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cartoonfangirl1218 · 1 year

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A Friendly Interrogation

Note: Originally this was going to be an Estenaomi since I do so few of those but it just didn’t fit the mood of the piece so I won’t with a very old ship that was mentioned in the beginning of EOA fandom days. Esteban and Prof. Mendoza. probably stemming with how easily Prof. Mendoza dispatched Esteban’s foibles with aplumb in Finders Leapers.

“I’m just saying, I should get to interrogate her too! I’m one of your best friends. I’m the one who said she’d be perfect for you!”

Esteban rubbed his temples in annoyance at his companion’s insistence that she talk to Zelia about their new relationship. Honestly, Dona Paloma was like a dog with a bone on the subject of his romantic life. First, trying to set him up, now this. And how the hell did they went from tariffs to this topic anyway?

“My family has already met her over dinner and like her, and you didn’t set us up. We’ve known each other for years before you even suggested I go out with her.”

“But I’m the one who said you should date her. I set you up, I expect full credit at your future wedding. Can I plan it?”

Esteban facepalmed, groaning, “No, I’m not putting my wedding in your hands. And you don’t get credit for anything. My relationship with Zelia progressed without any interference from you.”

“I just want to see how happy she is with you and if she deserves you,” Dona protested, swiping the hand that was still stuck to Esteban’s face.

“She is enough for me.” Esteban snapped meaningfully at the insuination of Zelia’s character, “She is more than enough. It’s not a matter of whether she deserves me.”

“Please, Esteban. It’s not fair. I’m practically your family. I’ve seen you at your worst. I don’t want you to be hurt again.

Esteban almost did a double-take at that comment. Dona never made any mention that she cared about his emotional well-being. Well not in such direct words. He would make a jab tthat she was getting soft about him but addressing their relationship or vulnerabilities was not their style.

“You haven’t seen me at my worst.” Arguing and contradicting each other was much more their style.

“Uhhh the panic attacks. The multiple panic attacks. The time Shuriki found out you stopped her mercenaries from quashing a rebellion. The time when we failed to-” Dona began to list.

“Okay, fine,” Esteban sighed, conceding her point.

“I wasn’t agreeing to letting you check out Zelia,” Esteban corrected before Dona could start doing her ridiculous victory shimmy dance.

“Too bad. I already set it up. I’m meeting her for lunch,” Dona smirked, snapping her fan open with a flutter.

“What!” Esteban knocked his chair over in his suddenness and fell to the floor. Dona didn’t even have the decency to hide her laughter, “I knew you were going to be stubborn so I set it up anyway.”

“But, you, her what are you going to say?” Esteban babbled frantically, already envisioning all the rude questions and embarassing stories coming out of the former Magister’s indiscreet, gossipy mouth.

“Don’t look so horrified. I want you to be together. It’s only going to be half an hour. Just enough time to find out what I want to know. And tell her some things she should know about you.” Dona opened the door to exit Esteban’s office.

“But. . . but. .”

“You know, good things. All good things in the best of light,” Dona winked.

He was so fucked.

Which is why, hours later, he was waiting outside of Dona Paloma’s emporium as Zelia Mendoza walked up from the palace.

“Esteban what are you doing here?” Zelia asked in surprise.

“Don’t listen to anything she says!” Esteban blurted, “You know how she loves to embarrass me and cause drama. So-so don’t take any of her questions seriously. And the stories are lies!”

Zelia looked at Esteban’s flushed face for a moment and said slowly as to not agitate him further, “But if she likes embarrassing you, wouldn’t the stories be based on truth?”

“Yes, but they’d be so exaggerated that they’re lies. You don’t really have to have lunch with her. She’s not important. My family already loves you. I love you.”

Zelia took Esteban’s hands in her own, smiling a bit at Esteban’s increasing hysteria. She found it amusing the more she spent time with him. “Esteban, it’s just a short lunch. Nothing she can say or do will alter how much I love you. It’ll be fine.”

Esteban inhaled deeply, some of the anxiety he felt drifting, “I just don’t want you to be. .” he searched for the word, “Offended. She wants to check you, see if you “deserve” me. But I don’t think that. I feel lucky to have you.” Zelia smiled fondly at her boyfriend. So eager to make her feel good and safe with him. So different from the distant and pompous chancellor she knew him as back when Shuriki was in charge and they had to work in secret to protect valuable artifacts from falling into her hands.

“I feel lucky to have you,” Zelia kissed him, “Now I’m going to go. This lunch will be fine. We’ve fought malvagos and deceitful queens and other awful people. I think I can handle a little lunch interrogation by your friend.”

“Can’t say she’ll remain my friend,” Esteban grumbled as Zelia walked inside.

“Come in, come in!” Dona Paloma grandiosly swept Zelia past the rows of merchandise into her office where a tea tray was set up on her desk.

Zelia took a seat on a plush wing-backed chair as Dona took hers at her desk, the sun shining brightly from the window behind Dona’s silhouette, causing the archeologist to squint.

“Sorry, we’re doing this so informally in my office but I have a meeting coming up. Maybe next time we can eat at a cafe. Perhaps La Vida Dulce. Has Esteban’s abuela shown you there?”

Well that was quick.

“Yes, yes, she has. Esteban and I sometimes bake chocolate there with the rest of the family,” Zelia replied, pouring herself a cup of chamomile.

“Hmmm, that’s good. And how are Esteban’s cousins, do they like you? I hear how tough it is when the family doesn’t approve of you.” Dona raised a single questioning eyebrow, her eyes intently looking at her as if searching her face for a sign of weakness.

Zelia bit the inside of her cheek at the laughably unsubtle questioning and managed a polite sip. No wonder the two clashed so much, they were too alike in their dramatics.

“I-I think they approve of me. They’re so sweet. So energetic and full of life which is a bit of an understatement with Elena. But I understand why Esteban’s so close.”

Dona nodded, “Good answer.”

Zelia choked down a reply of how many points does she need to pass the test but instead took another sip and a bite of the tapas. Thank dios, there was tea. It was the only she was going to be able to remain looking serious through this.

“And how about your extended family? Have they’ve visited since you and Esteban announced your relationship? What do you do together with Esteban?”

So so unsubtle.

“My parents invited him to one of their lectures and dinners. Well sort of a potluck, everyone brought a dish and my mother loves to share off her famous pear and pomegranate shrub. They really liked Esteban. My father “interrogated” him about our future and all that.”

Zelia answered about to continue on how Esteban ventured to try to learn some more about her parents’ research and talk about their theses when Dona interrupted.

“And Esteban had your mother’s famous pear and pomegranate shrub?”

“No, no, no. He’s allergic to pomegranates.” Zelia shook her head, she was about to say that instead Esteban had some of the kebabs she made even though she had accidentally burnt the edges. Cooking was not her speciality but he was so sweet, eating it whole without complaint of its crispiness.

“Ah, so you know about his allergies. Very good, he’s opening to you. You know how he likes to act like he’s invincible.” Dona paused and then looked at her intently as if realizing Zelia might not have known this privy information, “You do know that right?”

Zelia snorted but manahed to cough instead of letting the laugh slip out, “I think anyone who has ever met Esteban knows that.”

Dona smiled genuinely for the first time since the beginning of this lunch, “He’s very. .”

“Layered.” Zelia supplied.

“I was going to say foolish at times to make up for his incompetencies, but layered is a much nicer way to put it. Good thing you’re the one dating him and not me,” Dona laughed.

Zelia nodded emphatically, from what she’d seen of their fights and the stories of Esteban, she was pretty sure they’d kill each other before the year was up.

“Even though he’s a complicated an, Esteban is such a good catch. Handsome, somewhat mature, has a wonderful family, the title, the riches. . “

“Yes, but that’s not what really attracted me to him when I first met him,” Zelia admitted wistfully and with a bit of surprise at herself for falling for an obvious test question. It had come out so naturally/

Because it was true.

