#raven interactions.

[rosewaterdrunk]

@dancngthroughlife​  asked  :  “  its  a  magical  place.  “  raven  &  starfire.

               raven  shrugged  her  shoulders  ,  the  place  was  really  no  different  from  their  world.  only  difference  was  that  they  were  in  a  different  time  period  then  the  one  they  were  used  to.  ‘  i  guess  but  our  world  was  also  like  this  and  there  was  magic  there  as  well.  ‘  raven  pointed  out  ,  though  she  was  glad  for  the  others  presence  even  if  she  didnt  admit  to  it.

[speciouspessimism]

so alright yeah gansey’s reaction to adam sacrificing himself to cabeswater is to ask him “why? was i that awful?”

[corvid-khaos]

a scream that echoes across the entire horizon of exandria.

[pato-roldnart]

Someone is in love and distracted 🤭

Some pynch sketches i needed to get out of my system 🙊🙊

[n64retro]

HeXen: Beyond Heretic (Raven Software, id Software / Software Creations, GT Interactive, 1997)

[gralixe]

Ronan & Adam, while Adam is mourning

[karouvas]

would absolutely love for part of the context of the “you’ve dated way more than I have” (which I will always maintain that whatever other factors are involved, had way more to do with Adam’s perception of Gansey’s levels of experience than the actuality of them / Adam is an unreliable narrator because he thinks of Gansey as the coolest hottest person evah and assumes everyone else feels this way too) to be that Adam spent ages thinking that Malory was their age but just had older mannerisms / hobbies like Gansey does and that Gansey might have dated them… in my mind the first time Gansey ever brings up Malory pre series he doesn’t use pronouns so Adam constructs this image of this glamorous old money English girl who has all of Gansey’s interests and is rabidly jealous of her, and also into the image of her in his head. Then like a few months later he realizes he’s a guy and is still jealous even though he thinks Gansey is straight or is he??… then like a few months after that it becomes clear he’s older but he’s still not sure How much older and this is Adam hot for evil Latin teacher Parrish so he’s still not ruling out the jealousy… and then he meets Malory and is embarrassed for his previous thoughts but still jealous, because he spent for much time with Gansey and because Adam is a neurotic freak.

[batwingsandblackcats]

I am absolutely fascinated by the implications of, as the web of PCs grows, who among the main cast chooses to play who.

Particularly considering Downfall.

Taliesin and Ashley are both playing the gods that their past PCs followed. Taliesin said in the cooldown that Asha, specifically, is Caduceus’ Wildmother.

Pike helped reconstruct a temple to Sarenrae in Vassalheim, and her relationship with Sarenrae is an absolutely intrinsic part of Pike’s character. Intentional or not, Trist’s daughter Haylie sounds a lot like Pike’s step-daughter Kaylie.

Laura as the Matron in particular though, is making me a little insane, and that’s because the connections are indirect. None of Laura’s PCs have a direct, sustained link to the Raven Queen, and yet somehow the connections are more numerous.

Emhira walked beside Purvan, the man who originally wore the armor that would eventually be trapped in a sunken tomb and kill Vex almost a thousand years later.

Emhira walked beside Purvan, the man who originally wore the armor that Vex briefly claimed after the tomb before giving it to Vax, who would wear it as part of the deal he struck with the Matron to resurrect Vex.

Emhira walked beside Galdric, Purvan’s wolf who later rested in a pocket plane attached to a crystal. A crystal that would later hold Trinket.

Emhira walked beside Galdric, Purvan’s wolf who was later released into the Parchwood to protect Vex’s chosen home.

Vex would later have a son named Wolfe.

Vex speaks to the Matron directly only once while striking a deal for Vax’s life.

The Matron appeared at Vex and Percy’s wedding, delivering Vax to Vex one last time via Scanlan’s last Wish spell.

In C3, Vex no longer wears two blue feathers in her hair, but two black raven feathers.

