Padmé gripped his mech hand, Anakin closed his eyes and reached out in the Force. He sent waves of love and support and encouragement and peace towards his children. 

We’re here. Mama and Daddy are here. We can’t wait to meet you. We love you. 

And to Anakin’s delighted, amazed shock, he could feel one of the babies respond. Its fear eased . . . and then it reached out to its twin and did the same for them. 

In his whole entire life, Anakin had never felt anything so pure. So full of the light side of the Force. 

It was like he was being born for a second time. 

“Push, Senator! Push!” the healer said, her calm fracturing slightly for the first time. 

Anakin was sure he heard a crack from his mech hand as Padmé grunted. But it didn’t matter, as he whispered encouragement to Padmé while she brought the first of their children into the galaxy.

XXX

After her conversation with Bo, there was no way she could go back to sleep. Of course, Satine attempted to do so--a proper recovery hinged on sleep, the healers kept telling her. And she agreed with them. 

But right now, her recovery had to come second to the needs of her people. 

Rising slowly, Satine picked up her thick robe and drew it around herself. She stepped over to the window, leaning against the transparisteel as she looked over the desert of her homeworld--her true homeworld. 

She had been born on Kalevala, and it was to Kalevala she had been brought when on the verge of death. Now that she would survive, Satine felt like it was a sign. She had been left for dead after Maul had run her through, yet somehow, she had survived. Just like Kalevala and its people, despite the toxicity of its air and land.

It gave her hope: for Kalevala, for Mandalore, for the Council of Neutral Systems . . . and for more personal matters as well. 

Like her relationship with her sister. 

Bo had been the one to rescue her. Defying her fellow members of Death Watch, she had insisted on taking Satine’s body away. 

“I thought the least I could do was give you a proper burial,” Bo had told Satine. “But then, we got you on the ship and we realized that somehow, you were still alive.”

“Disappointed?” Satine had managed to ask. Because even if she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer, she had to know. 

Her sister had looked down, her severe bob of red hair ruffled and hanging around her face. She had slowly shaken her head, and Satine had felt so overcome she had taken Bo’s hand and grasped it tightly. 

That had been the turning point for them. Satine still couldn’t exactly define their relationship, but . . . she couldn’t have gotten here without Bo. 

A soft noise outside her bedroom made her turn her head quickly, straightening up with a wince. Putting a hand to her side, she breathed for a moment, then slowly stepped towards the door. She paused only long enough to pick up the disrupter Bo had given her when she had left. This small home was remote and isolated, and she certainly wasn’t without protectors, but Satine Kryze would never allow herself to be totally defenseless. 

When she opened the door, it was easy to take in most of the small sitting room. There was a window directly across from her, giving another view of the Kalevalan desert. A small loveseat and a chair took up most of the room, positioned by a practically antique holo unit. At the far end of the room was a table and two chairs, where Satine and her protector took their meals.

And said protector was sitting on the floor, in the circle of light cast by a small lamp, her head bowed as she meditated. 

“I didn’t wake you, I hope,” Satine said, moving further into the room and slipping her disruptor into the pocket of her robe. 

“Not at all,” Ahsoka Tano, former Jedi Padawan, said. She opened her eyes and looked up at Satine, some of her seriousness drifting away as she smiled. “I felt a strange vibration in the Force and wished to meditate on it.” 

“Something bad?” Satine asked as she slowly settled herself in the chair, facing Ahsoka. 

As she shook her head, her head tails moving, Ahsoka smiled wider. “No. Something good. Like . . . hope.” 

“Hope for what?” she asked curiously. 

Despite all the time she had spent with the Jedi--yet another reason Death Watch had hated her--Satine still didn’t understand their belief in the Force. How could a Jedi be so willing to give themselves over to such a murky, mysterious thing? Of course she could respect the Jedi for their faith, just like she respected any other religious practitioner, but it all seemed so impractical to believe in something like the Force. 

Impractical . . . and dangerous. 

Ahsoka smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. But it definitely seems centered on Anakin and Obi-Wan, so I see it as a good thing.” 

Would her heart ever not flutter at the mention of Obi-Wan’s name? Not even the embarrassment of confessing her love to him just before she ‘died’ could keep her treacherous heart stable when it came to him. 

Giving her head a small shake, Satine did her best to smile at Ahsoka. “Then I will join you in believing this to be a good thing.” 

With her typical grace, Ahsoka rose to her feet. “Would you like some tea? It might help you sleep.” 

“I thought you said I didn’t wake you up,” Satine said with an arched eyebrow. 

“And I said you didn’t,” Ahsoka replied, her grin becoming a bit toothier, as if daring Satine to argue with her. 

But Satine knew better than to argue with Ahsoka. So with a sigh, she nodded her head and said, “Yes, thank you.” 

Now alone, Satine leaned back in her chair, gazing out the window. With Bo’s news, she knew her time for reflection and recovery was coming to an end. Soon--within a few days--she would have to come out of hiding, reveal how she had survived and the truth of her attack. Because it was but one piece of a larger plan. A plan to warp the galaxy into something truly devastating. 

She had spent so many years doing her duty. Putting it first in her life. If she did this--if she once again did her duty, might she have finally done enough? Could she maybe discover who she was, beyond being the Duchess of Mandalore and leader of the Council of Neutral Systems? 

“Are you all right, Satine?” Ahsoka asked as she returned to the sitting room, carrying two cups filled with fragrant tea. 

Satine took her tea and gently blew on the surface before looking up at Ahsoka. “Bo contacted me.” 

“Ah,” the young Togruta said, sitting on the floor again and folding her legs. “Not just to check up on you, I guess?” 

Shaking her head, Satine had a moment of missing the brush of her hair against her neck and shoulders. She ran a hand over her hair before letting out a sigh. “It’s time, she said.” 

Ahsoka’s eyes widened. “She’s checked out the tip?” 

“Enough that she feels confident in its validity. Now we alert the jetii and see if they’re willing to do anything, for once,” Satine said, hearing the disdain in her voice and feeling a flicker of self-reproach. Her own feelings for the Jedi notwithstanding, it was rude to speak so around Ahsoka. 

Thankfully, it seemed Ahsoka wasn’t paying attention to Satine’s impolite words. “Is Bo going to contact them?” 

“That’s what she said,” Satine said. She tilted her head. “Do you have another idea?” 

“I do,” Ahsoka said. 

XXX

The moment they stepped into the hallway, Sabé had looked at him and said firmly, “Tea. We need tea.” 

And then the former handmaiden walked with long strides towards the kitchen. 

Lacking anything better to do and not wishing to eavesdrop on the birth of Anakin and Padmé’s children, Obi-Wan followed Sabé. Once he stepped into the kitchen, he watched as Sabé prepared the tea. 

Her movements were controlled and precise, but Obi-Wan sensed this was her way of not falling apart. He could understand that. 

“I hope Padmé wasn’t too uncomfortable while she waited for our arrival,” he said, curious to hear what had happened after Sabé had ended their comm. 

“She’s Padmé. She won’t tell you she’s hurting unless her head’s fallen off,” Sabé said, giving him a lopsided smile before growing serious again. “At least she allowed me to call a healer. And finally told me she was having contractions, instead of trying to hide them.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Especially with having twins, having a healer here seems necessary.” 

With a nod, Sabé finished and turned to look at him while waiting for the water to boil. “I wanted to apologize to you.” 

“Me?”

Sabé nodded. “I didn’t realize you had no knowledge of Master Skywalker’s relationship with the Senator.” There was a hesitation before she said ‘relationship’, like she hadn’t been sure what word to use.

His lips twisted and he leaned back to stroke his beard. “I didn’t. I suspected, of course. I knew he felt strongly about her. But I was less sure about whether the Senator reciprocated those feelings. And I had no idea that Anakin would disobey the Jedi Code to marry Padmé.” 

“I was pretty surprised by it, too,” Sabé said. “Because it’s a risk for Padmé. She’s already been accused of being too cozy with the Jedi, from what Dormé and the others have told me. After this gets out . . .” 

“Do you think the current queen will ask her to step down?” Obi-Wan asked, his mind working. 

“Queen Apailana and Padmé have a very strong working relationship. They see eye-to-eye on many things. But on the other hand, the Chancellor also has a lot of influence on Naboo, and I don’t know how he’d feel about Padmé marrying a Jedi,” Sabé said. 

The Chancellor. Obi-Wan swallowed as he pondered the most famous citizen of Naboo. The man who had mentored Padmé and shown a clear partiality towards Anakin.

Was it really possible the Chancellor was a Sith Lord? He felt a shiver of cold go down his spine as he remembered the vision of Palpatine fighting Master Yoda. The vision hadn’t been long enough for him to see how the fight was going. But as a sign of the Chancellor’s true colors? The vision certainly made it clear who he really was. 

So if the vision was true, Anakin had been singled out by a Sith Lord. And Obi-Wan didn’t like what that meant. 

“Do you know much about the Chancellor? His family, his past?” Obi-Wan asked. 

Sabé wrinkled her nose as she thought. She took a sip of tea before speaking. “He was the last of his family line, I believe, but they had been fairly influential on Naboo in the past. He became involved in politics as a young man, and served as Senator up until the Trade Federation’s invasion when he was elected Chancellor, as you remember.” 

He wasn’t quite able to hide his chagrin at Sabé knowing so little, and the young woman sighed. “I know. He’s just very private. Always acting like your nice old grandfather.” 

“Hmmm . . .” Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard again. A nice old grandfather: it was a good description of Palpatine. Yet there had always been something about the Chancellor that put Obi-Wan on edge. He had always thought it was his natural dislike of politicians, but what if it was more than that? What if he had sensed something--something from the Force--that he had discounted because Palpatine seemed so guileless, so harmless?

It would certainly bear more thought. And he was eager to get Anakin’s opinion on this idea. Padmé would also want to have some input, he guessed. But he wasn’t sure how soon they would be able to discuss this, not with two newborns. 

Perhaps he should go to the Council on his own . . . 

Obi-Wan frowned as he felt a powerful nudge in his solar plexus. Like the Force had just elbowed him in the stomach. It wasn’t often he got such a sign, but when he did receive one, he knew he had to listen. 

Shaking his head, Obi-Wan picked up his tea and sipped it slowly, mulling over all of this. Until he could meditate, he wasn’t sure he could make any decisions. But it seemed that waiting, taking the time to fully evaluate the idea of Palpatine as a Sith Lord, was the wiser course. 

Besides, there was no way Anakin could be left out of this. He couldn’t see how the Jedi would be successful, going up against any Sith, without Anakin’s help. And if Palpatine was the Sith Lord they had been searching for? He must be incredibly powerful. Stronger than any Jedi except Anakin. 

“Obi-Wan? Sabé?” 

Even as Anakin called out for them, his voice bubbling over with excitement and joy, Obi-Wan and Sabé were already on their feet and hurrying out of the kitchen. When Obi-Wan saw Anakin, he couldn’t help smiling. 