The intense look in Dona’s eyes was back again as she indiscreetly leaned closer, “What did?”

Zelia couldn’t help the unconscious smile that spread across her face as she wracked her brain for the exact words she was looking for.

“I’I’ve been on my own most of my life. My romantic life was a desert to say the least. But Esteban. . . even though we butted heads and avoided each other at first, I’ve come to know his nobleness, his passion. He cares about people. He sees nuances in life and. . he knows what it’s like to have your life consumed by work, to feel your job defines you and you can’t be much more. Yet you want to be so much more. He encourages me to do what I want outside of work. I love that. I love how he makes me feel like life can be fun and exciting and hard and we can survive it with each other. . I just, there’s so many things. It’s his character. I love him.”

“And he truly loves you too, Dona said softly, “You fit well. You know each other well.”

A sly smie swept across her face as she leaned over conspiratorially, “I bet you know about Margarita.”

“His mother, yes?" Zelia edged slowly, starting to suspect that the embarrassing stories that Esteban warned her about were going to be revealed.

“And you know how much he loves her and misses her. Well one night, after a few too many brandies, Esteban decided on the perfect way to honor her.”

20 minutes later, Zelia left the store with a wave and almost walked right into Esteban who was pacing nervously outside. “How was it? What did she say? I love you more than anything.”

“I told you, it was fine. She approves of me. We’re going shopping next week.”

Esteban looked at her with a face of abject horror, “Ar-Are you friends now?”

Zelia was almost tempted to say yes just to see his reaction but decided not push it, “No, I don’t know if we have enough in common to be best friends or anything. But we’re going to hang out. She’s going to get me discounts at the arboretum.”

Esteban’s face visibly relaxed, “That’s it. She didn’t tell you anything? No stories?”

“Well. . .”

Esteban groaned, slumping against the store’s door.

“I didn’t think they were that embarrassing. I thought it was sweet you wanted to honor your mom with a tattoo. It was the artist’s fault for thinking it was the drink and not the name.”

“Ughh why?”

#esteban flores #a friendly interrogation #my fanfic #my fanfiction #doña paloma #professor mendoza #elena of avalor #estebanxmendoza

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ifthejemfitz · 3 years

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Reasons why you should stan North:

First point she’s hot asf. Those doey brown eyes, all that red hair down to her bum. That first mission when they go to the warehouse in the pouring rain - No thoughts, head empty. Just tiddies

She’s infinitely selfless. Countless times we see she’s willing to give her life for Markus and the cause. Being willing to give your life, something you’ve fought for, for a cause bigger than yourself and for others knowing that you won’t be around to enjoy the very rights you’re fighting for, but it means that others will is imo completely admirable

She’s actually a strong and caring leader. Someone who’s willing to pick up the mantel and continue the cause whilst others may prefer to hide away. Yes, she leads a revolution and yes, she can never be victorious in her crusade. But she refuses to back down, and refuses to let her people be the target of an out and out genocide

She’s compassionate. She certainly makes brash recommendations but imo they always come from a place of protection and self-defence. We see with Connor that she never once holds his past against him, besides in jest, even if he’s potentially hunted down other deviants at that point. In fact she withholds judgement on any deviants’ past, because I’m sure that she’d hate for own to held against her

Controversial point (though it shouldn’t be) but her anger is justified. She’s been systematically abused in one of the most violent and horrendous ways for a prolonged period of time with no access to therapy. I’m not trying to justify her approach but I really don’t see any other way a person who has only witnessed violence, only been able to escape using violence and then seeing other deviants in hiding also been victims of violence how she wouldn’t respond using that exact same force. She’s a fighter plain and simple, and victims have no obligation to be tolerable of their oppressors or be the “perfect victim” and respond to their personal trauma in ways that are palatable to others

That being said I’m so glad that certain scenes show that she can be vulnerable. Sometimes bad bitches are also soft bitches and regardless of how you feel on shipping I’m glad that we see a side of her that can emotionally open up to others, talk about her trauma openly, openly sob on multiple occasions and clearly demonstrate the ability to love/receive love/be emotionally intimate (side point which could be its own post but I am so grateful we don’t ever see flashbacks to said abuse. Far too many pieces of media have opted for “realism” by showing unnecessary sexual violence and personally I don’t need to see it graphically displayed in order to believe her. Also props for not making it an “empowering feminist moment!!!” either. Abuse is not something women need to undergo to make them “stronger” and it’s abundantly obvious she’s furious about it and struggling with what is essentially ptsd)

She has a super unique role in the story. When Kara is killed and Connor permanently decommissioned that’s it for their stories. However, even if Markus is still alive but is removed as leader the narrative chooses to follow her. Yes, it’s more to do with the revolution by that point but it’s still surprising that she essentially fills in his role in his absence, even persuading Connor to deviate. And the fact they only made slight changes to the dialogue (conscious changes rather than completely rewriting or having them say the exact same lines) that her and Markus share in those scenes only proves how similar they are in that role. I’m just bummed she can’t be victorious (even with Connor on their side) because the success of a revolution should not be built entirely on the role of one person but alas.

Lastly she’s a bad bish, she takes no shit, she serves cunt, she kills her own r*pist and riot police, she��s bi because she can never sit properly and I say so, she leads a whole revolution with painted nails, her 5ft 3 ass literally hauls Markus out of danger multiple times and personally I’d let her break my face

#dbh north #north dbh #dbh meta #Yes I know I’m like three years late #In fairness I only got into this fandom properly like two months ago #Is this still the equivalent of taking a swinging bat to a hornets’ nest?#I feel I needed to get this out in the world bc I’m sick of *checks notes* internalised misogyny #and *further checks notes* ridiculous shipping drama #Like if you dislike North for reasons such as her personality or values fair enough #She’s not infallible and definitely has unlikeable traits #But that makes for a more well-rounded character #This is for those that sensationalised it to the point of making her a genocidal maniac #Usually not understanding the full implications of that word either #Like we have a real issue with accepting anger and aggression from female characters #Yet completely accept it and even woobify it from male characters #And ultimately that says more about fandom spaces than this character

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shroudedhero · 3 years

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A Few Things To Note:

So I do have some introduction stuff in Rules and Mun info but for a quick little add on, there is this.

Hi. I am Roman (he/him/his), I am 21+ and I am ridiculously over friendly and a giant ball of literal fluff and want to RP with everyone.

This blog is the main hub blog as well for multiple other bnha sideblogs so please feel free to check them out.

- I am okay with the sort of pre-established relationship thing along the lines of knowing each other from school at U.A. That is the only sort of thing I assume as far as my character knowing yours, and I do not expect them to have ever talked before (since Kurai is INSANELY shy and mostly hides until he gets comfortable with people) so if your character has never talked to him before even at school? Perfectly fine! That is my usual assumption. I don't assume they are friends. That said, I will occasionally throw my other muses into ask boxes with memes which do suggest they have met before (since they are less shy), but you are not required to go along with it, and I make no other connections between our muses apart from the simple 'they are schoolmates or student/teacher’ sort of general relationship and I keep it vague. I don't auto assume friendships or anything (though if you want them to be instant friends that's usually fine!). Also! If you want to just go straight into assuming my character and yours know each other (especially with canon characters), I am also fine with that, just please talk to me first since normally Kurai is shy and reserved with people at first and warms up little by little over time, and so if you want to go with some sort of friendship, I have to have a heads up.

- I do in fact have several other OCs on sideblogs attached to this one. Even if your muse might not click with Kurai, give my others a look to see if they might get along with your muse. (Kurai is difficult to start interactions with sometimes because of his severe social anxiety, whereas Kagami, Kodai, Sairen and Musei are not. Ryo can be iffy depending on his mood. Zan can be iffy because he is always sleepy but personality wise he isn't really shy at all.) Their blogs are shattershocked, technopsyche, hero-of-ninelives, vibrasonic, and heroicnightmare.