In C3, Imogen spends a long moment standing between (and potentially deliberating between) the temple of the Dawnfather and the Duskmeadow in Whitestone before ultimately deciding to appeal to the Dawnfather for help in saving Laudna.

I’m sure I’m missing other connections but it’s 1am and my C1 lore is a little rusty.

It’s one thing to start reaching back to past campaigns for cornerstones of new characters (I could talk about the ripples of connection concerning Orym and Laudna all day) but considering that Taliesin, Ashley, and Laura are playing gods right now, the backwards ripples stretch almost infinitely.

Do any of these connections actually mean anything within the narrative? Nah. They’re professionals and compartmentalizing different characters is what they do.

I just find it absolutely fascinating, on an above-the-table meta level, that as more and more stories across Exandria and across different times in Exandria are being told around the table, and the more characters are introduced, the bigger the house of mirrors grows.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

“An emergency contact…” Yuu scratches their head. “Well, there’s one adult who stands out. Someone who has welcomed me with open arms, listened to my needs, and someone I really look up to and trust. Headmage Crowley! Do you have Trein’s cell number?”

Not gonna lie, you had me bawling in the first half 😂

Enter; An Unkindness of Ravens.

Up until now, Crowley had been nodding enthusiastically to your every comment. Feathers fluffed, eyes shut, as he bathed in the unearned praise. You could almost see his ego inflating right before you.

One adult who stands out.

A smile formed.

Someone who has welcomed me with open arms...

It grew, elevating the apples of his cheeks.

... listened to my needs...

He was glowing with pride, the most excited you had ever witnessed him.

... and someone I really look up to and respect.

His face might actually rip in half.

The you had dropped the bomb, and Crowley's entire demeanor collapsed in on itself. His shattered smile landed atop of the heap.

“Wh-What?! Professor Trein…!!” he managed to stutter out. “Did I hear you correctly?!”

"Yeah," you replied calmly. "Professor Trein."

"Wh-What exactly makes him a standout?!" Crowley demanded. When you gave him a queer look, he quickly deflected. "N-Not that I am envious, of course! I am asking as his employer so that I may take student feedback into consideration when calculating end-of-the-year performance-based bonuses."

"He's done so much to look after me and all of his students,” you patiently explained. “Professor Trein chaperoned us to the City of Flowers and taught us about its history. He ensured our safety when there was trouble afoot and even shed a tear for our moral character. I also heard from Ace and Deuce that Professor Trein oversaw NRC when Charon invaded campus.

“He always makes time to speak one-on-one with his students even on matters outside of schoolwork. Professor Trein cares about us like we're his real children and grandchildren. I'd totally trust him as my emergency contact.

“Compared to that… I seem to vaguely remember a certain someone who shirks his responsibilities at every opportunity, wastes his time on walks and snacks instead of running the school, offloads his duties onto children, and ignores my SOS calls when I was being held hostage over winter break.”

“I wonder who it could be that you’re speaking off.”

“Gee, I wonder,” you said sarcastically, staring right at Crowley. “Sucks that we’ll never know. Anyway, do you have Professor Trein's number or not?"

"W-Well!!" Crowley bristled, disarmed by your demand. "It wouldn't be very professional of me to hand out my employees' contact information as though it were Halloween candy! It's strictly confidential, I'm afraid I cannot divulge it."

He folded his arms smugly, waiting for you to change your mind, to beg for his cell phone number instead.

"Aaah, I get it." You shrugged, cool as a cucumber. "That's okay, I can ask Professor Trein directly myself. It was worth a shot to ask you anyway, headmaster. See ya!"

With that, you turned and exited his office. No fanfare, no groveling. Just... nothing.

Crowley completely deflated, cradling his head in his hands. He teased out a whiny groan.

"For them to overlook their most generous headmaster in favor of Professor Trein... Ooooh, where did I go wrong with that child...?"

[jet-teeth]

Attack for Zyhe on AF!

Look like someone tripped through a portal and ended up in the wrong setting. Chaos ensues!