“A boy and a girl!” Anakin said, his whole face lit up with happiness. “Both healthy. And Padmé is perfect and alive, and--and--” He stopped and took a deep breath, rubbing his hand over his face. 

“That’s wonderful news, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, stepping forward and resting a hand on his shoulder. 

Anakin nodded, still beaming as he turned to look at his wife’s friend. “Sabé, the healer asked for you to help her with Padmé now that the birth is over.”

“Of course,” Sabé said with a smile. “Congratulations.” 

As soon as the door closed behind Sabé, Obi-Wan squeezed Anakin’s shoulder. “See? Your dreams were wrong.” 

“I know,” Anakin said sheepishly. “Of course Padmé wouldn’t let anything take her away from the twins.” 

“Or from you,” Obi-Wan reassured him. 

He smiled and nodded. “Do you want to see the twins?” 

“I certainly do--” Obi-Wan began to say, only for the chime of his comm to interrupt him. 

“Can’t it wait?” Anakin asked, sounding a bit impatient. 

Obi-Wan understood that, but if the last day had taught him anything, a late-night comm could change your life. 

“It won’t take long,” Obi-Wan said, answering the comm. “This is Obi-Wan Kenobi.” 

For a moment, there was no answer and no video. He was just about ready to end the comm and chalk it up to a misdial, when the holoprojector flickered to life. 

And Obi-Wan felt his heart clutch in his chest, Anakin’s gasp of surprise louder than it really was, at who they saw. 

“Hello, Masters,” said Ahsoka Tano. “I hope this is a good time.” 

End, Chapter 6

Notes: Anakin's reaction to the twins as Padmé is giving birth was greatly inspired by Leia's experience in The Last Command, the third book in the Thrawn trilogy. I always loved the way Timothy Zahn described Leia reaching out to Jaina and Jacen and how they responded, so I used it here.

I'm anticipating that it'll be another 2-3 chapters to wrap this fic up, so something around 10 chapters in total. I'm really excited about what I'm planning for this fic--thank you to everyone for reading.

[bookiemonsterph]

Serpent & Dove

Synopsis:

Bound as one, to love, honor, or burn. Book one of a stunning fantasy duology, this tale of witchcraft and forbidden love is perfect for fans of Kendare Blake and Sara Holland.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

As a huntsman of the Church, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. But when Lou pulls a wicked stunt, the two are forced into an impossible situation—marriage.

Lou, unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, must make a choice. And love makes fools of us all.

Set in a world of powerful women, dark magic, and off-the-charts romance, book one of this stunning fantasy duology will leave readers burning for more.

Title: Serpent & Dove Series: Serpent & Dove Author: Shelby Mahurin ISBN: 0062878034 (ISBN13: 9780062878038) Pages:  560  pages (Paperback) Published: August 4th 2020 by HarperTeen (first published September 3rd 2019) Characters: Reid Florin Diggory, Louise Margaux Larue Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic, Paranormal

I feel like I can’t even begin to describe just how pleasantly surprised I was by this novel. I am not a big fan of romance-heavy stories and one of my least favorite tropes of all time is hate-to-love relationships—so basically the two things the entire plot hinges on. Needless to say, I went into this very hesitantly. Very intrigued to learn how Lou and Reid end up in the position they do and to experience this story everyone has been raving about, but also keeping my expectations as low as I could. I did not for a second expect to come out of it knowing it will, without a doubt, be on my list of favorite books of the year. This is one of those books that I believe truly lives up to all the hype surrounding it.

Serpent & Dove is a dual perspective narrative following Lou le Blanc, a witch, and Reid Diggory, a Chasseur, or witch-hunter. Lou has escaped from her coven and has taken refuge in the city of Cesarine. She lives in hiding. giving up magic and surviving as a thief.  In Cesarine, witches are seen as a danger to all of society—they are hunted and burned, and no woman is above suspicion.

Reid is sworn to the church and charged with the hunting and capture of witches, sworn into a role that demands he will not let a single witch live. In a surprising turn of events, Lou’s and Reid’s paths cross in a way neither of them could have ever expected. A way that leads to their marriage, that forms a seemingly impossible love, and that brings Lou under the roof of the people who could be her source of protection—or her death.

The writing in this book is absolutely superb and cements Shelby Mahurin on my list of favorite authors. Her writing is gorgeous and so easy to fall into. It is incredibly clear how meticulously she formed every aspect of this novel. Both the plot and the setting are incredibly intriguing and captivating. I loved the French influences in all aspects of the story—it makes for a very vivid and enticing atmosphere and Cesarine is the perfect backdrop for everything that takes place. She also does a wonderful job with the dual perspective narrative and creates two very individual voices for our two main characters.

Even though the romance is the main focus of the story, the fantasy aspect is very strong as well and is of almost equal importance. The fantastical elements, though more of a side plot for now, don’t really take a backseat in terms of detail or how significant they are to the overall story. Mahurin crafts an interesting and intricate magic system as strongly as she crafts the romance. It’s something I’m particularly looking forward to seeing in more detail in the next book.

The only minor issue I had plot-wise was the event that sends Lou and Reid down the path toward their marriage. Though my opinion shifted by the end of the novel, as I was able to see every event throughout in a different light, the scene still felt a little bit clumsy and heavy-handed and also completely random, maybe a little too much so. It wasn’t at all what I would have expected and was a bit of a letdown for me, so I sort of wish it had been done differently. But overall, this barely affected my enjoyment of the story as a whole.

This novel holds one of the most brilliant and beautiful casts of characters I’ve ever come across. Lou is everything. She is one of my new favorite characters of all time—I fell completely and utterly in love with her right from the very start of the novel. She is so strong despite the pain she has been through and the terror and uncertainty of her life now. Lou is sassy and sarcastic and absolutely hilarious. She’s tough and guarded much of the time, but underneath, she is so intensely loving, caring, and loyal—just an absolutely beautiful person. I connected with her so easily, and it was an absolute joy reading from her perspective and following her journey.

It took me a while to warm up to Reid, but I definitely had by the end of the novel. He’s quite set in his ways and his prejudices against women, always acting in a very traditional way toward Lou. They are living in a time when women are little more than the property of their husbands and this is something that is clearly ingrained in Reid. He is protective of her and chivalrous to a fault, but it takes a while from him to sound anywhere near loving, even after it’s clear he has feelings for her. At first, I struggled a bit reading his chapters because his attitude and initial inability to be open-minded frustrated me so much. However, there is one major reason I noticed that I think prevented me from connecting with him sooner.

Yes, he is very close-minded in many of his beliefs and his actions, but I felt that there were a few times where things sort of got lost in translation in a sense. There would be scenes from his point of view where his actions and words felt a bit confusing to me and I took them as negative. But later on, something would cause me to realize what exactly he meant by what he said or did and that it wasn’t in fact negative. I don’t think I explained that particularly well, but basically, I think there were times where his point of view could have been written more clearly. In the end, though, I did end up really liking him and it does become very obvious how much he truly cares and would do anything for Lou.

I ended up absolutely adoring the relationship between Lou and Reid. It unfolds and transforms in such a natural way. As I said before, hate-to-love is one of my least favorite tropes, but it is done so well here that I didn’t really mind it. It’s still not something I enjoy reading about and that obviously does impact my rating of the novel slightly. However, few people can get me to like a novel that features this type of relationship, and Mahurin definitely nailed it. My problem with the trope tends to stem from the tension being completely nonsensical and feeling like it’s just thrown in to create drama, and you will not find that in this book.

The tensions between Lou and Reid feel so realistic and necessary—they have every reason to be wary of each other. Understandably, that they sometimes overlook what they truly know about the other as a person in favor of ideas and prejudices that were hammered into them from a young age. They are both strong characters that are unapologetically themselves and, while it causes them to butt heads at first, it turns into a mutual respect for each other and, of course, love as well. The issues that create conflict, in the beginning, are what come to be the things that pull them together rather than drive them apart. And the sum of both of them individually—the strengths and the flaws—is what brings them each to love the other wholly.

There are also some stellar side characters in this story. Coco was, by far, my favorite—she is totally someone I’d love to be friends with. The friendship between her and Lou is so lovely and I’d gladly spend hours just reading about them. They have such a fun dynamic and they always have each other’s backs no matter what. They are the definition of found family and their story warmed my heart. Ansel, a bit like Reid, took me a while to start really liking, but he turns out to be an absolutely wonderful person and a great addition to that lovable found family.

Now for one of the most surprising things I’ve probably ever said and also one of the biggest contradictions when it comes to my typical taste in stories. As I’ve already said, I’m generally not a fan of books that heavily focus on romance. However, this book was so well written that one of my absolute favorite scenes in the entire story was the scene where Lou and Reid make love for the first time, as well as the truly heartwarming lead-up to it.

I am beyond picky about how sex scenes are written in novels. So many fall into the trap of using overly descriptive and flowery prose and a lot of just plain weird words for everything. While I think that being extremely blunt and cold about it is not a good direction to go in either, the flowery descriptions and oversharing of details tend to make these scenes feel very awkward and unrealistic.

The sex scene in this book does not fall into either of these traps and I absolutely adored it. It just feels so realistic and natural, and that is exactly what I frequently find is missing from these types of scenes. Mahurin continues to write as beautifully as ever but is, I felt, fairly minimal on the exact details of the scene. And this is exactly why it works so well.

While yes, there is still detail, she relies more often on the reader’s knowledge of what takes place during a sexual encounter, which cuts out the need for the overly flowery prose and questionable word choices. In a number of places, she writes it in a “fade to black” way without actually fading to black. Mahurin has created a perfect example of how a sex scene should be written and how it should feel to the reader. The focus is on the passion and love between Lou and Reid—on not just physical feeling, but emotional and mental as well. It is so beautiful and natural and is, by far, one of the best-executed scenes I’ve ever come across.

Suffice it to say, I really enjoyed this book. It is so beautifully written and captivating—it is very easy to fall into and get lost in. Shelby Mahurin has created a magical and emotional tale, both heartbreaking and heartwarming that, at its core, brilliantly demonstrates the power of love of all kinds. The story and especially the characters will definitely stick with me for a long time. I’ve honestly been thinking about it constantly since I finished it a few months ago. And, of course, I am absolutely dying to get my hands on the next book in this series. I love how this ended and I cannot wait to be back with these characters once again and see their story continue.

[2ofswords]

Phi talks factions, ruling families, and endings yet again

After long long last I finished my talk about the factions! So let’s talk about them! There is some discourse about it on here and most of it is really interesting and I wanted to throw my own takes into the mix.

Also, will put this in the very beginning: This essay is very long and hinges on a lot of analysation of very broad topics of the game. It is very possible that I make mistakes in it. I would be delighted to know about them and engage in discussion, but please stay friendly. I tried my best to research and to stay analytical, but I am firstly human and secondly human with a memory that can fail me.