- I am a ship addict for all kinds of ships. Friendships, romantic relationships, mentor/mentee sort of relationships. I like them all. And all of them are amazing for helping further character development, so if you are interested in any of those, please tell me. Chances are I will be way too over excited about doing that with you. I am also unbiased as far as ships for Kurai, Kagami, Sairen, Musei and Ryo (if you wanna try to develop one please feel free to let me know), however Kodai and Zan will only ship with males. Apart from that, they are also fair game.

- I am okay with doing little one shot RPs/Interactions even if our muses are still developing a relationship/friendship. So if you see a meme on my blog that isn’t fitting of the current state of our muses interaction, SEND IT ANYWAY. It won’t affect our current threads unless you want it to. I totally get the frustration of needing cute/angst/etc and our muses not being ready for it in their current development. You can still have the thing, and not mess up ongoing threads or development.

- I generally start RPs from somewhere in the range of the 2nd and 3rd season of the anime (often once they’ve moved into dorms) however I am also perfectly happy starting from the beginning if you prefer. Just let me know.

- I have not read the manga (my brain struggles with reading things written certain ways but I usually try anyway) however I have no problems with spoilers, and if you want to do an RP with the current manga timeline, just give me a general rundown of what happened and the plot theme you want and I will happily go along with it!

- Kurai will likely NEVER have a villain verse, because of his background, HOWEVER, villain interactions are entirely plausible, and I am perfectly fine with people throwing their muses at him (because his parents are villains, it’s likely he has met a few others). Just please no killing of my muse. But all the angst and drama and everything else, gods yes please feel free. Kagami, Kodai, Ryo and Zan though probably WILL end up with villain verses, so they are a possibility for that too. Sairen and Musei, I have yet to decide.

#Needed a new pinned post with things I have been thinking about recently #When In Roman; ooc #Pinned notes

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higuchimon · 4 years

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[fanfic] Garden of Death

“Are you all growing well?” Yuuri murmured as he entered his garden, violet eyes dancing from one of his fair flowers to another. All of them turned to face him as soon as he did, thousands of voices that only he could hear answering.

Yes, Healer. We’ve been waiting for you.

Yuuri picked up his watering can and headed for the first of the blossoms that needed attention. This was monkshood, a lovely shade of purple that matched his coloring, and every bit as poisonous as he was. He carefully watered it, pressing his fingers against the stem and feeding it some of his energy. The monkshood did not make an audible noise but he could hear it purring regardless. Yuuri petted it gently, assured himself that it needed no further care for the moment, and moved onward to the next garden bed.

Here he grew baby’s breath and there blossomed blood-root, over there was a bed of larkspur and another of iris. He loved every flower, but his favorites would always be those that were purple and those that were poisonous. When those tow came together, such as the monkshood, he put extra effort into tending them.

Not everyone could have all of these flowers together in the same garden. Even some Healers weren’t quite that talented. But Yuuri had known flowers and known the use of life energy and known what it was to use them both to kill from the earliest points of life. He’d been told that before he could walk, he’d been found cuddled up in a thick bed of oleander. There wasn’t a poison or a plant in existence that could kill a Healer but even they walked carefully around some plants. Not Yuuri. Not now and not ever.

In the center of his garden there rested a marble bench and there he settled, arranging himself so he could soak up the sun. Healers were much like their plants in that respect – they needed the warmth of the sun and the life of the earth, and occasional watering. Even Yuuri needed his down time.

It wasn’t time for the invasion yet anyway. The Professor promised him that when the time did come he had a special mission planned for Yuuri, one that he would most definitely love. Yuuri looked forward to it. He’d read all the information the Professor had available on what was going to happen – the existence of the four dimensions and how they were divided by summoning methods.

What the Professor didn’t know was that Yuuri had also researched farther. He’d found the facts the Professor wished hidden.

His eyes narrowed just at the thought. He’d never been much of one for loyalty. His plants were loyal to him and so were the cards in his deck and he returned that, but otherwise? He’d only had the first faint hints of it towards the Professor, and learning that the Professor in actuality hated him – well -

Well, he had plans for what he would do to the Professor when the time came. Carding would be a little too good for him.

He raised up one hand to caress the curve of the flower of one of his special plants, one that he’d grown himself. It somewhat resembled a Venus Flytrap, but only superficially. This one was far larger – large enough, in fact, to swallow and digest an adult human. It was a meat-eater as well. Yuuri kept it well-fed by hand, training it to eat whatever he gave it. It would come in handy one day. He did not doubt this at all.

Quiet whispers echoed. He couldn’t hear what they said but he didn’t need to. In this, his garden, he had eye and ears everywhere. He turned his attention to the plants closest to where the whispers came from – the yarrow. Quite lovely shades of red, those, and he whispered in the language shared between Healers and the plants that they grew.

What was there? Who was there? Who dared approach his garden, which no one was ever supposed to enter without his permission?

Children, Healer. A bit bigger than you are. They wear blue.

Ah. That explained a great deal. He knew who they were and he suspected he knew why they were there. Languidly he rose to his feet and strolled that way, blessing each flower he passed with a brush of his fingertips and a caress of his power. They would return the blessing when he needed them to. That might even be now.

“I don’t think he’s here,” a hurried, quite voice said. “We can check out what he’s got. You know how the Professor favors him. I bet he’s got some awesome plants!”

Ah, yes. Obelisk Blue, Healers’ division. Mostly devoted to keeping the Firestarters and the non-powered soldier-duelists from getting themselves killed on the battlefield. Also being stupid enough to enter his garden uninvited.

His senses flicked over each one. There were three of them. Two were bonded, the other wasn’t. Drat. Only one he could properly deal with then. The Professor made him promise never to kill those who were bonded, if only because it wasted so much effort.

In Yuuri’s opinion, if they were foolish enough to enter his territory, they deserved what they got. As these fools would find out.

They’d not taken more than a handful of paces before Yuuri stepped out, arms crossed over his chest, and stared down at them with his most amused smile, the smile that had sent more than one person screaming into the night. Cowards.

“I don’t believe you're invited here,” Yuuri said with just the right amount of cheer. “You know the rules on that. If you’re not invited into my garden, then I can eject you in any way that I see fit.”

The unbonded Healer turned pale. “We’re just leaving!” He declared, backpedaling. “We didn’t know you were here, Yuuri-sama!”

“He’s right!” One of the others agreed. This was the one that spoke before Yuuri arrived. “We’re sorry if we bothered you! Lovely garden you have, though!” The third only seemed capable of nodding his head quickly, words locked in his throat.

Yuuri sneered. These were the elite of Obelisk Blue? These were the ones that the Obelisk Force would be chosen from? Ridiculous. Pathetic. It was in their best interest if he thinned them out.

“Get out. If you can do it before my treasure takes you, then you can live.”

None of them asked what would happen if they couldn’t. They just turned and ran as fast as they could manage. For most Healers, getting out would have been easy – as long as they hadn’t angered Yuuri. But on his grounds, his rules governed, and he told the grass and the flowers and the trees one simple thing.

That one. The unbonded one. I want him.

Before two of them the trees and bushes parted, guiding them to the nearest exit with all due speed. But before the third one, the grass slipped under his feet, the trees dropped branches in his face, and the vines wove around his feet, tripping him. Yuuri strolled up and set a foot on his back.

“It’s feeding time for my treasure,” Yuuri said, “and since you’ve entered my grounds uninvited and without a just cause – and because I want to – you’re going to be my treasure's dinner.”