[rosewaterdrunk]

@virtuousouls  asked  :  “  that  is  a  neat  trick.  “  raven  &  eros. 

                      raven  didnt  realize  that  she  was  hovering  ,  since  she  tended  to  just  do  it  naturally  when  mediating.  looking  over  at  the  other  ,  raven  just  shrugged  her  shoulders  since  it  was  something  she  could  do  easily.  ‘  i  honestly  dont  even  notice  it  anymore.  ‘   raven  admitted  since  she  never  had  a  reason  to  hide  it  ,  it  was  pretty  hard  to  hide  who  she  was  unlike  some  other  heroes.

[ronanlynchdefender]

The conversation between Maura and The Grey Man about Gansey and Adam is so meta because they’re basically voicing the audience’s perceptions of the characters.

The narrative is framed so all of us think that Gansey is the Main Character: Richard Gansey and his band of merry men (Maura’s pov)

We all assume this, but as you read the series it becomes increasingly clear that Adam Parrish is the Hidden Protagonist of the narrative. His desire, his need, to control his own life permeates the narrative. Adam takes action even when Gansey is afraid to (stopping Whelk, making the sacrifice) and subsequently propels the plot forward.

This is where The Grey Man’s perspective comes in: Adam Parrish and his band of merry men.

I LOVE that he says this because The Grey Man is an incredibly perceptive character, and while him and Adam have little (if any) interactions, he still notices who is really running the show here. He recognizes that Adam is probably a lot like himself: a guy everyone overlooks but with incredible power to make the difficult decisions everyone is afraid to make. And I just love that The Grey Man, in saying this, shows Adam respect and gives him credit where credit is due.

So this little disagreement between Maura and The Grey Man about who REALLY is the Main Character of this story reflects us. We see Gansey as the protagonist, but we also see Adam Parrish fulfill this role as well. Sometimes, it appears that Adam is even MORE of the main character than Gansey (in my opinion).

And the truth is that they’re BOTH main characters just in completely different ways. It’s honestly insane to me that Maggie can have these two widely different character journeys running parallel to each other in the same series, but she does it. And because they’re so different the development of each entangles and clashes with the other in fascinating and volatile ways.

GOD. It’s just so good I feel like I could teach a class about these goddamn books.

[r4vn]

—BREAKING POINT

kaı x reader

w.c: 3,066

disclaimers: nsfw, 18+, unprotected sex (stay safe out there guyz), fem!reader, withdrawals, praise kink, use of cannabis, da weed, tension, fingering, smexy time, missionary (bc we love intimacy)

—synopsis: you notice how irritable kai has been throughout the day, and it concerned you. later that evening, you make your way to his room, hoping you could help him out.

a/n: hola :D i am very slowly getting back into writing. this is a fic abt kai having withdrawals!! this is not my best work it feels so...meh. this was actually inspired by a post weeeeks ago by an account that deactivated BUT I KNOW @uch3na REPOSTED SO TY SWEETHEART.. but i hope you enjoy :) all love ♡

「divider by @/cafekitsune」

everyone was off of the blue now. the air within the whole ship was heavy within this past week. new emotions and new feelings emerged to define everyone differently as the days passed. everyone began to show different personalities and likings. it sort of felt like, well, life was breathed back into them.

some kids ran the halls and some got ..busy with each other. you and your friend sela stuck to one another in the midst of the emotional chaos. you, her and a few others would keep up with your tasks and maintenance checks around the ship. chris, voted new leader, had a hard time trying to keep the troublemakers in check. the ones who would wander off during tasks or play around recklessly, affecting other's work.

"please, stop being idiots and get back to your plants." chris spoke firmly. zac dropped whatever he was holding in his hand and stepped to chris, scoffing.

"or what? are you going to throw me off the ship?" zachary taunted with a smirk.

"that can arranged." foretold chris, stepping even closer to the boy in front of him. zac's smile left his face after his words, wearing a more serious expression.

