This actually came about because I was explaining to some friends maybe a month or two back about my college town:
I went to an art college that was in very close vicinity to two other schools; a liberal arts college (known mainly for their medical engineering program) and a music institute.
Our art institute and the music school were both much smaller so there was some kind of agreement between the three colleges that we got to use a lot of the larger college's facilities, including their dorm buildings, dining hall, meal plan system, their libraries/certain resources, and options to enroll in some classes as well.
Then one of the friends I was talking to simply suggested "OT3/trio AU?" and I literally haven't stopped thinking about it since 😩
So, here we go: art student!MC, music student/pianist!Ominis, and engineering student!Sebastian 📚
Is this dancing a little too close to being way too self-indulgent with art student!MC? PERHAPS. But I dare you tell me that Ominis wouldn't be a posh piano prodigy and Seb wouldn't be an engineering nerd 😤
And leave me to live my fun lil fantasies and delusions lol.
Obligatory slowed version of The Walk to get us started. If you haven't seen it before, you're welcome.
He's so angry and so right to be angry. For a hundred years, he has defended the Grove at great personal cost. Before it was established, he saw the deaths of his friends, peers, mentor; his support circle crumbled in a single day.
Not only did his mentor fall, he had to slay his mentor's shade in the aftermath in order to lay him to rest. This is the final release canon origin for the Sorrow glaive, but the early-access version is even more heart-wrenching. Either version, the mantle of first druid / arch-druid is thrust upon his unprepared shoulders; alone and without confidantes or peers, he shouldered the load and kept going.
In his diary, we see that he thought he'd found hope of a cure for the Shadow Curse, which was what he was pursuing when the goblins captured him. "The first hope in a century" if I'm remembering correctly.
From there, he meets you - a second hope of salvation. And then... this. The ultimate betrayal and the end of the Grove, of everything he's protected for so long.
We rarely see Halsin using his size to intimidate; even when he rips Kagha a new one in the conversation about the Rite of Thorns, regardless of whether or not he throws her out.
He uses his size as threat now... as he should. He's here to kill you.
And if it's not active intimidation, then what we might be seeing here is him reining in his temper - choosing to have a conversation before acting.
He's facing Tav when he storms up; as he starts to talk, he angles himself a little away from them. We'll see that more in a second.
"I thought you'd help me. I thought we'd help eachother - instead you chose this."
Controlled calm slipping into justified anger. Again, that blink-and-you'll miss it detail of an emotion, just amazing work by Larian.
"The grove stood for generations. It was our link to Silvanus. Not, it’s nothing but blood and ashes - thanks to you."
Let's slow it down and get closer, really soak in the tiny details embedded in this scene.
Watch the first part below at half speed, watch his face twist into disgust and pain. Watch him physically turn away from you in anger and loathing. He's not looking at Tav anymore, he's seeing something else instead. Some memory of the Grove, whether a happy one or a more recent, bloodstained one, we're left to guess.
Anger turns into sorrow - he lifts his eyes in a silent prayer as he speaks, then hangs his head in heavy, tired despair. It doesn't drag his features down yet; he's still too angry under all that pain.
A tiny, miserable moment of memory and suffering....
...before sorrow turns back into anger, when he comes back to the present. That second blink of anger when he comes back to himself, out of whatever memory he was replaying in that moment. He turns back to you and rage crowds back into his face.
He's already made his choice... but he's about to give Tav a chance to speak for their actions anyway. While the role of arch-druid might have been thrust onto his unprepared shoulders unexpectedly a hundred years before, he has grown immensely since then. Despite his justified rage, he reacts wisely, seeking to understand before seeking vengeance.
Tell me… was it worth it?
He's furious, rightfully so, but there's still a genuine question under that rage. The split-second look of curiousity before the rage takes over his features once more.
Was there a meaning to this sacrifice? Was it done for a purpose or was it all just as cruel and wanton of a betrayal as it seemed?