The unbonded Healer stared up at him with wide terrified eyes. Yuuri didn’t even bother to look at him. Instead, he gestured, and the vines that wrapped around the other’s legs tightened, lifting him upward and pulling him along back to the bench where his favorite plant’s mouth waited.

“You can’t do this to me! I’m from Obelisk! I’m a Healer, just like you!” He shrieked quite loudly, until Yuuri gestured again and a vine blocked his chattering.

“You should have known not to enter my garden, then. I never entered yours,” Yuuri admonished before he turned his gaze onto his favorite. “Have lunch, my dear. Eat well.”

The screams after that were very loud, but the walls around the garden and the soundproofing built into those walls – which Yuuri asked for after the first time some fool thought to enter his grounds uninvited and someone on the other side complained about the noise – kept most of it muffled to everyone who wasn’t Yuuri. Yuuri savored them as he settled back down on his bench and enjoyed the show.

What a beautiful sight his lovely creation was. He wondered what the plants of the other dimensions would be like. Even better, what would the Firestarters of another dimension be like? He’d never found one to his taste here. Perhaps there would be different. All the flames here were so weak, no matter how they professed to be soldiers. Perhaps they were, but the flames weren’t what he wanted.

But he’d find himself a Firestarter. Somewhere. Whether the Firestarter wanted to be found or not.

The End

Notes: I already know who Yuuri's Firestarter will be. *teehee*

#fanfic #higuchimon writes #ygo arc-v #yuuri (Arc-V)#au: healer firestarter

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doctortreklock · 5 years

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I’ll Sing While I Simmer - October 23, 2019

Part of my Resolution19. Read it on AO3.

Prompt: Asexual character (because it’s Asexual Awareness Week!)

Fandom: Star Trek AOS

Title: “Me-Stew” by Shel Silverstein

Words: 2330

Content Warning: Dubcon (see end notes for details)

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It turned out that when Spock had told Jim that Vulcans tended toward asexuality outside "mitigating factors," he'd been shifty-eyed for a reason.

"I am going to be generous right now and assume that there was a very good reason why you didn't tell me," Jim said, fighting to keep his voice steady.

And there were the shifty-eyes again, the only tell in Spock's otherwise perfectly Vulcan visage. "I can assure you--"

"Because to me," Jim continued, barreling on, "this seems like the kind of thing one might be expected to tell their partner."

"Jim--"

"Oh yes, dear," Jim mimed, "I'm terribly sorry, but I forgot to mention that I have to have sex every seven years. Guess it just slipped my mind." And there went all his calm veneer.

Spock's eyes were dark and perhaps a touch sympathetic. Jim felt a pang in his chest and crossed his arms against the sensation.

Off to the side of the exam room, Bones cleared his throat roughly. "I'm about three weeks behind on paperwork, so if either of you need me, I'll be in my office." The good doctor didn't flee, but it was near to. Jim envied him his quick escape from the fallout that was sure to ensue.

The door slid shut behind Bones and Spock took advantage of the brief lull to explain.

"Jim." He paused. "T'hy'la." Jim tried not to show how much he was melting around the edges at the familiar endearment. "As you know, I am not wholly Vulcan. There are no previous human-Vulcan hybrids to use as an example, and so it was unknown if I would be afflicted. It was postulated that I would be spared, as my mother's genetics run stronger in some specific strands." Spock's mouth twisted slightly and Jim knew he was thinking of Nero. "However, since the destruction of Vulcan-That-Was, there have been reports from the colony of individuals entering their Time prematurely, and so it seems that regardless of predictions, my Time is now upon me."

Well, Jim would say one thing about Vulcans - they never lacked drama.

He lifted one hand to rub at the side of his face and made a face at the rough stubble he found there. Just another reminder of the hellishly long day he was in that had started with a slightly snappish Spock and was now ending with a piece of very unwelcome news.

"Give it to me straight, Spock," Jim said, tired of the conversation already. "What are our options?"

"Are you asking as my captain or my beloved?" Spock asked without flinching. "Because the answers are quite different."

That didn't sound good. "Both."

"As my captain," Spock prefaced, then he squared his shoulders. "Captain, it is my estimation that given my current rate of deterioration, I will reach an inexcusable level of efficiency by approximately ship's noon, three days from now. It is my recommendation, then, that I be deemed medically unfit for duty at the end of alpha shift tomorrow. I would further recommend that Lieutenant Sanchez be promoted to Interim Science Officer in my stead and that her promotion be permanently secured upon my death. My position as First Officer--"

"Wait, wait, wait," Jim interrupted. "Hang on, go back." There was a cold panic creeping up his spine. "Your death?"

"Yes." Spock paused. Jim didn't say anything, panic sending his stomach swooping like the universe's most terrifying roller coaster. Spock continued. "If the urge to...couple is not sated, the plak tow, the blood fever, will set in. Unless satisfied, the fever will eventually lead to total system shutdown and my death."

Jim's mouth was dry. "Were you not going to mention that?" he croaked.

"I was," Spock said, shifting his weight slightly. "If you'll recall, I did say there were two different ways I could answer your question."

He was being evasive. Jim thought they were past that. "Spock," he said softly.

Spock looked at him, gaze softening. "Jim," he echoed. "On a personal note, I have few options. You are my beloved. I shall leave it to you to decide which course to take."

Jim opened his mouth to protest that this was unfair, that he shouldn't have that much power, that Spock shouldn't give him the responsibility for such an important decisions, but Spock simply held out two fingers in the ozh'esta, a Vulcan kiss, and he subsided, pressing his own fingers to Spock's in silent response.

Spock nodded as if there had been a decision made and lifted his eyes from their joined fingers to look at Jim again. "As my beloved. Jim, when I was young I was placed in a bond with T'Pring. This you know." Jim nodded. T'Pring and Uhura had been the only exes of note that the pair had. "This bond was intended to draw us together during my Time. Then, we would join and our bond would deepen." Jim couldn't suppress a frown at the idea. "Following the loss of Vulcan-That-Was, our preliminary bond was broken. T'Pring did not perish, but concluded that a bond with a full Vulcan was necessary for the propagation of my species." Jim's frown deepened. "Her logic was sound," Spock chided softly. "As a hybrid, I am by necessity sterile. There was no logic in remaining tied to me when there were others more suited to her own needs, just as you are more suited to mine." Jim's frown faded into a wry smile at the gentle reminder, accompanied by the subtle reassurance of Spock's fingers against his own.

"With T'Pring now bonded to another, there is no one set aside for me, no one waiting for me. Jim, please," Spock said when Jim opened his mouth to protest the last point. "I would ask that you allow me the courtesy to complete my thoughts and lay out my arguments."

Jim pursed his lips, but nodded. "Fine. But I reserve the right to ask an obnoxious number of questions afterwards."

A slight smile graced Spock's lips. "I would expect no less of you, t'hy'la." He pressed his fingers against Jim's for one last moment before pulling away and clasping his hands behind his back. Jim's fingers felt cold afterwards. "As I said, there is none set aside for me among my own people or elsewhere. My remaining options are limited. Those few Vulcans adept at kolinahr have been known to successfully dissipate the blood fever through meditation, though this method knows success only after the purging of all emotions. There were once rumors that physical exertion could disrupt the fever, but I do not know the specifics, and I fear those knowledgeable have perished on Vulcan-That-Was." Spock paused, and his face was the most perfect Vulcan mask Jim had seen on him yet. "The final option is the simplest. I do nothing, and the plak tow consumes me as it has Vulcans before me."

"Now you're just being ridiculous," Jim burst out. "There's no way that's going to happen. Bones will find something that can help. He's worked wonders before."

"Millions of hours, figuratively countless hours, have been spent by those at the Vulcan Science Academy in pursuit of a cure or relief for the pon farr. None has yet been found after decades of research," Spock intoned evenly. "While Doctor McCoy's efforts are laudable, it is highly improbable he would meet with any different success."