"enough! zac, take a break. chris, get back to your job at hand. for god sake, we don't need any more chaos." sela scolded while stepping in front of the two men. zachary reluctantly backed off, holding his hands up in a mocking tone. he walked off and the tension in the room immediately became lighter.

you looked at kai, who seemed to be on edge as he did his tasks. his forehead was glistened in cold sweat while tending to the vegetables. his fingers trembled ever so slightly. he looked agitated, anxious. you worried yes, but you decided not to bother him. you made a mental note to ask him later and walked away in the hall, sela catching up.

"hey, do you...you wanna do something ...risky?" you couldn't help but arch a brow. a smile threatened your lips and you nodded. sela immediately took your hand and began walking briskly in the halls. you two ended up going to richards room. you were amazed by all the things he had from earth such as photos, trinkets, and clothing. you knew nothing of this supposed beautiful planet and were amazed at the things he had.

"he showed me all these things, i don't know why. maybe because i'm chief medical officer, maybe i was most responsible." sela sighed before opening a medium-sized box of richards personal belongings. she dug under the photos to find an even smaller, wooden box and held it up with a grin. it was the size of her hand. you rose brow and grabbed it, opening the box to reveal rolled cylindrical wraps. an intense smell made your face scrunch up. it didn't smell particularly nice but it wasn't bad either. it had the slightest hint of floral notes.

there were 5 rolled, opaque cream-colored wraps with a grinded plant in it. you heard of it before, vaguely reading about it in your books. it was cannabis.

sela locked the door and turned on the room air filter. she then grabbed the box full of joints and the black lighter. you sat down on the floor against richards bed. it felt odd to you, to be in the room of the dead. richard's death was tragic, and it disturbed you whenever you thought about it. you pushed the thought away quickly.

sela placed the filtered end of the joint to her lips before lighting the opposite twisted end, igniting it. she inhaled slowly, pulling away from the joint to fully inhale to the back of her throat. her face tightened in discomfort before finally exhaling. she then coughed roughly, giving you thumbs up.

"im okay– i'm okay, it just burns." she strained.

"burns? what the hell is in it?" you asked, nervous at her reaction. you felt like a delinquent. you’ve never done anything like this before. "it's only dried cannabis. on earth, they'd dry the plant cannabis sativa or cannabis indica. when burned and inhaled, the active chemical, THC travels through the lungs to the bloodstream." sela passed the joint to you, causing a nerving ache to fill your chest.

"the decarboxylation process for the active chemical occurs between 200° and 245° fahrenheit." a staccato sigh escaped your lips, mentally hoping you don't die before you took a small hit of the joint. the hot air immediately hit the back of your throat and caused you to go into a huge coughing fit. your throat burned like hot coal and your eyes glazed over with tears.

"easy [y/n], easy. reel it back in, slowly," sela laughs at your reaction, slowly patting your back.

"clear your throat and take small breaths." you did as told, your hacking settling down to staccato coughs. you sniffled, wiping your teary eyes as you continued to clear the unscratchable itch in your throat.

"wow." you strained out, beginning to laugh. sela chuckled while taking another hit, holding it for a few seconds then exhaling.

"as i was saying," sela started jokingly. "the active chemical makes the human brain have psychedelic effects on the body." you get the joint again and take an even smaller hit, slowly blowing it out. "effects such as altered senses like slow movement and brighter colors, difficulty thinking, and psychosis when taking high doses."

you freeze and look at her with slight concern, glancing between her and the joint. the blonde giggles, taking the spliff out your hand so hit it.

"don't worry, this is a normal dose." she chuckled, blowing the fumes in the air above her. for the next ten minutes you share the spliff, occasionally tapping the ashes in the box.

the effects engulfed you like a warm fuzzy blanket. you quickly acclimated to taking bigger puffs, enjoying watching the smoke dance above you. as you continued, your eyelids began to feel heavy and your movement slowed. you and sela giggled every few seconds, feeling amazing physically. you felt like a cloud, but heavy like gravity was pulling you down.