Anyway without further ado: Let’s begin the faction talk!

Prologue: Personal sympathy

This is supposed to be more of an analysation about how the factions work in my opinion. It is not supposed to be an explanation why my favourite faction is the Best™. Still, my opinions will obviously influence my own analysis. So for the sake of levelling the playing field and not even trying to play coy about it – or in case you were curious what my personal opinions are – I will start by listing my own opinions about the factions, the families and the endings.

I consider myself a Utopian but also have a soft spot for the Humble ideology. I just really like progress, I am an idealist who thinks striving for a perfect situation has value (even if I do not believe in practical perfection) and I just really like the Kains’ visions okay? Not their executions, mind you, but their visions. (I am just really really obsessed with magic that involves time and space as a concept…) And I think the concept of human potential is one of the most hopeful and important ones to society and trying to get more out of being a human being is just an important concept to me.  But I also think the personal responsibility is really important and interesting and the thought about individuality vs. society is something that needs to be discussed, so the humbles are just really interesting to me and I sympathise with a lot going on there as well. Not that much of a Termite person though. Sorry

Concerning the endings: If I would be in a position to choose any ending for the town, I would choose the Termite Ending. I would just be really unhappy about it… But it is the only ending that doesn’t involve any direct sacrifice of life and I value that the most, even if I think the trade-off is still pretty devastating. I am still a Utopian, but potential lives in people. The ending I consider second best is actually the Utopian one and by process of elimination I like the Humble ending the least. You will probably learn why this is the case when we get to talk about the endings, so I am saving my argument for later. If it is about how much I like the endings from a narrative perspective: I am a passionate fan of the Utopian ending even though that is very frustrating since I see it in a rather… peculiar way, I think. I also love the Humble ending a lot and it just has the most personal tragedy and a lot to think about. The Termite ending… eh. It serves its purpose and is necessary but not really pleasing in analysis. Or if it is, it’s still a bit frustrating to talk about. It is very useful for writing fanfiction though. ^^

I don’t really have a favourite ruling family. I think the Saburovs are the most sympathetic, but I am also fascinated by the Kains. My favourite members are Victor and Capella. 

Okay? Cool, now that we got that out of the way let’s start with the actual faction talk.

 Part 1: What the factions are (and what they aren’t)

The factions are categories that are very broad and not very concrete. It is probably a good idea to talk about what they are first, before we make any statements about them. So, let us start how I look at them and what the factions stand for, before debating the rest.

Firstly: The factions are a part of classic Pathologic. From what I can tell and remember, they haven’t been mentioned in Pathologic 2 at all. Of course, we can see the struggle of different worldviews there as well, but the split cast of important NPCs is not mandatory in any shape anymore and in fact Artemy is now responsible for everyone in town. While the politics between the ruling families are mentioned and the Kains as well as the Olgimskys still share their beliefs, neither the term “bound” not “faction” is introduced in the game. However that might be because we are starting with the Haruspex as our protagonist. The factions are a bit more important in the other two routes of classic Pathologic after all. The Bachelor being concerned with its politics and the Changeling with its ideology itself. So the terms might be introduced later. For now, their conflict may be a part of Patho 2 and certain aspects can be definitely seen, but they aren’t present yet. So we are mostly talking about Classic Pathologic here.

The factions are introduced in two different ways. First and foremost, they are three different ideologies that are present in the town and by definition in the entire story. It is also told, that the whole town is split into these factions and that roughly one third of the town each belongs to either faction. It is also explained, that the factions are purely made by the ideology and that people of different gender, heritage, age and class can align with different factions. (Which means that they aren’t equivalent to the different parts of town that are at least roughly divided by social status). There is also a philosophical level that strengthens the ideological importance each faction holds, but in this essay, I will focus on the ideological part and how it affects society. That means there is another layer that we won’t be touching today, but believe me, we have enough to do as it is.

The other aspect of the factions is the bound of each healer. All of the bound collectively are described as “Simons friends” at least in the Bachelor route and all of them are now split into the three factions. The name “bound” however is to be taken literally. The characters are part of the agenda each faction follows, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean, that the person one hundred percent shares the ideology of the faction! Most of them do, but it is important to keep in mind that peoples belief-systems still vary and the aligning criteria is the importance to the goal of said faction and not necessarily their own way of thinking. People’s mindset and beliefs can vary after all and some of them even have dynamic arcs (tbh Most of them have). The other way around people can be not a part of the bound of a faction and still share their beliefs. This will be important later! For the Utopians the specific bound criteria is “people who have the potential to overstep human boundaries in any way or form”. They are needed for the creation and upholding of the Utopia as it is imagined. Its goal is in some way after all to create something that oversteps the boundaries of what should be humanly possible. For the termites… well… it’s children. It’s all about the children, it is the children who are able to carry the town in the future. And for the humbles it is the sinners, whose souls are rotten to the core (I guess…). That isn’t only because the Humbles just really like sinners but they are directly needed for Clara’s solution and the Humble’s ideology of willing self-sacrifice in order to maintain society.

Okay. But what are the factions? What do they believe in?

Let’s start with the Utopians, because their whole schtick is kind of in the name. This faction is all about the potential of humanity and striving to create perfection. This is happening with the awareness that such a feat is at least deemed impossible. So, their goal is the defeat – or the power to overcome depending on who you ask – of the nature that prevents them from this kind of progress not being achievable. They value this progress and the possibility to overcome those odds over personal as well as societal comfort and justify it with the belief, that said growth would benefit society in the long run. That being said, not every Utopian thinks this strive for growth needs to be shared by everyone, though a society collectively working towards breaking limits as a whole is preferred. (An example would be Maria's explanation of the town, stating that mundane human life is very much necessary to sustain a Utopia). The Utopians are prone to brash decisions, since part of their ideology is that they are necessary to disrupt the status quo and change – even enforced one – is needed to get rid of complacency and provoke new development of the unforeseen (which is very much needed since we are working against “nature” (the literal one as well as the nature of fate and possibility). Their drawbacks are that brashness and the disregard of comfort. Their potential elitism is shown by their value of humans who try to disrupt the status quo and their adamant protection of people who can move society as “more important” and thus worthy of more protection. (However it is noteworthy that a lot of this thinking was introduced by Georgiy in Pathologic 2 and Marble Nest. I still think it is a legitimate drawback but much less used in P1, where the factions are a thing.) This doesn’t necessarily relate to elitism of an elite class (it can though!) but more so to academic elitism. On the other hand, they have the drive to move things forward, they literally are the builder of society and developers of indescribable magic.

The Termites can be considered the opposite of the Utopians. I have struggled to put a definitive description of them for quite some time because they are the group whose representatives have vastly different ways of thinking. Anyways, I have seen the Termite ideology being described as “preservation” by RagnarRox in “Pathologic 2 is an underrated masterpiece” and I think, that fits amazingly. It is about protection and regaining a status quo where everyone can live their daily lives content and as it was before. The children are supposed to be leading the town into the future, but especially in Patho 1 this is more about taking what the past has already shaped and using this as a guide instead of implementing new ideas and philosophies as the utopians and the humbles do (for better and for worse). If we look at how Capella describes her vision of the town, we can also see that it is about togetherness and comfort. Which makes sense if it is the antithesis of the utopian dream. It doesn’t sacrifice progress just because it wants to but because it endangers people’s comfort and personal safety. Disrupting the status quo can lead to catastrophe and make people unhappy, therefore it should be avoided. People should serve the community but that also means not committing to self-fulfilment that can endanger this togetherness. Khan needing to give up on his own ambitions to serve Capella’s vision of the town might be a good example for that. While there is this bond of togetherness there is also the need for leadership. Again, preservation and comfort are highly valued with the Termites and it is established by a leadership that is supposed to act as gentle but firm guidance. With the children being the bound, there is a strong emphasis on parenthood and again Capella – as the white mistress and the termite's leader – is accepted as taking the leadership together with Khan who are ruling together with love as well as fierceness. Artemy also has his journey of establishing leadership within the kin and dethroning the person who is unfit for the role. It is implementing change but to restore balance and only inside the already established rules. I would say it fits more as a case of rightful leadership that still stems from the menkhu families and Artemy proves himself while using his father’s lessons and notes. And the kids themselves are fated to lead the town itself as the chosen ones that Capella implored Isidor to protect, and set its rules, so that there are the boundaries to keep a way of living established while not needing to change this status quo and what hopefully is a harmonic way of interaction between people. So. Now that we have established what the Termites are, I think with this specific faction it is still important to also name what they aren’t. Firstly: The Termites are an ideology of the town’s future. They aren’t the kids club. Yes, all the Termites are kids, but as mentioned before the factions in themselves are a third of the population with varying members who believe the Termites to have the best solution for the town at hand. There are other members (and I will later talk about the Olgimskys and big Vlad specifically as representatives of the Termite ideology) but the kids are the bound because they are specifically needed to set this new order that they want to established. I would argue that some of the kids have principles that are more adjacent to other ideologies. The obvious one would be Khan who has goals that do not align with his family but similar dreams and more radical ideals about overthrowing the status quo. But Grace also seems to be more of a humble, focusing on caring about others and being quite selfless and self-sacrificing in her care for the dead. That means, the kids fill an important role but we have the strange conundrum that most of this factions bound isn’t together because of their ideology. I will try to take them into account still, but if you see me focusing on Capella and Artemy, this is one of the reasons. There aren’t that many people who clearly speak about the Termite’s vision. The Termites also aren’t the Kin. They are connected to each other but again, the Kin is a specific part of the town which the ideology clearly avoids. (And parts of the Kin are not part of the town and actually stand in opposition to it. Moreso in Patho 2 but with the conflict of the herb gatherers we catch a glimpse of that.) And the children are also representatives of different parts of the town and not of the Kin. The Kin are obviously linked to the towns ancient tradition and preserving their traditions honourably is Artemy’s specific journey. Still, they aren’t the same and with both Aspity and Oyun we have characters who are Kin and also part of a different faction.

Speaking of the Humbles. What’s up with them?