"What about me?" Jim asked before he nerves could get the better of him. "Am I not Vulcan enough for you?" He swallowed roughly around the lump in his throat.

Spock looked at him, and this time he looked at him. Jim felt simultaneous waves of panic and terror with a small underlying layer of excitement that tingled up and down his spine. "My blood burns for you, beloved," Spock said simply, his voice thick. "But I wouldn't ask that of you."

Jim could hear his pulse beating loudly in his ears. It was a well-guarded secret - though perhaps a less-well-guarded one on the Enterprise - that Jim was asexual. He had never been sexually attracted to anyone and - in point of fact - was repulsed by the very notion of sex. When he was seventeen and had first decided to attempt the feat, he had nearly thrown up when the other man had touched him.

After a half-dozen false starts that - through bad luck and poor timing - somehow managed to secure Jim a reputation as a playboy, he had resigned himself to a life alone. Well, as alone as you could be with Bones and the entire crew of the Enterprise determined to be your family.

Spock had been a surprise. First, as a congenial colleague, then as a friend. Then, after the realization that Vulcans were mostly asexual as well - with apparently some very important caveats - as a partner. Jim told Spock about Iowa and his father, and Spock told Jim about Shi'Kahr and his mother. They played chess and talked ship's business and exchanged Vulcan kisses (because human kisses were often too much for Jim) and melded for hours, the steady press of Spock's fingers on his face all the grounding Jim needed.

But this...this changed everything. No matter what Jim decided - because Spock had put the decision solely in Jim's hands and doesn't he understand that now - everything would be different. Obviously, a small voice reminded him. Because either you'll sleep with him or he'll die. Jim shushed the voice, because it had to be a more complicated decision, didn't it? Because that choice only led to one answer.

The look on Spock's face was serene and his eyes were calm, as if he'd already accepted Jim's answer. But he couldn't have, because Jim hadn't made one yet. Or maybe he had.

"Ask me."

Spock blinked and his peaceful expression shattered. "What?"

Jim took a deep, shaky breath and double-checked himself. Yep. Still decided. "Ask me."

Spock was wide-eyed and his lips were trembling ever-so-slightly. "Jim," he rasped. "Will you knowingly and willingly consent to join with me, here, during my Time, as I pass through the mating fires?"

"Yes." Jim's voice was low, but sure.

"Will you--" Spock faltered. "Will you knowingly and willingly consent to bond with me during this, the first of my Times?"

"Yes," Jim repeated, his voice ringing with certainty this time.

Spock's voice dropped to a near-whisper. "Will you knowingly and willingly consent to stay with me, t'hy'la, binding your family to mine?"

"Yes," Jim agreed. Then he added, "Is this usually quite so much like a marriage proposal?"

Spock looked a little dazed from Jim's agreement. "Not traditionally. Generally speaking, bonding usually occurs when one is young and does not require a formal declaration of intent. The mingling of families is a separate event, usually performed at the behest of the higher ranking matriarch shortly after the bond has matured." Now Spock looked faintly guilty. "I could not bear to be parted from you by any ritual known to my people, beloved. If I acted in undue haste, please forgive me."

"Nothing to forgive, Spock," Jim told him fondly. The panic that had accompanied him since Spock's initial description of pon farr hadn't dissipated, but it had settled and Jim could work around it now. The thin frisson of excitement that had run through him at Spock's gaze had vanished, but Jim had hopes that it might pop up again. The overwhelming emotion Jim was feeling right now was love. Love for Spock, who could lay out any problem with cool aplomb, no matter how personal. Spock, who trusted Jim to know his own limits. Spock, who proposed and then apologized for it. Spock, who was so dear to Jim and so very much Spock, that Jim feared for the fate of any universe without him in it.

"Very well, then," Spock said, the slightest blush of green across his cheeks the only hint of his pleasure at the exchange. "I trust you will keep the doctor appraised of the situation?"

"Of course," Jim agreed. "We'll need to talk about things, lay in supplies, antiemetics, that sort of thing."

Spock nodded and straightened up, attempting to revert back to the professionalism that was so familiar to them both. "If you do not have any further need for me, Captain, I will be spending my remaining leisure time in meditation."

"Sounds good, Mr. Spock."

Just before he reached the door, Spock paused and turned around, extending his fingers towards Jim once more. Jim obliged him, feeling relieved that at least this hadn't changed.

Once Spock had gone, Jim took a moment to breath and reevaluate himself. He was still good? Yeah. His lips curled in a smile. It would be rough. The panic and terror were still lurking beneath the surface, but for the moment they had subsided. He and Spock could get through this; just another one of the obstacles that ended up being no match for the Enterprise's command crew. They had this.

Jim squared his shoulders and walked out of the room to find Bones.

It wasn't easy. Jim suspected it would never be easy. But it wasn't bad, not with Spock. Not when Jim was doing this because of Spock. Because it would save Spock's life and there had never been anything more precious to Jim than that. Not his ship, not anything.

And when it was over, when the fever had passed and Spock slept peacefully at last, Jim had curled around him and run his fingers gently through Spock's sweat-soaked hair. And when Spock woke up, the first thing on his lips had been Jim's name and the second had been an apology. And Jim had shushed him firmly and kissed his forehead softly and told him there was nothing to forgive.

So Spock just held Jim tightly with trembling arms and murmured his gratitude into Jim's neck while Jim stroked his hair and held him back just as tightly.

----------------------------- *A/N: I'll just be over here inventing Vulcan courtship practices. Don't mind me.

Content Note:

Warning: This fic contains mentions of a sex-repulsed character engaging in consensual sex. He wouldn't ordinarily choose it, but events conspire and he consents to sex in this specific set of circumstances. He is still sex-repulsed afterwards, but will likely consent to sex under similar parameters in the future.

I am also sex-indifferent myself, and as such have no experience with the kind of situations Jim finds himself in in this fic. I have attempted to portray his feelings realistically, but I may be rather off base. Apologies.

#Resolution19 #Asexual #Asexual Awareness Week #star trek #aos #k/s #ace!kirk #ace!spock #pon farr #dubcon #but consent?

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abadpoetwithdreams · 7 years

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Nirvana in Fire Episode 5 Reaction

Aaand I’m back! I had hoped to write this and post it before my two-week vacation ended, but while I did manage to write here and there, I was never able to find enough time to actually get this finished. Whenever I had any downtime at all I ended up falling asleep, because I was so busy all the rest of the time! But thank you for your patience, and I am most delighted to be back to watching and writing about Nirvana in Fire. Apologies in advance for any errors/disjointedness in this recap, as it was written over the course of my travel through three separate Hawaiian islands, Tokyo, and Okinawa, including while on eight different plane flights over three time zones, lol. Jetlagged isn’t even a strong enough word.

So: episode five! The opening theme music starts and let me tell you, guys, it sounds even better than usual because I’ve been away from it for almost two weeks now. It’s like that first sip of coffee in the morning when you need that caffeine hit. Glorious.

The episode opens on the palace steps, where Mei Chang Su is giving his tiny trio of new-minted swordsmen (swordsboys?) a last-minute pep talk. He says Fei Liu has made a very favorable report on them, which I feel is probably a lie, but it makes those skinny, mistreated boys smile proudly and HE’S JUST SO GOOD WITH KIDS, GUYS. I HATE IT.

Chang Su addresses the oldest kid specially, telling him “You are the oldest, you have to look after them.” And then Jing walks up and I cry inside at that deep cut for what is probably not the last time this episode. Chang Su and Jing are wearing matching-coloured grey/white outfits today! It’s very cute and I like it; one more point to the costuming staff on this drama! And then Ni Huang walks up and SHE TOO IS ALL IN GREY/WHITE. My faves have matching outfits! Yay team!