"do you feel good?" sela asks, smiling with low eyes. you simply nod, suddenly beginning to laugh when realizing you didn't answer audibly.

"yes, i feel..good. i feel so warm and light." sela nodded and stood, stumbling with a giggle. she grinned and turned to you with a hand out. you grabbed it and forced yourself up, the blood rushing to your head. you took a deep breath to begin wondering how to look as sober as possible.

you were only 3 hallways down from your room, and you needed to look as normal as possible out there.

"thanks for this ..earth experience." sela nodded happily, opening the door for the two of you. you parted ways with her, and walked to your room in a slower pace. you walked closer to the ship walls to keep you from falling like an idiot. your gaze was low and you felt so suspicious. but you couldn't second guess yourself. you kept walking with your eyes to the floor. almost there..one last turn and–

your head collided with something firm, and warm. you stumbled backwards but due to being intoxicated you fell completely on your ass. your red, [e/c] eyes looked up at dark brown ones.

"kai?" you asked and stood up with a hand on the wall.

"watch where you're going." he replied roughly. you scan his person, noticing his shoulders moving up and down. his breathing was deep and rough, and sweat glistening on his face and neck. he looks distressed, and even more fidgety than earlier.

"are you ..okay?" you asked, ignoring his snarky tone. kai furrowed his brows, lips parted from panting ever so slightly. your low orbs trailed down to the beads of sweat on his neck, then too the veins of his forearms were more visible against the surface of his skin. your head buzzed and you gulped thickly, a warmth building up in your core.

"im fine–.." kai mumbled, blinking rapidly. "just...just watch where you're going." the brunette pushed past you, walking away.

you watched as he walked away, staring at his back.

he has a nice back...

you continued to walk and finally made it to your room with no more obstacles. sitting on your bed, you watched the stars out the window. they seemed much brighter, nearly shining in your eyes. you enjoyed this feeling. you felt euphoric and everything fell away from your troubles. finally laying down, you let the slumber take you.

°°°

waking up much more clear-minded, you blinked your eyes noticing they didn't feel as heavy as before. your mind immediately went back to kai. you couldn't help it. you immediately get up and out on your shoes, exiting your room.

you walked the halls silently. it was late in the evening and so no one was awake. you made your way towards kai's room and stood in front of the door. anxious filled you now, knowing that only a door is what separated you and the brunete. suddenly, his door immediately opened and were now facing kai himself. he immediately froze for a split second before slamming the door in your face.

your heart dropped before hurriedly spluttering over your words, knocking this time.

"kai– i know this is abrupt im sorry but–" you rambled.

"what do you want [y/n]?" he asks behind the door, voice laced with irritance.

"i–...i wanted to check up on you. i didn't think you'd be awake at this time heh– but you looked unwell all day today." you laugh sheepishly, fiddling with your fingers.

"im fine." he cuts in. you purse your lips and sigh, turning your nose up to the ceiling.

"heh, you suck at lying kai. just tell me what's wrong." there was a long pause. you were giving up on the door opening anytime soon and nearly took a step back before kai opened the door. he simultaneously turned away while doing so to walk to his bed. you enteted and closed door behind you rubbing your neck at the unbearable tense silence.

"..so," you sighed gently at kai's stubbornness not to look at you. "what's wrong?" kai doesnt turn around, nor answer.

you don't say anything else and instead examine what you can see. his breathing was still ragged and his hands clenched and unclenched into first every handful of seconds. the light from the low LEDs that trailed the space window gently outlined his figure. his nape was glistened from cold sweat. kai wasn't alright. something was wrong.

"..kai–?" you asked. kai groaned softly, rolling his neck out of agitation. your heart thumped loudly in your ears.

"[y/n]–.. i think– ..i feel weird. i-i feel hot." kai reluctantly explained. "ive been like this all day i– ive been irritated and uncomfortable all day. im sweaty and trembling and–..and my stomach right here feels.." he groans out, holding his core. it wasn't in a painful sense, but in a discomfort yet, yearning one. your body pulsed at the sound he made, causing you to take a step towards him.