The Humbles also have a name that speaks for itself: It is based around the main idea of being humble. There are different consequences of this main core. The first and in my opinion most important one revolves around responsibility and self-sacrifice. The Humbles expect the individual to sacrifice part of themselves for the whole. I mean… that is quite literally what the ending is about. As with the Termites there is a togetherness but this one doesn’t revolve around looking out for each other (at least not specifically) but about looking at oneself and what you could and should do for society to work best. It puts responsibility not on a collective and its leaders but on yourself and needs you to ask what you did right, what you did wrong and how to take consequences for your own actions. This includes a chance for redemption as well as condemnation. For the purpose of evaluating yourself in contrast to society it is also about self-reflection. You need to look at yourself and at your deeds constantly and this analysation and the realization that you can and will fail as well as that you as a human being have your own limits you cannot and should not cross are what lead to humbleness in the first place. Yulia as a sinner, whose very sin is shaping the very ideology and establishing her ideals over the self. This brings us to the second pillar of the humble ideology: fatalism. It is also to see yourself in context of a greater scheme and accepting these very boundaries. Fulfilling your duty in the way the universe demands of you and seeing yourself unavoidably as a puzzle piece of said force is a big deal for a lot of the Humbles. Yulia is the prime example. Lara actively dislikes her fatalism but still follows her father’s footsteps in her attempt to assassinate Block. Aspity moves in the constriction of the Kin and her fate while still being the one who advocates most for change. The Saburovs are all about law and order albeit in different ways. Oyun cannot do what is entrusted to him which causes his horrible deeds in the first place, because he cannot accept at first that he is not fit for the position (or as the words of a humble: not destined for it). And Clara is struggling with what her fate imposes on her and her very being while trying to control her circumstances as well as the fate of the people entrusted to her.  It all is about analysing but also about abiding to the whims of fate and facing the consequences of acting either against it, failing it or resorting to violence against society to fulfil it in the first place.

As you may see, all of these categories are rather broad. Of course, they are, they are made to encompass very different views of the world from different characters. When Victor speaks about working towards overcoming bounds he sure as hell means something different than Andrey. Hell, Dankovsky has no idea what Georgiy is talking about half the time! Lara and Yulia are both Humbles, yet Lara explicitly states that she hates the way Yulia weaves her fatalism in her ideology about the self. And well… the Termites are a very special case regarding the factions in general, being more of a symbol of their ideology than its actual believers. So let's get to the meat of this whole post. We now have a grasp on what the factions are about, but… why? Why are they in the game, what are they trying to say?

 Part 2: Presentation of the factions and the ruling families

Well… after making an incredibly long introduction, let’s stop talking around the bush. Here is my conclusion about the game’s stance of the factions: … … I am sorry to conclude, that all of them suck. All of them. They are the worst and none of them are worthwhile in themselves. I am sorry. 

Okay, okay, okay. Obviously, they are not only terrible. They have their upsides and all of their ideals are rather beautiful. Making potential become a reality is great! So is comfort and stability, we all could sure as hell use some of that! And the principle of giving something of yourself into society, taking responsibility and the ability to care into consideration… boy is that a good idea! But still… the factions suck. And that is an inherent aspect of them just because they are ideologies. And very unsubtle and uncompromising ideologies at that. To quote novel author Dorothy Sayers “The first thing a principle does is killing somebody.” A principle, if it is used without reflection, always has destructive potential. Even if it is the principle to save as many lives as possible. Put into the wrong dilemma, it will kill. (A single glance at the healer’s path’s is enough to confirm that.) And all three factions have some really potentially bad implications exactly because their ideology is so vastly applicable. It isn’t only about emergency situations, but a lifestyle that regards one way of setting priorities as absolute. Of course, that on its own must go horribly wrong! Leave one single way of thought unattended and it will guide you into fucking catastrophe!

I think the easiest way to highlight this theory and the best prove of the game’s acknowledgement of this line of thought is to take a look at the ruling families. The fact that there are three of them is no coincidence. All three families do not only represent one of the factions but also the destructive extreme this faction can develop.

Let’s start with the Kains again, because their case is the most obvious one and the theme of Utopia and thus uncompromising perfection that has a destructive force is in the fucking title of the game. And creating a project that causes the plague in the first place, forcing the Kin to dig the very hole that tears into the heart of the earth – which they sure as hell did not agree with! – conducting human experiments with their buildings and manipulating the situation so that the Polyhedron gets saved even sacrificing the town for its sake… yeah these are some pretty shitty things to do and they all relate to the Utopian ideal and their strive for development, progress and forming humanity as well as society. And sacrificing everything in order to elevate progress is… obviously a bad idea, especially if it involves using people who never consented to such a sacrifice in the first place! With only development – social as well as personal – in mind the scope of said sacrifice cannot be measured at all, leading to devaluing peoples well-being. It is a horrible thing that harms a lot of people and the strict enforcement of the Kains bring a lot of harm to the town. This damage doesn’t only turn against the town but also has a self-destructive tendency. The self-sacrifice that is demanded to keep the spirit of Simon and Nina is eating the entire family alive. Their strict family loyalties seem to have driven Khan off in the first place (though since his role is “The Termite of the Kains” and he holds a strange middle ground I think he is kind of excluded from the “most extreme faction”-stance). Victor and Georgiy are losing their own identity and eventually their life for the sake of a soul that they consider of higher status than them. And Maria loses her own self to become the next mistress and lead what is left of the town into a new age, which Victor laments as her father because he is literally losing his daughter! The family – even if they “win” the whole town conflict – is actively falling apart and is completely fractured if not destroyed in the end. Not only is the sacrifice the town has to endure obviously morally unacceptable but the disregard of comfort in favour of a greater cause is inherently self-destructive. Which leaves the question: Who is this Utopia even build for, who benefits from it, if everything but it is sacrificed? So yeah, what the Kains are doing and especially the way they are using the Utopian dream in its purest form is absolutely and incredibly flawed.

Sooo… what are our alternatives? How about the Saburovs? They are righteous and they care about people!  I mean… yeah. They do! Buuuuut… their handling of the situation is also very… debatable to put it nicely. Let’s start with the obvious: putting everyone in prison who seems mildly suspicious while a highly contagious plague is ravages the town is just… horrible. It is a prolonged and cruel death sentence to many people either desperate or innocent. And yes, he himself did it with the utmost desire to protect society as a whole from the criminals and organized street violence but… surprise, that is what the humble ideology is about! Judging the individual according to sin without taking circumstances into account is one of the extremes the Humble-ideology has. You should stay put and work towards the common good and acting against that should be judged harshly!! If taken to an extreme it disregards personal circumstances and even a human approach towards the individual. And even if it hits innocents, the few have to take personal sacrifice for the many. Giving your life to uphold stability should be considered a good thing… right? Of course, the faulty leader should also be held responsible… So the judge becomes the judged and the executor of the ideology is destroying himself. Again, we witness the ideology's self-destructive aspect when taken to the extreme. Judgement and assigning responsibility for overstepping with no account on the human situation, looking out for the other individual or questioning where established boundaries should be pushed, will lead to draconian law where the single human being doesn’t matter in the first place! And that… doesn’t sound like a society one wants to live in, does it?Katerina has her own case of judging people albeit in a religious way. Her view splits the world into the sinners and the righteous and sentences the former to death while the others will survive what she is seeing as the plague's judgement. Do I have to elaborate why this is a bad take and why judging people to death based on being a sinner is… just awful? Especially when we look at the humbles and how some of them may have done some shit but definitely not something that warrants death. (Yulia and Rubin being examples, but I also think Lara shouldn’t like… be judged with death. Well, truth to be told I think nobody should be judged with death… Ever.) So seeing the Changeling’s power as a saintly sign is… bad not only on a societal level but also bad because pressuring a teenager like that is just a the worst. Which brings us the Humble’s second point and the one that Katerina personifies as well: Personal responsibility. The Humble ideology isn’t only about sacrificing the individual and applying judgement but also about self-reflection and taking responsibility. Which sounds really good but can be devastating when taken too far. Which brings us to Katerina’s journey of becoming a mistress and her devastating experience of trying to fit into a role that was expected of her to fill. Desperately trying to fulfil a fate that seems to be yours can destroy you. Her despair of not fulfilling as a mistress as well as a wife (in her own terms) are honestly soul wrenching and tragic. And it is an example where letting go of personal duty and seeing to oneself would have been for the best.

Okay so the Saburovs establish a society that seems awful to live in and also actively destroy themselves (they also die with their ending, something they share with the Kains). Which leaves us with… the Olgimskys. And yeah… I think we all agree that they couldn’t exactly be called a beacon of goodness in the world… The way the bull enterprise is handled is exploitative to say the least, dividing the town and enabling even more racism and class distinction.  But what does that have to do with the Termites? After all, only Capella is part of the bound. Which is true but the Termite bound is also the children bound and I would dare to argue that the Olgymskys are unassigned because they represent the ruling families of the Termites but cannot apply as their bounds because of age reasons. Capella is pretty much the head of the Termites, the way Maria and Clara or Katerina are the mistresses of the other ideologies and Big Vlad… well Big Vlad is what the other ruling families are to the other factions. The best reason to stay away from it. (And I could make a point about young Vlad but to not stretch this too much, I will keep it short. Let’s just say that he has a dynamic role in the factions and more or less grows to be a Utopian and is not even really acknowledged at the Bachelor Route. I would put him in the same category as Khan and say that the Kains in themselves still are connected to the Utopian ideology. There are some really interesting parallels between Khan and Young Vlad btw. Both have strong parental issues and feel confined in their role, both appear in the letter about the Bachelor’s and the Haruspexe’s decision as a hopeful addition that isn’t fixed… I am pretty sure there is something to say about that, but this essay is not the right place for it.) There are two main themes with the Termites that are very present in the Olgimskys: stagnation and oppression. I think how the Olgimskys are specifically oppressive and moreso than the other families is pretty self-explanatory. They do not want to bind people to the law or their ideas but to themselves and especially big Vlad is very keen on ruling the town and leading its people directly and forcefully. (And while Capella is obviously the kinder part of the family, she too shares this sentiment. Her alliance with Khan is to align the two families but also to gather force with his dogheads and establish rulership.) They want to be obeyed without question or an established guidebook that gives specific reason to their judgement. But why is this specifically a problem the Termite ideology faces? Well the Termites are about ensuring peoples comfort and life and they do this for any cost. One thing this entails, is saving people from their own ambitions and forming them according to this belief. (Again, Capella’s alliance with Khan and how she sees it is a nice example). They are establishing that humanity should remain in their natural ways, complacent so to speak, while a few chosen individuals lead the town and its people. (The Termites are supposed to do this in the future that is why they need to survive in the first place.) And if we drive this belief and this “ruling as family” ideology, we arrive at Big Vlad’s doorstep. He is the father, he will take care so exactly obey to his wishes without question. Preserve the system that allows you comfort without overstepping your boundaries. Preservation of a system also means preservation of the ruling system without further questions. (And I will remind you that Forman Oyun gets overthrown because the place is not rightfully his and he sucks because of this and the right order gets restored with the right ruling family watching over the Abattoir upholding their alliance with the Olgimskys even if it is now Capella.) In its extreme the Termite ideology can lead to oppression on the guise of guidance and questioning this is not only almost impossible but only allowed to the few people already chosen as the leading caste. (Also if you want to have another look at the connection between preservation and oppression, have a look at “The Void” or “Turgor” and its Brothers which is another game by Ice Pick Lodge. Their whole stick is preserving their realm by oppressing the sisters. The Void seems to reference similar themes in general and can kind of seen as the game’s antithesis… But I digress and just wanted to recommend the game. It’s good!) Why the other problem – stagnation – is a part of preservation is easy to see, but how does it afflict the Olgimskys? Well, firstly it is a big theme in the infight the family has and the conflict that tears the Vlads apart. While Young Vlad wants to follow his legacy, he doesn’t want to follow the exact ways leading to the family breaking apart. Vlads stubbornness and his unwillingness to rectify old mistakes and… I don’t know… open the Termitary is also part of this. Closing it – while done by Young Vlad – is done to preserve the status of the town and deny the plague and its changes to society for as long as possible. A plan that is very, very costly in the long run betraying the Olgimsky’s own duty to ensure their peoples life and safety in the first place! Again, the ideology eats itself.