Anyway, Ni Huang notices Chang Su looking rather fondly at them (oh yeah, and her baby brother is there too) and asks him why he’s smiling. She’s so perceptive. He explains that it has become fashionable around the capitol to “appear sluggish”, but that Jing, Ni Huang, and baby brother to Ni Huang (I REALLY NEED TO REMEMBER HIS NAME IT HAS BEEN TWO WEEKS) stand with good, strong, firm posture, and that this pleases him. Ni Huang’s flattered little smile when he says this is so pretty. She answers that of course: the three of them are warriors who live military lives. If they stood sluggishly, that would be wrong, and would show they are not fit to defend their country! (I like how their good posture, linked with their firm identities as military leaders who are totally severed from the posture and therefore lifestyle of court political life, further ties Ni Huang and Jing together as a team for Good, here. People in court present themselves in whatever way serves them best, following fashion both in thought and in behavior. Ni Huang and Jing–and Ni Huang’s brother, for that matter–present themselves plainly as they are. Their honesty must be refreshing to Mei Chang Su even aside from how he must also feel at this evidence that these people Lin Shu loved have remained good people. And even though this part of Jing’s personality makes him a pain to work with, lol. It probably also makes him even more homesick, so to speak, for a past that can’t come back. They are the same people he loved–but he can’t be the same person they loved back. (NOTE: In my first watch, at this point I was only guessing Jing and Shu had been close before. So far it had been only hinted at. Since I have now watched up to episode 17 though prior to pausing to write these recaps, I can say that it has since been HELLA confirmed.)

Baby brother, whose name is Mu Qing (thanks for the name drop, Ni Huang), is adorably proud at being included in this military group, and then he spoils the moment by threatening Chang Su that if the boys lose to Baili Qi he will punish him, lol. Ni Huang sharply checks her brother, but he looks only chastened, not at all repentant. He’s the best. He should also spend less time around Jing because I feel like they could be bad influences on each other when it comes to lack of tact and subtlety.

We leave this group of perfect people on the steps (with Mei Chang Su still looking entirely too happy to be with them, PUT AWAY YOUR HEART-EYES LIN SHU) to go visit some of the worst people, namely the emperor and his two bratty, battling sons. The wonderful Commander Meng is there too, telling the emperor that he fought the slave boys and they impressed him. He even says they managed to trap him for a while, which gives him hope that they will be able to beat Baili Qi. I am fairly certain this is just Meng lying and saying whatever Lin Shu told him to say, because there’s no way those kids should be good enough to trap him. I’m even wondering if he’s embellishing the lie he was told to tell, because claiming the children impressed him is one thing but saying they actually got the clear upper hand over him for a bit smacks strongly of over-embellishment, ahahaha. Anyway, regardless of if it’s the truth or not, it pleases the emperor and the Crown Prince, noticing this, quickly hops on the optimism train, reiterating how good it will be for the boys to defeat Baili Qi and thereby make him ineligible to challenge Ni Huang. Prince Yu is of course then obligated to take the negative approach so that he can undercut his brother, pointing out that if Baili Qi is out, no one else among the finalists has a chance of defeating Ni Huang, so this whole rigamarole of a tournament will basically mean nothing, and the emperor’s generosity in arranging it will also mean nothing. (This constant back and forth quibbling between the princes so easily could have become wearisome, because it happens a lot, but I actually love it every time mainly because these two actors–especially whoever plays Prince Yu–play these scenes SO well. It’s hugely entertaining, and that’s mainly on how they deliver their lines and react to each other. I’ve commented on this before, but hey, kudos to them again.)

The emperor sours somewhat at that, and then even further when Yu tries to smoothly transition to saying that, since Ni Huang is such a mighty warrior, isn’t it okay if her husband isn’t? Isn’t it better that her husband be a good person from a good family–someone like, oh, I don’t know, the candidate from one of Yu’s supporting families? The Crown Prince hastily calls him out, but Yu then calls HIM out too by saying oh, so I suppose the man YOU support is better than mine, is that it? The situation begins to devolve into a really pathetic verbal slapfest, and the emperor literally tells them to shut up in the English subtitles, which made me giggle.

Meanwhile, Mei Chang Su has made the always dangerous decision to call Ni Huang over for a private conversation. He warns her that there are people in the palace who want to use devious means to MAKE her get married. Ni Huang is taken aback, as well she should be; she’s a warrior, and not used to having to deal with this sort of underhandedness (and more than that, probably isn’t used to being treated like a woman who needs to be careful of this sort of thing). He warns her more specifically to be careful to refuse or at least be wary of anything edible or drinkable that is offered to her while she’s in the palace. She makes a bad habit of not taking maids with her, he chides her; such a habit is dangerous.

Instead of being suitably repentant, Ni Huang (glorious, clever creature that she is) fires back with: “How do you know I never take maids with me?” OH SNAP YOU DONE MESSED UP NOW LIN SHU. Judging by the look of frozen horror on his face, Mei Chang Su does not have an answer to this prepared, and yet again, award one point to Ni Huang. What a queen.

Su is saved from having to fumble for an answer that would satisfy Ni Huang (when we all know there is no such thing) by Team Good Boys, aka Jing Rui and Yu Jin, who barrel in with their usual good-humored energy to interrupt the conversation. Yu Jin starts scolding Chang Su for sneaking out of his house without telling them (which is hilarious to picture and I am sorry I didn’t get to see it), but he’s quickly accosted by Mu Qing, who furiously says don’t you see Mister Su is busy talking??? To my sister???? ALONE?????

Does he ship it? Ohhhh I so think he does. And instantly, so does Yu Jin, who instead of leaving the couple in peace leans in eagerly to watch, bahaha. Aaaand now Mei Chang Su is left looking like he feels doubly like a deer in headlights, but Ni Huang also looks flustered, so he’s safe at least from her probing for the moment.

Thankfully, he is saved yet again by the announcement that the Emperor has arrived on the scene. We cut to everyone gathered in the palace as before, and the Emperor asks Chang Su if the boys are ready. They are, Chang Su replies. The Emperor, satisfied, orders the fight to begin, and Chang Su in response turns to his trio of padawans and with the tiniest encouraging smile he motions them to attack.

They step forward. Ni Huang tells Chang Su point blank that the boys cannot win and that she knows this, so whatever other trick he has planned he had better get on with it. Su, with one of the cockiest smiles I’ve seen from him yet, the scamp, tells her to just watch and relax. The boys take an opening stance, and Baili Qi gives them the most wonderfully unimpressed look, and Ni Huang does not look at all relaxed. But then–the fight begins!

This next scene is fun to watch, but not so fun to write about. Basically: the three boys spin and jump and fly around the combat ring with ease, and by far my favourite bit is when they stack up to imitate the height and reach of a single tall opponent and then break apart into their separate tiny forms when Baili Qi tries to hit them. It just looked great. The fight is ridiculous and glorious and is made all the better by all the cuts to Chang Su, who has resumed his favourite pasttime of Pretending To Be More Interested In Food. He doesn’t have to troll for his plans to work; he CHOOSES to troll, and for that I love him very much.

Baili Qi is at first bored, then bemused, then angered by the tactics of the three children he is fighting. The kids manage to cut off some of his luscious wig–I mean, some of his hair, which makes him even madder and makes Mu Qing actually bolt to his feet in the audience, ahaha. Even Jing looks surprised and impressed, and Ni Huang no longer looks worried, just very intent. The emperor is DELIGHTED.

Finally the boys finish off Baili Qi with a chop to the neck, courtesy of Ting Sheng himself. Baili Qi drops, Yu Jin cheers, Jing looks actually sort of happy????!!? and Ni Huang isn’t even watching the boys any more. She’s watching Mei Chang Su. Uh oh.

Mei Chang Su is also not watching the fight. He’s eating.