Even as anger and hatred take over his face once more, he gives you a chance to speak for yourself.
There are four options.
Option 1: Of course - I did what I had to do. Your grove was in the way.
"You have no idea what you’ve done, do you? Or perhaps you simply don’t care?"
First, the genuine sadness and disbelief as he says "You have no idea what you’ve done, do you?"
Then, the anger of "Or perhaps you simply don’t care?"
Sadness and sorrow into fucking rage. Both are so poignant and beautifully done. Round of applause for Larian, god(s)damn.
The first three options all end the same way, so we'll cut right to Option 2 and save that glorious closing gif for the end.
Option 2: "I’m sorry. I had no choice."
"There’s always a choice - but you have made yours. Now I make mine."
Look at the disgust... the way he squeezes his eyes shut as he says "There’s always a choice". He knows. He's made hard choices, at great personal cost.
The way he says it with his head down, his nostrils flared in disgust and anger, and doesn't open his eyes as he turns his head to face Tav. He doesn't open his eyes until the last instant, both saddened and repulsed by Tav and their actions.
Then, when he's looking into Tav's eyes, the anger and hatred set in again.
Let's cut to Option 3.
Option 3: "Calm down. Come sit by the fire and we can talk this over."
"There’s nothing left to be said. My mercy died when I saw the grove."
Pretty much directly into the rage with this one.
And honestly, I don't think anyone could blame him? The balls to aid in the massacre of everyone he cares about, then to hit him with "Calm down. Come sit by the fire and we can talk this over" once he confronts you and gives you a chance to explain yourself?
Nope. Game over, buddy. (Well...)
The four option is simply to attack; all four options lead to a fight to the death. The first three options all end the same way;
"You have upended nature’s balance. Only your death can restore it!"
Written by F. C. Yee, they follow the adventures of the avatars 2 and 4 generations prior to aang, Kyoshi and Yangchen.
It's two duologies, as you may be able to infer.
They offer some incredible action, maturity beyond the shows, different takes on the role of the avatar, and are incredibly well written. Also have canonically queer characters and THEY'RE FUCKING AMAZING.
Legacy came out like a week ago and I think it may be the last novel, at least from Yee's writing, but these four books are up there with some of the best content Avatar has ever offered.
I always see people say they want to see more of past avatars, complaining about Korra losing that connection to her past lives, etc. Well HERE IT FUCKING IS. TWO STORIES ABOUT TWO AVATARS, ONE OF WHICH IS A FAN FAVORITE. It's so fucking frustrating. These books are so good I wanna cry.
Also don't be fooled. If you think Yangchen's gonna be similar to aang because she's an airbender you are sorely mistaken.
i literally do not care abt the new avatar after korra i wanna know more abt the past avatars like gimme the armless girl the waterbender girl the 2nd avatar the main earth girl in that one painting PLS I JUST WANNA SEE RANGSHI AND YANGVIK ANIMATED
Warnings: A suggestive/censored panel of spicy dreams, voyeurism
(This IS going to be heading towards explicit smut after this, so just know that this is overall 🔞 NSFW / MDNI 🔞)
Synopsis: It's their seventh year and Clementine, aka "Em", has been running herself ragged and hardly taking the time to rest. She finally decides to take a brief nap in the Undercroft where no one could possibly find or bother her. Aside from two Slytherins, that is...
Length: 9 pages
master comic post | all related/tagged posts | my art | support me on ko-fi
[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3 – coming soon]
👀 oh?
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A/N: The rest of the parts going forward will be uploaded as image previews with links to the full pages on twitter / poipiku~
Updates will be SLOWWW since I'm also learning how to storyboard, map out dialogue, SFX, panels, and backgrounds as I go. Making a comic for the first time feels like it's literally causing my brain to have to rewire and function differently rn lol 🫠
I'm hoping/aiming to complete Part 2 in maybe...2 weeks-ish, now that I have a slightly better idea of how long this takes me 🫡💗