Of course, only talking about the most extreme and negative example isn’t entirely fair. And I think there is worth in every faction. They obviously aren’t all bad and the ruling families are twisting and radicalizing what could be a good idea. So… was this whole talk about the ruling families just some intellectual pastime that proves how the rulers are shitty but the factions in themselves aren’t? Do they only kind of suck? Or can we actually find the games stance of this radicalization and how each faction alone could affect the town negatively on a larger scale?

 Part 3: The endings of the game

So let’s talk about the endings, since they are literally established as the “successful” outcome for each of the factions. And with that I mean that the fate of the town is decided in favour of one of the factions, eradicating the others and their own hopes and ambitions in return. Best it is seen with the Utopians and the Termites, whose dreams are mutual exclusive by the destruction of the town or the Polyhedron alone. But if we consider that the ending also establishes a new way of living in town and a certain social system, we can see the same with the Humbles. (We can also see this if we think of the Humbles goal as a means to restore the town at its best in favour of personal sacrifice, which still doesn’t happen in the other endings, since part of the town gets destroyed.) For the factions, the plague also brings a chance to shift the power dynamics of a town to their direction and this is referenced by several characters trying to make use of this situation or at least struggling to maintain their power. (The ruling families are again the worst offenders of this. The Kains try to guide the Bachelor to their cause from the very beginning and a lot more deliberate in the second half. The rulers’ unwillingness to even acknowledge the plague, Saburovs’ abuse of administrative power, the way Katerina urges Clara to convert townsfolk, Capella’s alliance with the Haruspex… I can go on, but I think we have talked enough about the ruling families.) Long story short: The endings are distinctly aligned with one side of the power struggle. (By the way this isn’t necessarily the endgoal the healers are striving for. I think it is apparent by now, that I align the factions more with the ruling families rather than the healers, because the healers’ first priority is getting the plague problem solved one way or the other and there are different motives for their solutions. Also they can choose a different healers opinion so they aren’t like… one hundred percent absolutely bound by their ending even if they still align with it. But I digress yet again.) So, they – as the “win” of each faction – are a good way to see how they would hold up on themselves and without the other factions interfering. I will analyse the sacrifice they put on the town as well as the society they are striving to build up (since this is what the factions are about. Changing society). Will one of them hold up and present us with a good solution?

I will not even try to create suspense. We all know, I think that they don't. They all bear sacrifices in contrast to what we had before that make the situation actively worse. A video that sums it up better than I can is SulMatul’s “Heroism in Futility; Pathologic, The Void and the Hero Narrative”. The video is really good in general but it also makes a point of pointing out, that Pathologic as well as the void do not offer a standard “good end” where the hero saves the day, because every possible solution is tainted in one way or another. The heroism Pathologic shows (as well as “The Void”) is struggling against a doomed cause and a hopeless situation despite the odds and not about becoming victorious in it. The Artbook of Pathologic 1 states as much, describing the whole scenario of the game as a trap, where the problem is that every ending can be seen as a victory as well as a failure. So, we have some strong sources but still: Let us look at the endings again and see, if my thesis holds up, that it is the ideology of the factions and the remaining of one in each ending that amplifies the problem the town will face after the catastrophe.

We’ll start with the Utopians, yet again. I think they make the most immediate impression and are easiest to describe. Because, you know… destroying a town and killing the sick is really fucking bad. (Though I feel sometimes it’s forgotten that the healthy get “vaccinated” (immunised for some hours) and evacuated before. It’s not about eradicating all townsfolk. And if I would be a true hypocrite I could be like “Do you find any infected districts and sick people on day 12 that you can’t heal, huh?” But that would be… quite ridiculous and I’m sure the sacrifice of the sick is very much intended here. Let’s just assume that it does kill the sick.) It seems hardly worth it and it very much represents the harshness of the Utopians. So, let’s see how it applies to the ideology. The ending for the most part sacrifices life and comfort for humanities progress. This is what the protection of the Polyhedron is about. The Utopians are not protecting it because they find it kind of pretty and it also is not a preservation of something culturally cool (which would be more the Termite way of thinking) because the usage of it is supposed to vary after the end of the story. (The children are leaving the tower so that the soul of Simon can be housed in the building.) But it is supposed to make the impossible possible and ensure humanities triumph over nature, break boundaries and create new impossible ideas. The visions of the new town Peter describes, tell us as much. It is not only about a building but about a new order, where the impossible is created and where the amount of energy is a crucial aspect of the vision. So, if we weight the different solutions against each other from out outside player perspective, we can see how tied the concept of the solution is to the Utopian idea. We already have a very steep sacrifice for the Utopian ideology here. The other aspect of the Utopian ending establishes this “creation through destruction” mantra that the Utopian ideology can impose in a different light: The Utopian end focuses on eradicating the plague. Which is… actually a good thing for once but still tied to the themes of the Utopians and making their involvement in it stronger. If we look at the Utopian end from a cold analytical perspective, it is literally destroying the playing board creating a tabula rasa, to start this whole town project again. (Or at least that is what our mistress Maria alludes to and who is in charge after the whole ending?…) Which is a very radical use of what the Utopians are about, carry out your vision rash, immediate and drastic and if it doesn’t work, then leave it behind and try again (the stairways to heaven tell a similar story). Which ultimately leads to a sacrifice that is way too big because the losses aren’t supposed to be considered at all.

So what about the counter thesis? If the Utopian ending is so bad, then the termite ending must be the solution. Well… it solves some problems. Mostly people not dying. Which definitely is a really  good thing! But it also comes with its own drawbacks. Namely the destruction of the Polyhedron first and foremost. Which you know… doesn’t seem like that important… It's just some building. Until we reapply the meaning of eradicating the chance to work for the impossible – which the Utopian ideology enables – and a strive to triumph over nature and improve humanity as a whole. Then it suddenly becomes a huge deal. Destroying the Polyhedron is not only about destroying some cool architecture project of some very bored capital graduates (even though this is sure a thing we are doing) but about preventing humanity's progress. We are saving life but we are also preventing the chance to develop a system where humanity can grow, develop new amazing and helpful things and might even reject their mortality as a whole. And even if the last part sounds kind of insane, please consider, that Pathologic is still very much set in a world where magic and miracles exist. We rely on the magic the earth provides in both other routes, see the prophecies of the mistresses and the theatre, visit a talking rat prophet and we can see the magic of the Polyhedron when we visit it as the Bachelor on day nine and of course in the secret ending. Acting like the ambitions as well as the magic of the Utopians is completely unreachable and should be outright rejected, undermines the cost the Termite ending takes to ensure their own victory. So I would argue that there is at least the possibility of the development of humankind and progress into new developments that can help people in general that get destroyed to ensure the lives of the sick as well as the old rules of the town. And that is definitely a costly exchange! This also brings me to an argument that I hear a lot and also want to deny here: “But if the town exists, more towers and miracles can be build again so its not really that great of a loss.” And while this can hold true for the very similar Diurnal ending (if we are really nice and not deny every form of magic, which is kind of the point of that ending… but I digress), the ending in favour of the Termites negates this. Firstly, it explicitly invents a “town of men” where this strive for destroying nature should be prevented. Secondly… the whole underground fluid thing still isn’t really fixed… because that is what gets saved by the Haruspex this is his goal. Which allows for the Panacea but also means that the plague and the traditions that cause the infection aren’t actually off the table. If we would create another Polyhedron the plague would appear again. The old ways of the town are hardly questioned, and they actually cannot be – at least in a way that implies substantial progress over nature – because the laws that get re-establishes actively prevent exactly this. The thread of the plague isn’t gone completely – even if certainly postponed because of the Polyhedrons removal. And that resources run out and the knowledge gets obscured is shown how littler there even is knows about Isidor's earlier experiments. So, we are either creating a word, where humanities progress is distinctly stopped or we create a situation in which the same mistakes that will cause the plague aren’t prevented at all and humanities mistake will repeat themselves. We created a situation, where movement is not possible and actually actively prevented.

The third one – the Humble ending – establishes a balance where both structures can be preserved but movement is still possible. Which first sounds like all is good and the life of only a handful of people could be worth the cost, if we outweigh them against the systematic costs the other endings provide… right? Well… apart from peoples life’s never being a “cost”… this only can hold true if we cannot find a societal problem with this. And we can. Again, with all endings we can see the broad ideologies coming into play and so the very problem of the endings are, that they follow the factions rules so exclusively and absolute. The Utopian end sacrificing life and comfort for progress and vision, the Termite end sacrificing progress and vision for comfort and life and the humble end… what does the Humble Ending do? Well the Humble end saves the precarious balance between the Town and the Polyhedron but at the cost of personal sacrifice. While all aspects of the town may exist the same is true for the plague that gets neither destroyed nor subdued but instead is still active and handled by constantly applying a cure. A cure made out of the humans blood of those who sacrifice themselves for sustaining this very system. Which does mean we will need constant human sacrifice to sustain this system at all. And since a town and a societal system should last for quite some time and there is no other solution in sight to deal with the plague without firing a shot after all… we are facing a plethora of problems.  Firstly: If we assume that for some reason the Changeling – or at least her miracles – are now as immortal as Simon was and she will not suddenly disappear leaving us with no one to even make the cure that we need, then what happens if the sinners we have chosen at the end of the game run out? And if we assume that the town will not like disappear after some years – which shouldn’t be the goal at all! – that will happen eventually. Who gets chosen and for what reason? I remind you again, that this is not a personal thing that people can do if they want, there is a societal need for people to die, it is integrated into the very system of the town. So how do we decide that? Are we just sentencing people to “cleanse themselves by human sacrifice” and just choose the worst criminals? That can be faulty and – again – the death penalty is something that we shouldn’t apply to society! Do we accept a willing sacrifices? Great, now that sounds like important and innocent life being taken for all the wrong reasons and can also hit someone who suffers from suicidal depression! Do we hope that our dear mistress continues her burden and selects who should die next.? That sounds like a horrible fate for Clara and also like a very unjust system. But sentencing someone to death because of a systematic need sounds incredibly unjust in the first place! Plus… you know with a highly contagious and deadly plague sometimes roaming the town, a cure doesn’t mean that nobody will die because of the plague. There still is a high lethality, personal reasons to obscure things and just a frightening time limit. Not to mention that the sandplague hurts before it kills so the pain aspect and the fear of the disease is still lingering. It sure is better then everyone contracting it and dying and the cure is a solution but… not exactly to every aspect of the disease, especially when we do not have the means to subdue it, that we have in the other two endings.