"does it feel warm? too warm? do you feel a light fog in your head?" kai strained another whiny groan, holding his nape as he turned a 45° angle to look over his shoulder at you. he hesitantly nodded. he was trying so hard to be tough but had a needy look in his eyes, a gaze of hunger. you didn't know if it was the cannabis still in your system but you felt magnetized to him. the aura he radiated made you feel like small prey in front of an apex predator, but you enjoy the sense of thrill.

"well not to sound creepy but i've been sort of watching you all day. you seem to be having withdrawals, kai." you explained, walking towards him. his hand raised up to his forehead, humming. you placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the brunette flinch then relax again. you then decided to walk around him so you faced his front now, your big [e/c] looking up at him. kai forced himself to look at you but it only worsened the warm feeling in his core.

"what are you feeling right now kai?" you questioned, your hand gently grabbing his hand to pull away from his face. he gulped, staring at you intensely. the way your hair was slightly tousled from waking up, how your skin looked so soft and supple and your eyes stared at him so enticingly.

"my head is all light, my abdomen burns, i have cold sweats, and–.." kai bites back his has words, looking away from you. you tilt your head and tenderly cup his cheek to turn him towards you again.

"and..?" you ask, genuinely concerned. kai swallowed thickly. he suddenly flushed a more prominent rose color across his face before replying

"and ...i'm so, horny [y/n]. god, you being here isn't helping." he breathed out. before you could even respond, both of his large hands cupped the sides of your head before kissing you deeply. you squeaked into his mouth, kissing back as your hands gripped onto the sides of his clothed torso. he moved closer to you which caused you to move back, falling onto the bed.

"i couldn't stand looking at you all day because i couldn't take this pent up feeling [y/n]," he gasped between kisses. "but i can't take it anymore now, i need you now." you blushed deeply as you began to fail at keeping up with his kissing pace.

kai slid in between your legs and pushed his warm body up against yours. he kissed down your face and neck, licking and sucking at your skin. you allowed him to do so before the two of you started pulling off each others shirts.

the tall brunette kissed hungrily down your chest as his hands roamed your torso. you gasped at the difference in body temperatures of you and him, closing your eyes in bliss.

"i've wanted to do this even on the blue. i just couldn't explain the feeling until i got off it." he mumbled against your skin. butterflies erupted in your stomach as he spoke in such a low, seductive tone. his hand slipped in between your thighs and you lost nearly all strength as he teased your already wet second pair of lips. he hummed into your neck as you let out needy gasps, the pleasure radiating throughout your body.

he entered two fingers, finally getting a broken moan out of you. you threw your head back onto the bed, nearly riding his fingers.

"good girl." he praised, leaving deeply colored bruises all over your skin as his fingers thrusted into you. you squeaked and moaned all over, trying to keep quiet due to it being so late. you could feel your walls pulsate around his long fingers, kai occasionally curling them to hit that one sweet spot.

"o-oh please– kai..kaiii–" you mewled, eyes watering from the amount of bliss you were in. he hushed you in a soft tone before slowly pulling his drenched fingers out of you. he lifted your head up to make eye contact with you and he licked his fingers clean.

"i'm right here [y/n]." he nuzzled his face into your cheek before planting a kiss. kai leaned up and pulled off his black pants and underwear, groaning as his hard-on bounced out from under the fabric. he stroked himself slowly to relieve some of the pressure before lining up at your entrance. brown orbs look up at you, silently asking for permission. you nodded eagerly, jaw slightly dropping as he pushed inside of you.

he was big, and thick. it burned ever so slightly but the pleasure overruled the pain. the ecstasy came in ways of pleasure as he slowly thrusted into you. your core tingled with warmth as he engulfed you. his sweat smelled like soft soap and you held onto his soft-toned arms for comfort.

"fuck–" he moaned out with a shudder. his eyes occasionally rolled back as he picked up speed. your moans became louder and you couldn't help it. you had never felt like this before. kai's hands trailed down to your hips and he leaned up to hold you in place as he rammed your insides.