The Emperor cannot contain his gleeful laughter at this win over Northern Yan, and Prince Yu looks absolutely thrilled, too. Finally Chang Su deigns to notice that his ploy has defeated the mighty Baili Qi, and he stands to assure the delegates from Northern Yan that Baili Qi has not been seriously harmed; “we would not hurt a guest,” he says with just the right hint of smarm.

He then tells the boys to bow to the still cackling Emperor, and gives Ni Huang a Look. She correctly recognizes her cue, and jumps up to suggest that the Emperor reward the children with their freedom, since as slaves they cannot have any use for any more material reward. She and Su argue back and forth a bit about who gets custody of the boys (not even married and fighting over the children, these two) and their clever ploy works; the emperor is so amused by their bickering and in such a good mood that he easily agrees to free the children, and says that Su and Ni Huang will have to settle for themselves who gets them. HOW CLEVER OUR LIN SHU IS. He looked nervous for the actual moment when the emperor paused before giving verdict, but everything worked as planned after all because Shu is just that brilliant. (And just look at Jing’s faaaaaace.)

Yu tries to win Chang Su’s favour by leaping up to say that Mei Chang Su deserves a reward, too. Jing immediately goes back to looking disgusted. So much for his fleeting moment of sort-of-happiness. Also I just realize now that he’s been made to sit next to Prince Yu, which he must haaaaaaate.

Crown Prince of course cannot stand to be outdone, so he jumps up and chides his rival for implying that the Emperor WASN’T going to reward Mei Chang Su, and suggests the granting of an honorable title. The Emperor is still too cheered by Baili Qi’s humiliation to be angered by his sons’ fighting like he was earlier, and he merrily inquires about how Baili Qi is doing. The Northern Yan representative hastens to say that regardless of the defeat today, Baili Qi is still eligible to fight Ni Huang, but some lord of the court openly laughs at the claim, saying how can he possibly hope to fight Ni Huang when he could not even defeat a few untrained slave children?? Just look at Mu Qing in this scene, by the way, he is practically bursting with glee. This actor really goes above and beyond in charming the heck out of all scenes he’s in, whether or not he’s the focus of them. There’s quite a few excellent background faces/reactions he’s done that I’ve enjoyed a lot. Right now he’s swaying like he’s on the verge of dancing with happiness, he’s so cute.

The end result of Mei Chang Su’s victory is that the Emperor successfully uses Baili Qi’s defeat as an excuse to disqualify him from vying further for Ni Huang’s hand, and Northern Yan is unhappily but successfully trapped into withdrawing. Chang Su himself even gets a congratulations from the Emperor, and then the party breaks up and we see Su, Ni Huang, Mu, and the three former-slave boys going down the palace steps outside. Ni Huang pointedly tells her brother to take the boys to her carriage and wait for her, and he quickly takes the hint and bustles off. Jing Rui, who was standing at the foot of the steps presumably waiting for Su, is not so quick to take a hint. Yu Jin, aka the world’s second most fervent Ni Huang/Mei Chang Su shipper, however, latches on fast and he hurries Jing Rui away, with many a knowing grin, leaving our shouldabeen lovers alone.

Ni Huang isn’t here to talk romance, though. She wants to know why Baili Qi lost, since she is an expert in martial arts and still maintains the boys’ weird sword formations should not have been enough to defeat him. Ah, Chang Su says, the answer to that is simple enough: Baili Qi is a member of the East Yangtze Alliance.

AHA!! I had a suspicion something like this might be going on. Something I really liked about this reveal is that it shows Baili Qi is not the big dumb brute that the show had been portraying him as up to this point–a stereotype that seemed uncharacteristically flat in contrast to all the other characters in this show. He is a great fighter, sure, but he must also be clever enough for Shu to trust him to pull off this ploy convincingly with the ENTIRE court watching him like a hawk. And seemingly he succeeded in fooling everyone, because no one but Ni Huang and maybe Jing suspected that Baili Qi was more than meets the eye. Also, this further reminds us that Ni Huang and Jing are well disciplined and trained and intelligent, and are much more capable than the soft-postured powers currently reigning in the court, who were fooled by Lin Shu’s ploy. These politicians, it seems, do not really understand war. ALSO also, Shu seemingly counted on the court’s softness to blind it to his martial arts farce, and trusted Jing and Ni Huang to be silent about it (he respects them enough not to be surprised by Ni Huang’s questioning), and that’s exactly what happened. Because Lin Shu is awesome and he always predicts things correctly. Riiiiight? *winks knowingly at second half of this ep*

Mei Chang Su explains that he planted Baili Qi in the contest because he was confident Baili Qi could eliminate any candidate that was too strong/that Ni Huang disliked before contriving to eliminate himself, too, thus keeping her safe from any undesirable marriages. I’m guessing Baili Qi also took out anyone Su himself didn’t like; Su so clearly still has feelings for Ni Huang (and how couldn’t he? Just look at her!) and I’m certain there was a certain amount of selfishness mixed in with his desire to, as he puts it, earn a favour from Ni Huang and her powerful family. He doesn’t want her getting married any more than she does! He wants to make sure she can beat up anyone who challenges her! But besides that he’s also managed to impress the Emperor and the feuding princes, AND he now has Jing owe him a favour, too. Well, I’m guessing he more wants to view it as he has earned Jing’s trust, but I’m gonna say Jing will see it more like now he owes Mei Chang Su one. We shall see.

Ni Huang, interestingly, seems disappointed that he says he only helped her out because he wanted to get her in his debt, basically; I think he’s slipped up around her enough that she knows that has to be a fib, but also she was hoping there was a more personal reason there. She still can tell who he is on some level, somehow, and his horribly dispassionate logic here disappoints that part of her that wants this man to be her long-lost fiancé. She rallies by pointing out that Meng must have also noticed the flaws in the boys’ formations, since she did, and Su replies that he trusted Meng to be sensible and remain silent about it. Since this farce is working for the benefit of the Emperor, why wouldn’t he? Ni Huang looks VERRRRY calculatingly at Su while he says this. I guess she could be weighing whether this is evidence that Mei Chang Su and Meng are in cahoots, then, which could in turn serve as evidence that Mei Chang Su is actually Lin Shu, but again–we shall have to wait and see.

The reason why we have to wait is because a maid shows up at that moment to interrupt the conversation with an invitation for Ni Huang from the Empress. The Empress, it would seem, wants to treat Ni Huang to some tea and wine inside the palace. UH-OH. Knowing what we know about the plan to drug Ni Huang, this is NOT good. Chang Su keeps quiet, but his whole expression is silently screaming at her: Don’t go. He even shakes his head ever so slightly no at her when she turns to look at him. But Ni Huang knows she cannot really refuse a summons from the Empress, plus she’s an awesome war hero of a woman, bold and intelligent and very, very brave. So she accepts the invitation, and politely takes her leave of Mei Chang Su. He watches as she leaves, and he looks very, very, very worried. We all are, Su.

(Also, I might be wrong, but the actress who plays Ni Huang gives her a bit of a challenging air here as she accepts the summons. I love her expression as she answers the Empress’ maid while looking at Chang Su. She gives the exchange a feeling that Ni Huang is daring Mei Chang Su: you don’t have any personal interest in my safety? Ok then, watch this. Checkmate, strategist.)

Cut to Mei Chang Su slowwwwwly leaving the palace in the company of our favourite Two Good Boys. Yu Jin is curious about why Chang Su let Ni Huang take custody of the ex-slave boys so easily after that display in the palace, but Chang Su distractedly explains that it would be inconvenient of him to take them, since he is only a houseguest himself.