I hope that I was able to show that the endings might solve the catastrophe at hand, but all of them with a cost so huge that the specific solution can become debatable. Defeating the plague for good while saving the possibility to proceed further is really amazing, but destroying the entire old structure and killing the sick is a horrible tradeoff. Subduing the disease is definitely good, but at the cost of destroying the potential to enhance future life or even save more people in the long run and with integrating the enablement of repeating the same old mistakes doesn’t sound like a complete solution and more like turning the wheel and waiting for it to reappear at the same side (or you know… stopping it from turning all together). Preserving the town as well as its wonders is absolutely miraculous but allowing the plague to partake in this new system and requiring human sacrifice as a societal solution is a pretty dystopian thought. Again, the Artbook of classic Pathologic describes the whole scenario and its solutions as a trap. And it is! Because there is no right answer, we have to choose what we apply as a necessary evil and this is all we can do. There is no good ending we can find.

 Conclusion: The meaning of “Utopia”

So where does that leave us? And what does that have to do with the factions? Remember the quote I used at the beginning of my argument? “The first thing a principle does is killing somebody.” And we can see the effect of this with every of the factions. The rashness and costly sacrifice of the Utopian ideals is seen by the way the Kains’ act and the loss of live the Utopian solution provides. The Termites disregard of progress and the oppression that is its result can see in the way the Olgymskiys’ handle its people as well as the sacrifice of the Termite ending. The Humbles enforcement of punishment and their harsh self-reflection influences the Saburovs’ judgement and leads to their solution at the cost of constant human sacrifice in the end.

So… does this mean that there is no hope? Should we assume that all of these solutions and ideas suck and leave this whole essay this depressed? That would be a shame and also missing the mark of what Pathologic is about. It is a tragedy, that much is true, but it is definitely not without hope and humanity. Because all the examples I use have one thing in common: They are examples of the radicalization of each faction and in its sole survival against the other factions. A principle on its own might kill. But that is why there shouldn’t be only one principle. Clara is right when she reminds the other two healers that killing one part of the town of is still killing. That there is a balance that must be uphold and we can see this balance in other characters. We can see Notkin’s idealism that is still rooted in earthly matters and a deep care for his people. We can see Eva’s kindness being born of idealism combined with her will to give herself away to other people (although this also gets taken too far in the end). And there is beauty in all three ideas. Fighting against impossible odds, caring for what is right and should be maintained, watching ourselves to help your surroundings… all of this is good! And all of these things hold solutions for the other factions. When striving for progress we need to watch our own wellbeing and the negative consequences of our actions. When preserving what is old, we have to see what should be changed, where chances for progress are and we also need to look at ourselves and not only the concept we want to preserve. Looking at our own sins and self-reflection is important, but so is our own comfort and our own goals, even if they might seem outlandish at first. By applying the different ideologies on top the one we hold dear, we can balance them out.

The best ways the ideology work – the real utopia – is a balance of all three ideologies together. That means that the best state of the town is what we witness in the beginning of the game (even if I would never call that perfect either! The exportation of the kin shows as much!) But debating and changing through the reflection of all three ideologies is in my opinion how society can be driven to it’s best. Progression is useless without looking out for each other and keeping what works and helps. Preservation leads to oppression and stagnation if self-expression is forbidden. Responsibility and duty are needed but can lead to condemnation and self-destruction if it isn’t balanced out. But comfort while allowing progress. Duty while allowing self-expression. That is what can only be archived through active dialogue. This is, why this game is a trap. This is why every ending falls apart: Because we have to choose. Every end is a victory, but it also is a failure. Something has to be destroyed. And even a miracle can only work on the back of its people. But this choice is the exact reason why. Being only allowed to follow one of the factions by radicalizing all three of them at the end of the game we are not allowed to make a decision that could benefit everyone. And this is – at the end of it all – the tragedy of Pathologic.

[loopy777]

Is Deus Ex Machina always a bad thing? People who didn't like the finale of Avatar are always quick to point out the lion turtle, but I think we both agree the ending was both emotionally and thematically satisfying, and to me that's the most important thing. But my question is: if it IS satisfying, is it still a DEM? After all, DEM usually carries this idea that the ending is ruined and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth, which the Avatar finale doesn't.

Coincidentally, I was thinking about this just the other day, although I wasn’t considering making a post on it.

I think what makes this discussion troublesome is that there are two very different operating definitions for “deus ex machina.” I tend to think of it in terms of the classical definition, so I don’t personally have any problem with it when it’s done well, but most people seem to be operating with something like the same kind of shorthand that has turned “Mary Sue” into a meaningless complaint.

The term translates to ‘god from the machine.’ Wikipedia can give a functional summary of how it was originally employed and the criticisms that arose about it even amongst those old-timey Greeks. My own take is informed by those origins and the Greek myths that I’ve loved since I first learned about them in grade school. In a setting where gods and magic are in play, I don’t see a problem with a god being so moved by the events of the story or the character of the protagonist(s) that they intervene in otherwise impossible scenarios. The key here is that the story needs to justify why the god/power is intervening here and not in all kinds of other situations; if a god comes along and raises someone from the dead, or hands over a magic sword, or whatever, then it needs to be clear why people still die and magic swords aren’t sold at every corner market.

The Lionturtle is indeed a deus ex machina in that it is a god-like power suddenly entering the story to hand Aang knowledge that he would not otherwise have been able to attain. However, AtLA firmly establishes that there are spirits in the world with god-like power. Hei Bai is the first at a relatively small scale (and was another spirit moved by Aang’s steadfast purity to enact a happy ending, hmmm…), but we also see Koh having knowledge that predates the existence of the moon and the ocean, Koizilla being able to smash a whole fleet with the help of the Avatar State, Wan Shi Tong being able to move an infinitely-large library between the spirit and material worlds, and an eclipse of the sun shutting down all Firebending. These are all powers that the normal humans of the setting do not have, but they are all exercised as a result of the intervention of the protagonists, so I think they’re perfectly fine elements to have in the story.

Just about the only thing that might separate the Lionturtle from these other examples is that it seeks Aang out, rather than the other way around. However, I think that’s an oversimplification of the situation, in which we had just gotten an full episode of Aang holding fast to his belief in the sacredness of all life, despite disagreement and harassment from his friends. He meditates in search of an answer, and it’s then that the Lionturtle reaches out. So I think Aang ‘earns’ its attention by his unique beliefs, his steadfastness in the face of painful opposition, and his action in seeking a solution via meditation.

Why does the Lionturtle not reach out to other people? Well, the only pacifists in the franchise are Air Nomads like Aang, and there’s possible evidence that they weren’t all as steadfast when push came to shove. However, I don’t think the fate of the world hinged on whether Gyatso or some other random Air Nomad killed an enemy while fighting; Aang is in a fairly unique situation in that regard. Theoretically, a previous Avatar might have faced the same dilemma that could have been resolved with Energybending, but as we saw of Yanchen, perhaps those Avatars didn’t really seek out another solution besides violence. The Kyoshi novel does a great job handling this, showing Kyoshi struggling with similar questions but finding her own answers that do not match Aang’s. Perhaps Aang really is the first person in an Age who merited the Lionturtle’s intervention. It helps that the intention at the time of writing was for it to be a technique only available to the Avatar, so that definitely limits the potential situations where it might have been relevant.

So we’re left with the question of whether Energybending itself conforms to the established rules of the setting. I personally think it does, quite handily. We saw examples of bending being taken away before, at least on a temporary basis. The death of the Moon Spirit takes away all Waterbending. The eclipse on the Day of Black Sun takes away Firebending for its duration. Ty Lee pokes Qi-points to disable bending even while leaving limbs otherwise functional (sometimes). Those all help clearly establish that bending is tied to the physical body, and specifically the Qi energies flowing through it. We see esoteric manipulation of those energies by way of Waterhealing, Lightningbending, and the time Aang’s spirit is knocked out of his body by physically crashing into a bear-shaped shrine/idol.

So yes, the Lionturtle is a newly-arrived god who imparts special magic to solve a problem that couldn’t otherwise have worked out so neatly, but all the elements are there to make it a workable plot element. If the Day of Black Sun had worked out, would people be complaining about how Deus Ex Machina it is for the gAang to stumble across information on an eclipse coming before the return of Sozin’s Comet that will take away Firebending and allow Aang to confront Ozai without training up to the a higher fighting level?

Well, not if Aang kills Ozai in that scenario, I expect.

The root of the way most people use ‘deus ex machina’ in modern times, I think, links to what Aristotle is said to have been alluding to in that Wikipedia article, and what Nietzsche also seems to be getting at. Specifically, they seem to think it’s better when a tragic story is allowed to end in tragedy, rather than an audience-pleasing happy ending getting tacked on in an act of weakness and cowardice. It’s fair to criticize this (I enjoy tragedy as well as happy endings, when it’s done right), but I think it can be taken too far into a desire for bleak endings in general. It would be more ‘mature,’ the thinking goes, for Aang to have to kill Ozai, be tainted, scream his angst to the sky, and show the audience that Life Is Dark even though it’s a trite message that doesn’t really follow from anything that came before. The thing about Tragedy that a lot of people forget is that it needs to be set up with as much care and earnestness as Deus Ex Machina, or else it’s just as hackneyed and immature.

AtLA is not a tragedy. It is not about the mistakes and flaws of the protagonists piling up into chaos. So the complaint about ‘deus ex machina’ doesn’t even really apply, according to the original controversy about it. Aang is not freed from the consequences of a flaw, because his desire for peace and life is something that’s consistently portrayed as good throughout the rest of the series. It’s built up in his culture, the appreciation for the Air Nomads that’s conveyed despite their flaws, the focus on his being the last survivor of a genocide, and even the subtitle of the series (providing you don’t live somewhere that got the much more generic “Legend of..” title that fits Korra’s more generic legend so much better). It’s not a tragedy if everything is working out until a last minute swerve when all the good things suddenly become bad.

That’s a Comedy, according to certain modern definitions. ;)

The only story that could end with Aang giving up his ideals to kill Ozai using the philosophy and ways of the Fire Nation is a story about how the Fire Nation is right- that morality is secondary to strength and necessity. And if that’s the story being told, wouldn’t it have been easier to just make the Fire Nation the heroes in the first place, slaughtering corrupt pacifist hippies who would rather we all die than fight to improve the world?