"you're doing so good, [y/n]. there you go.." his voice felt like warm honey drenching your skin. it was like music to your ears and helped you edge closer to your climax.

"mmh– just like that, just like that–" you pleaded, nodding impatiently. you tilted your hips upward and it changed the feeling almost completely. kai was thrusting right up against your sweet spot. you moaned and whimpered and mewled all you could and became incoherent rather quickly. kai took notice of this and changed not a damn thing.

"you're so pretty under me [y/n]. i want you to finish all over me like a good girl, yeah?" he queried, a smile dancing on his pearly whites while erotic sounds occupied your mouth.

"yes. yes please– o-oh–" kai quickened his pace but kept his position, watching as you began to tremble. you made a face, signaling you were about to finish. watching you act so erotically made kai all pent up too. he tried his best to keep his pace, focusing only on you.

"oh god i– ..kai– ..i'm–" you cut yourself off with a loud shaky moan, your walls constricting around kai. your legs shook violently and your hips bucked wildly under his arms. your eyes flashed a brief white and you hear kai mumble a 'fuck' before feeling his cock puslate inside you.

"god–.." kai groaned, dropping his head below his shoulders.. his thrusts became shaky and eventually slowed to a stop. a comfortable silence fell over the room with only the sounds of panting occupying it. kai looked down at you, smiling cheekily. you couldn't help but giggle.

"you okay?" you asked, stroking his cheek with the pad of your thumb.

"yeah. i feel ..better," kai laughed at the slight coincidence. "round 2?"

you blushed and grinned, nodding before kissing the brunette above you again.

© r4vn ²⁰²⁴, do not repost my work.

see yall later :")

[arabella-strange]

also I deeply want a gif of the RQ this adult human woman pointedly calling the Dawnfather a 15-year-old boy "Dad" in the tone most often used for fellow annoyed teenagers who don't want to be bossed around

[n64retro]

HeXen: Beyond Heretic Raven Software / id Software / Software Creations / GT Interactive Nintendo 64 1997

[captainofthetidesbreath]

I've talked a bit before about how Karna and Colin are foils and inverses, and one of the most interesting ways is how they have opposite responses to the violence the game of power visits on the people as individuals who have lived in that terror and brutality.

Karna's response to the way the game terrorizes and brutalizes the commonfolk is to expand that to the nobility and eliminate the idea that some are too special to be touched, to remember that everyone is destined for the maw of the Hungry One and none of this matters (though, she has begun to hope differently). She is used to being disposable and thus believes everyone is; as was done to her is fair to do to all others. She embraces that to gain and maintain power (which one needs to have agency in the world) is to kill as necessary. She protects herself from the violence and viciousness of the game by responding to everyone around her with the same violence and viciousness.

Colin is sickened by what he has done and is asked to do to protect himself, murdering bystanders and sowing carnage. He leaves Deli's leadership because Deli buys into that brutality. (No surprise, then, that Karna steps into Colin's vacated role.) He cannot keep doing to others as was done to him—he did once, no more. He is the grandson of someone who fought a tyrant, a cause he seems sympathetic of (I unpack that one over here), and he refuses to support someone like those who terrorized and murdered his family. His response to the way the game terrorizes and brutalizes the commonfolk is to refuse to facilitate in that brutality and set about stopping those who want an endless bloodshed.

It is worth noting Karna is young, apparently about half Colin's age, and her circumstances do not allow her to unpack any of the harm done to her. Benefits of time, space, maturity, wisdom, perspective, if any, are impossible to give to her in this war. (Tangent, I wonder if she would consider him a hypocrite because he refuses to engage in this aspects of the game but continues to draw his sword.)

The two of them are doing a lot of moving in opposite directions from the same point. Here, they watch the brutalization of the people in the name of power and its games, and Karna moves toward believing that no one is exempt from suffering that brutality while Colin moves toward believing that brutality should be stopped and the people defended from it.