No matter how you look at it, people who criticize AtLA’s ending by calling it a ‘deux ex machina’ aren’t doing so by using the text of the story at all. They’re either glossing over how the setup for all the plot elements is all right there in the story, or else they’re doing exactly what the ancient Greeks criticize bad deus ex machina for in the first place by putting the wrong ending on a story. So most who use ‘deux ex machina’ as a criticism aren’t thinking about the nature of Story at all, I think. They’ve heard the term, mistake it for general criticism of ‘unearned’ plot points, and/or use it as justification for their own pretentious fascination with bleak endings.

So, to summarize my answer- yes, DEM can be a criticism in and of itself, depending on the definition in play. It can apply to AtLA, also depending on the definition in play.

But applying DEM to AtLA as a criticism just doesn’t add up.

[phoenixalmighty]

Shaping Two Futures

@girlgeniusevents

This was written for Girl Genius Event Week 2019, Day 7: Niche Crossover/AU Day. The crossover in this case is the Geneforge games.

—

General Alwan gazes upon the dormant portal. “And you’re sure it will open into somewhere in Terrestia?”

Next to him, Baron Klaus Wulfenbach shrugs. “I can’t be sure of anything until I’ve seen it working with my own eyes. The only previous work we could base the technology on was from the English Sparks who have been working on higher-dimensional travel; we’re lucky that the energy readings we got from you in the aftermath of your passage inspired some of the Sparks who saw them to use the unique signature as a homing beacon, and it still took two years. I’ve looked over the design, though, and I believe it should work.”

Alwan nods and resists the urge to sigh. “I’ve felt this before, this uncertainty about whether a new technology or magic will work the way its creator says it will. I hate it — more so when the course of the future could hinge on it.”

The Baron looks pensive. “I must confess that I find it a refreshing change from the challenge of running a continental empire, if only because the new thing is occasionally something that will help me instead of making yet another mess that I have to send someone to clean up.”

“Even if it does work, you shouldn’t start celebrating just yet,” Alwan warns. “The Shapers may have great power, but the rebels stole some of it for themselves and spent years building up forces in secret, and with the element of surprise on their side, they were able to take much of eastern Terrestia. Given the chaos and general unpredictability of the strategic situation last I knew of it, I can make no guarantees about the state of any part of the continent.”

The Baron opens his mouth to reply, but whatever he is about to say is cut off by a shout from one of the technicians near the portal’s control panel. “Herr Baron! The portal is ready to be turned on!”

“Then what are you waiting for? Do it!”

Alwan looks over his shoulder to check the hundred soldier clanks behind him. All seem ready. They will come through alongside him and the Baron in case they come across any rebels or other unsavory characters.

In most cases, Alwan would be reluctant to have the leader of the nation he wants to ally with come into a potentially dangerous situation such as this. However, he has seen the rebels fight, and he has seen the Baron fight, so he is not concerned for the Baron.

The edges of the portal glow blue. The area inside flickers the same color before resolving into a forest where beings — some human, some not — dart between the trees, casting spells, breathing fire, spitting acid, swinging swords, and generally trying to kill each other. The combatants of one side wear no emblem; those of the other wear the distinctive three-part circle that the Shapers use as a sigil.

The Shapers still fight. Good. Alwan will render aid to ensure they win.

Without waiting for the Baron’s signal — they have already agreed that Alwan, as the one with experience in this land’s methods of war, shall have military command of the Baron’s forces unless the Baron overrides him — Alwan barks, “Clanks! Forward! Aid the Shapers!” As the clanks raise their rifles and charge, aiming for the rebel soldiers, Alwan scans the battlefield for any high-value targets. He finds one in the form of a drayk, a twenty-foot-long creation that a Europan might call a dragon if its wings were large enough to allow it to fly. Though creations of both sides almost never bear any sigil to declare their allegiance, Alwan knows that any drayk on a battlefield will be allied with the rebels; their existence is illegal under Shaper law, and any Shaper finding one is duty-bound to destroy it, though this is easier said than done.

On his own, Alwan would find it difficult but doable. With the Baron at his side, killing the drayk will be a nearly-assured success.

With the Baron close on his heels, Alwan sprints for the drayk, drawing his sword. While on the way, he observes that the Shaper forces, while as surprised as the rebel ones, are beginning to work with their new allies with admirable quickness. Excellent. He gets close to the drayk and strikes at its eye, but it jerks its head back and breathes a gout of flame at him and the Baron. Alwan rolls to the right, the Baron to the left, and they move to flank the beast. It turns to face Alwan, lashing at the Baron with its tail.

Alwan can see the logic in choosing to face the Shaper rather than the unknown, but that was the wrong move; the drayk should have gotten out of the flank as quickly as possible, as turning its back on the Baron is at least as certain a death sentence as turning its back on Alwan himself. The Baron proves it by leaping over the swiping tail and driving his sword into the drayk’s back. It roars in pain, thrashing about to try to dislodge the Baron, but he is gripping the drayk’s wing joints to avoid being thrown, and the distraction gives Alwan an opening to ram his sword through the roof of the drayk’s mouth. Alwan shoves the head off his blade and searches for the next target. As luck would have it, the target finds him.

Alwan’s magical senses warn him of the incoming spell just in time for him to duck and let it fly over his head. He spins to face its source: a woman with a cold, angry, arrogant sneer on her face, clothed in a robe that imitates those worn by the Shapers themselves. A rebel lifecrafter, whose waxy, cracked, glowing skin shows that she has been illegally Shaped again and again, past the point where the well-known mental effects become more trouble than they are worth.

The lifecrafter waves a hand, and a flash of light heralds her creation of a battle alpha: a large, strong, red-furred, moderately-intelligent humanoid that is often used as a shock trooper. Alwan has no time to make any creations of his own before the lifecrafter is casting another spell at him, this one a bolt of ice. He darts to the side to dodge it and calls to the Baron, “You handle the battle alpha! I’ll take the lifecrafter!”

He has told the Baron enough about Terrestia during the years he has spent in Europa that the Baron already knows which is which, as if it weren’t obvious enough from context. Battle alphas are strong, fast, and tough, but the Baron has taken on more dangerous foes in single combat and prevailed. He will have no problems defeating the creature.

Alwan closes range with the lifecrafter. He could draw the sidearm at his hip and shoot at her from a distance, but she will be used to fighting at range, and he does not know if the armor she undoubtedly wears beneath her robe will stop a bullet. Getting close will, hopefully, push her to start making mistakes. Three more dodged spells, and Alwan is upon her. A slice across her torso is deflected by what feels like chitin armor. She makes her panic evident with a sloppy blast of fire that Alwan barely even has to dodge before stabbing his sword through her armor and into her stomach.

He considers it a minor personal failure that he lets his guard down enough for her to punch him in the face, shove herself off his sword, and cast a healing spell on herself, but it matters little. She could have augmented that punch with magic; that she did not think to shows just how rattled she is. Alwan will kill her without much more trouble.

The lifecrafter thrusts out her hand, and acid mist sprays from her palm at Alwan. He aborts his lunge in favor of getting out of its way; an ice bolt he might have been willing to take, but acid he is much less sanguine about. Instead, he tosses his sword to his left hand and draws his sidearm. Now that he knows her armor is chitin, he knows it will not stop bullets, and her look of shock when he puts three rounds into her center mass is his cue to finish her off by decapitating her.

He looks around. The Baron has long since killed the battle alpha, and the Wulfenbach clanks are helping the Shaper forces mop up the last of the rebels. There is little left for him to do other than make contact with the Shaper commander so that the diplomacy can begin.

—

“Ah, Greta. Is that the report on Baron Wulfenbach’s excursion into Terrestia? I’ve already read it, but I was wondering if you had any insights I was missing.”

Greta sips at her coffee before she answers Prince Tarvek. “To give you insights you’re missing, I need to know which ones you have.”

“General Alwan’s belief that a Shaper-Wulfenbach alliance will crush the lifecrafter rebellion seems a little optimistic to me, considering that he knows Wulfenbach has enemies who would love to ally with the rebels.”

Greta smiles. “Ah, but he doesn’t know that those enemies know where he went or that they can get there themselves, and I’m almost certain he doesn’t know that I’m here. After all, I didn’t learn of his presence in Europa until we’d been here for two months, and I’ve taken pains to stay beneath the empire’s notice. Given what he knows, his conclusion is fairly reasonable.”

Tarvek nods. “Though no less wrong for it. What little Alwan saw of Terrestian tactics seems to be about the same as you remember from two years ago. Not much to talk about there, except that the presence of a human lifecrafter means the rebellion hasn’t been completely taken over by the drakons —” Tarvek breaks off as Greta shakes her head. “— no? Why not?”

“From Alwan’s description, that woman had overShaped herself in search of ever more power, which is exactly the kind of thing that the drakons would encourage... not that it was uncommon among lifecrafters who had no contact with the drakons.”

Tarvek frowns. “How do you come to that conclusion? I was under the impression that self-Shaping had no drawbacks.”

Greta gives Tarvek a look. The rest of the conspiracy hasn’t been sharing everything with you, has it? Dangerous, to keep one of the two people their whole plan rests on out of the loop. “Oh, it has several, and that’s why I only did it sparingly when I was in Terrestia.

“There are two types of device that are used to Shape a person in the way that rebels do and Shapers forbid: Geneforges and canisters. A Geneforge is a pool of charged, distilled essence and various equipment and machinery to keep it functional. When used, it grants some basic abilities, such as the ability to shoot fire from one’s hands or heal minor wounds, and lays the groundwork for future changes. Canisters are, well, glass canisters that contain essence of a similar type to Geneforges, but most only grant a single ability, though what that ability is varies. Unlike a Geneforge, a canister is single-use and portable, so people have to keep making them, but they can go to their users instead of the other way around.

“Both Geneforges and canisters work by rewriting part of the user’s being, although which part I’ve never been entirely clear on. However, if you overuse them, the side effects include arrogance, shortened temper, loss of empathy, and megalomania, and they’re addictive to boot. Use few enough, or space them out far enough, and you can avoid most of it.” This is what Greta did, and it is why she retained enough of her faculties to rise as far in the rebellion’s ranks as she had before coming to Europa.

Tarvek hums as he takes in the information. “I see. And you said that the drakons would encourage using too many of these?”

“They would. They care only for their own power, but they use the reason I joined the rebellion, which is to make Terrestia a place where creations would have more rights than the Shapers give them now, as a smokescreen to get more people to fight for them. If they get more lifecrafters to overuse canisters, that would allow them to take those who believe as I do about Shaper tyranny and make them forget those beliefs in favor of their own quest for ever-greater power. Hopefully the human rebels retain enough influence within the greater rebellion to have kept that from happening so that a rebel victory doesn’t result in a state as tyrannical as the Shaper government but headed by the drakons.”

Tarvek is silent for a moment. Greta waits for him to marshal his thoughts until he says, “I see. Moving on to the strategic situation on Terrestia, it looks like the rebels hold the eastern part of the continent and the Shapers the western part, but the rebels are making a push from Burwood Province into the Okavano Fens. That seems like an ideal place to send military aid to the rebels.”

The continent of Terrestia is shaped roughly like a square with the middle taken out and peninsulas jutting east from the top and bottom of the eastern side. Burwood Province and the Okavano Fens border the inland sea on the north; on the southern shore, the rebels hold most of Illya Province in the east, and the Shapers hold the Storm Plains in the west. Greta nods at Tarvek’s assessment. “It does, though we would need to ensure that the source of that aid doesn’t leak to anyone who shouldn’t know it.”

“Obviously. We’d also need to keep it from Wulfenbach that we were moving troops to parts unknown.”

Greta absently nods at Tarvek’s words, but her mind has been taken elsewhere by the shift to the topic of a Valois-rebel alliance. Like the rebellion, the Storm King conspiracy could usher in an era of peace and a better government than the one that already exists; also like the rebellion, the conspiracy has many who would rather simply place themselves at the top of the new order without doing anything to make the lives of the common folk better. She had been trying to maneuver the human rebels into a position of greater power than the drakon rebels before coming to Europa, but with a Valois-rebel alliance, the complexity of ensuring that the best parts of both groups come out on top will likely put it beyond her ability.

But Tarvek wants to help people, and he just might be able to pull it off.

And so, as the conversation shifts to the nearly-complete portal device through which Greta will soon travel to Terrestia, she is already considering how to persuade the young prince to help her ensure that both revolutions succeed without coming full circle.

[sineala]

Hi so I've seen you in reference to sucker punch talk a couple times now about how you don't see a happy ending/you only see more pain coming...why is it that you don't think they could ever patch up their relationship to if not friendly at least tolerable? I know that the end of civil war has steve dying, but he comes back, right? Maybe a couple years down the line or something it could be better? I definitely don't see a relationship ever working between them, but idk maybe I'm just optimistic

I mean, yeah, Steve comes back, but that means that he’s still going to have to live with the fact that he basically, in this story, spent ten years insulting Tony to his face, and I feel like Tony is not really going to want to continue giving him a chance at this point. I think Steve trying to beat him to death was probably as much as he could take. I think he was making a lot of terrible decisions clinging to being Iron Man because Steve loved Iron Man and Tony could have some measure of Steve’s love, and then it’s clear that Steve is actually also willing to kill Iron Man and so there’s really no part of any friendship left by then.

The thing that I was trying to do when I wrote Sucker Punch was to write a Steve who sees Tony as, essentially, the worst version of the mask that Tony shows to everyone else – a rich, arrogant, womanizing alcoholic. He never wants to know Tony better, and so he never gets to know Tony better. The alcoholism in particular ends up being a pretty terrible point of intersection for them, which I did deliberately; we know from canon that Steve doesn’t handle it particularly well when he actually is Tony’s friend and they have that friendship to lean on. He doesn’t seem to conceive of it as an addiction, and we see him expressing bewilderment and anger at what he regards as Tony’s poor choices. It goes extremely badly, and that’s the good version. That’s what you get what they’re friends. And when you take that friendship away, as I did with Sucker Punch, I think you get a Steve whose opinion of Tony and his drinking problem is flat-out terrible, with no inclination for him to think better of him. (Keep in mind here also that Steve’s father is canonically an alcoholic and physically abusive toward his family.)

(This is why I also took away Sucker Punch Steve’s sympathy for Tony’s magic-inflicted drunkenness in Avengers Disassembled. Note that in canon Steve believes Tony and is there for him. Here Steve is just not having any of that.)

I think that if Steve wanted to – and who, knows, he might – he could put effort into working on this. He could change his own mind. He could go to Al-Anon or therapy or something. He’d have to really, really want to. And there’s another thing he’d have to come to terms with, which is that Tony and Iron Man are the same person – Tony did all the good things that Iron Man did, and Iron Man did all the terrible things that Tony did. And I just– I think that’d be hard.

And the early Heroic Age, after Steve comes back to life, is rough enough for Steve and Tony in canon as it is. They’re not on a team together and Tony expresses serious misgivings that they could ever be. There is an issue devoted to them standing in the snow having a screaming fight about their feelings, and this is with basically ten years of solid friendship backing them up and all their friends agreeing that they love each other, and even so they barely make it. Like… it’s a lot. Tony keeps apologizing for the entire war he doesn’t remember and Steve keeps not being able to deal with any of this. Sure, they hug in Avengers Prime, but that doesn’t actually fix the underlying problem, and they are a mess for essentially the first half of Avengers v4. Now imagine that happens in a universe where Steve has also spent ten years calling Tony a power-hungry control-freak drunkard to his face. I just think it would be… bad.

And you know what else Tony wouldn’t remember, in the Sucker Punch universe? The fact that Steve knows who he is. So that would be a mess.

And then there’s an even bigger mess. The thing that really gets Steve and Tony back together after Civil War in canon isn’t Avengers Prime – it’s Fear Itself. Steve takes back the shield and gets on the main team and they’re teammates again and basically they’re good now. They’re friends. But this would absolutely not work in the Sucker Punch universe, because you know what else happens in Fear Itself? Tony starts drinking. He voluntarily starts drinking of his own free will. I mean, he does it to save the world, but he still starts drinking. And I think Sucker Punch Steve is absolutely going to see that as a confirmation that everything awful he ever believed about Tony is still true and Tony is just a drunk and here he is, drinking again. You see what I mean?

I mean, I think if they had to they could serve on the same team, but they’re never going to be able to be friends, because I basically ripped out every possible underpinning for their belief in each other, and everything that could bring them back together in canon hinges on things I also ripped away.

Though, hey, if you think you can fix it, you’re welcome to! I just don’t think I can.

[gaymirajane]

within a demon’s grip

Ship: Seilah x Kyoka / Erza x Mirajane

Words: 1k

Warnings: Abuse mention, demons

Also available on Ao3 if you’d prefer

Seilah lifted her arms, her every movement fluid; elegant. Her eyes were numb, and yet her soul was chaos incarnate, her heart dripping with the darkness of a demon.

She placed her hand on Mirajane’s cheek, and the Fairy Tail wizard flinched at the touch. It was artificially soft, like rubber, and it made her feel sick.

“Perish.” The word was a hum, song like, and Mirajane shivered.

Not from fear, but from recognition; the demons within her clawed at their confines, eager to reciprocate the malice which graced Seilah’s lips. A book hovered above Mirajane’s head, and the demon opened her mouth again, clothes slipping slightly from her shoulder, exposing a maelstrom of inky swirls and lines that decorated her pale skin. It was proof that she was a demon created for the purpose of destruction, and that gave Mirajane the edge. Her power was cultivated through years of fear and hiding, not made by a madman. She just needed to break free of these confines, and that would be her moment.

Before Seilah spoke, the door blew from its hinges, and another demon stood in the rubble, less human in appearance than Seilah but just as terrifying.

“Kyoka-Sama...” Even for a demon, that name fell onto Mirajane’s ears as a prayer, and she wondered if love was a form of salvation. It had saved her, after all.

Kyoka crossed the room hurriedly, tipped up Seilah’s chin and claimed her lips hungrily, primal. The same way that Mirajane did Erza’s in the midst of battle. The comparison was not one that Mirajane was proud of, and yet it was all she saw in the way that their bodies responded to one another, like the pull of the tide; like they were made to be.

“You take care of this snow fairy, my love. I’m on the hunt for the Fairy Queen.”

It was obvious who she meant, and Mirajane felt her heart fall into a deep darkness, her eyes widen. The demons arose within Mirajane, and she let out a cry, low in her throat. Kyoka raised a brow at her.

"An interesting reaction. Are you her woman? The name she screams, fighting to protect, whenever I play with her?" The demon licked her lips, eyeing Mirajane intently, and the woman thrashed against her restraints, magic pulsating in ebony waves from her body.

"You'll never win against her." Mirajane snarled, the scar lining the skin around her eye, hair raising with the sheer force of her own magical prowess.

Kyoka laughed, and it dripped with poison. Seilah gasped, cheeks flushed, and her gaze was wet as the other demoness walked away, turning only to sneer at Mirajane,

"Don't kill this one, my love. I want to hear her scream whilst I tear apart her mate."

Mirajane protested at that, screaming, knowing that it was supposed to bait her and unashamed that she had rose to it. Besides her siblings and her guild, Erza was everything else to Mirajane, the completion of her. She would fight to protect that love; she would die for it.

Kyoka left, dust billowing behind her, and Seilah stared at the empty space where her lover had stood. When she faced Mirajane again, the white-haired woman faltered, breath stilling. Seilah was a demon from the book of Zeref, her entire existence was artificial, evil, and yet the way she looked at Kyoka... it was soft, fond. Mirajane imagined that she looked at Erza with similar eyes.

It was then that Mirajane decided that when she won - and she would win - that she would not kill Seilah. A being capable of the same love that Mirajane showed the woman that she loved deserved a chance, and Mirajane knew how powerful emotions could be for demons. How Erza chose to deal with Kyoka was out of her control, but Mirajane would make Seilah submit to her power, to the bond she had with Erza and their belief in one another, and she would defeat the member of Tartaros with it.

The magic within her was threatening to explode in ebony light, but Mirajane choked it back, kept the imagine of Lisanna’s smile, of Erza’s touch, at the front of her mind. Losing control of her humanity would not help; she would tear Seilah apart, limb from limb, if her demons allowed her to do so. But that was not her intention, the exact opposite of what she was hoping to achieve at the end of this battle.

Seilah could be better, could use her power for good, and Mirajane would give her that chance. She would do what a Fairy Tail wizard should; do something more human than she had felt in years. Assimilating a demon was painful, and terrifying, and with every demon she took Mirajane lost another part of herself. But for the sake of her guild, and her love, Mirajane would give up it all.

She pulled at the restraints with purpose this time, and they exploded around her. Seilah took a step back, shocked at the display, and Mirajane summoned her strongest demon, one that she had long since hidden away: Satan Soul: Ira. Tendrils the colour of a bruise engulfed her, stuck to her skin and contorted her into something less than herself, something monstrous. Horns protruded from her forehead, her hands and feet enlarging, and flames sparked from her skin. A tail cut the air behind her, white hair sullied with scarlet, set in loose curls around her face. When Mirajane took a step forward, the floor cracked, and Seilah summoned books to surround and protect her. She would need them.

Mirajane roared, from deep in her core, and a whirlwind of fiery breath circled Seilah, pushed her against the wall as Mirajane descended, a true and organise demon. She invoked fear in anyone who saw her like this, and Seilah was no different. The woman took no pride in that fact, or in her magic, but if it was all she to protect the people she loved, then Mirajane would give herself to the darkness as much as she needed, until everyone was safe and Erza was in her arms, where she belonged.