Yu Jin is satisfied by this, but Jing Rui quickly notices that Su is acting worried/distracted/troubled, because he’s so over-attentive to his houseguest/bestie. One-sided bestie, anyway. If he had a Facebook account, he would probably be too shy to ever ask Chang Su for a shared selfie but he’d definitely obsessively tag him as a friend in all his group photos, you know? Yu Jin is the selfie friend. Anyway, Jing Rui asks what’s up. Su tries to say that he’s just tired lately, and Yu Jin agrees that he must be, after teaching those boys to fight the way he did! It was a most impressive display! He, Yu Jin, will have to tell his visiting friend Ting Jie all about it when they play polo together later that day, ho ho what fun!

Chang Su freezes. What was that? Liao Ting Jie? Why, yes! Yu Jin cheerily explains that he arranged yesterday to play polo with this friend later today. And Chang Su instantly switches into as close to a full-blown panic mode as we’ve seen from him so far. It took me a couple seconds to figure out WHY this news freaked him so much, because I’m bad with remembering names. But then it clicked: this Liao Ting Jie is the candidate who the Empress wants to marry Ni Huang. If he arranged to meet Yu Jin for an afternoon of polo playing, however, that means that he didn’t need his afternoon free for any clandestine drugging of and, uh, compromising of the princess. Which means that the Empress is not the one planning to harm Ni Huang today. Which means that it’s the Crown Prince’s mother the Noble Consort who is the one who is plotting. Which means that he, Mei Chang Su, warned Ni Huang against the wrong woman, so she is now at a disadvantage and vulnerable instead of properly forewarned. Yeah, this panic is very justified.

So what does Mei Chang Su do? He leaps into action–by staging a full-blown coughing fit. Amazing. I will admit to cackling at his show here because it reminded me of Elizabeth Swann at the end of the first Pirates of the Caribbean film. Need a distraction fast? INITIATE HEALTH CRISIS. (Except our poor Lin Shu actually IS deathly ill, apparently, so for all we know this is only partially faked, given the shock to his system the realization of Ni Huang’s situation must be. But he’s definitely playing it up at least.)

And this works, because Yu Jin and Jing Rui are pure and precious and care so much about their friend, bless them. The worry on Jing Rui’s face made me sad. They rush over in utmost concern and aw they’re so sweet and good.

Cut to Ni Huang who is politely refusing all the tea and food the Empress is offering her. The Crown Prince’s mother is there too, and oh the SASS of this woman as she brushes her hands clean when she comments that the Empress should KNOW that Ni Huang doesn’t like foods of that sort–it’s killing me. I like the weird sort-of-secret-for-propriety’s-sake-but-really-everyone-knows hatred these two have going on. It’s so poorly masked, and the daggers they make of it to poke each other with are so delicately made.

The Empress invites Ni Huang to stay for dinner, and Ni Huang, mindful of Mei Chang Su’s warning, tries to come up with an excuse that will keep her from attending without offending this powerful woman. Consort Yue to the rescue! Well, NO, NOT REALLY, but that’s what it SEEMS like. She hurriedly tells the Empress the reason Ni Huang cannot attend dinner with her is because she has a prior commitment to meet with the Consort at HER palace to discuss town gossip, because apparently Ni Huang and Yue are from the same area of the kingdom? By framing Ni Huang’s visiting her as an act of charity, basically, Noble Consort Yue makes it impossible for the Empress to forbid it. So Ni Huang makes her escape from the Empress with the Consort and oh nooooooooooo

(Also what really riled me about this is the Consort having the gall to play the “we are both girls from the same place, we have this connection and I want to escape from court politics a moment to have simple fun chatting about our hometown that I miss” thing when really all she wants is to arrange a rape and forced marriage????? WHAT A SNAKE. SHE IS DISGUSTING.)

Back with Chang Su, he’s collapsed and the Good Boys are frantic. Meng comes by and is of course alarmed, and Su secretly signals to him that he wants a private, urgent word while openly asking if Meng would help him recover from the attack by balancing his energy or whatever. Meng quickly invents excuses for the boys to leave–Jing Rui is to get a doctor and Yu Jin is to get water, and they run, still in a panic, to fulfill their tasks, and I’m dyinggg. I still have a bad feeling about how much they love Su considering his ulterior motives about being back in court. They deserve a more honest friend and I think he knows it.

Now we cut back to Noble Consort Yue and Ni Huang alone at the Consort’s residence, as Yue planned, and oh nooooooooOOO. Ni Huang bluntly tells Yue to basically not waste time pretending to want to talk about her hometown and just get to the point. Also, Ni Huang’s skin looks especially flawless in this scene, maybe it’s just the lighting, but wow. The Consort simpers and agrees to get to the point. Did Ni Huang know that there’s some guy named Sima Lei who has been handpicked by the Crown Prince himself as her best possible husband?? He’s smart, martially skilled, has a lot of integrity (HA. HA. HA.) blah blah blah. The Consort also tries to use their shared hometown as leverage, this absolute snake.

Ni Huang neatly sidesteps by assuring Yue that she greatly respects the Crown Prince and when he is Emperor she will serve him 100% faithfully–carefully not committing to obeying him YET. The Consort seems to accept this, and suggests a toast. Next time they meet, she says, they will speak only as friends from the same town and not at all about politics. She apologizes. She then drains her cup and shows the empty vessel to Ni Huang, inviting her to do the same.

(SNAAAAKE.)

Ni Huang looks worried, and we even flashback to Su’s warning, but she’s also pretty well trapped. Plus, she was warned specifically against the Empress, not the Noble Consort. Slowly, she raises her cup to her lips and drinks. I scream at my screen.

Meanwhile, back with Chang Su and Meng, our favourite strategist is spinning up a plot with which to save Ni Huang, which is actually super thrilling to watch. We haven’t really seen his mind actively at work before, mostly just the fruits of his careful plans that were set offscreen. It’s exhilarating seeing him think so fast on his feet with such stakes involved. He confesses to Meng that he made a mistake and thought the Empress was the danger when now he knows it’s Noble Consort Yue, the Crown Prince, and this Sima Lei fellow who are the real danger. He then quickly comes up with a few things he needs done if Ni Huang is to be saved: firstly, Prince Jing is still nearby after that Baili Qi fight, so he needs Meng to alert him and tell him to go to Zhaoren palace (I guess that’s where Yue lives) and retrieve Ni Huang at any cost. Jing is a very accomplished warrior, from what we have been told so far, and is also both Ni Huang’s friend and rigidly moral, so this makes sense. Secondly, Meng needs to alert the Empress. She will be more than willing to intervene if she knows the Consort will suffer for it. Thirdly, Meng must alert Mu Qing, and have him arrest Sima Lei at the palace for trespassing, which omg just might be a death sentence for Sima Lei considering how protective and rash Mu is. Brilliant. Meng assures Chang Su that he will get all this done, and rushes away after helping Chang Su to his feet again. Before he goes, he asks what Su will be doing, in the meantime? Su says he has other matters he needs to attend to. Um, what? Really?? What could possibly be more important than this???? It’s a huge testament to his trust in Meng that he can leave the man in charge of saving Ni Huang like that, but it also feels like yet another example of how dispassionate Lin Shu is forcing himself to be for the sake of his larger goals. He looks verrrry conflicted, but he does continue on his way, leaving the rescue to his friends. Well, Jing isn’t his friend, but you know.

Back to Zhaoren palace! A servant arrives to tell the Consort that her son and his good ol’ buddy Sima Lei have arrived. Oh, how silly of her to forget she had invited them, cries this wicked woman with a smile. Ah, well, Ni Huang will just have to stay to say hello.

Ni Huang IMMEDIATELY makes her excuses and tries to leave. But the poison is taking affect, and she starts having trouble focusing and standing and the Crown Prince shows up with this daft, despicable Sima Lei tagging along (and looking VERY nervous, might I add) and NOPE NOPE VERY BAD. Btw does anyone know if this actor was picked because he looks like a weedier version of Hu Ge because that made me lol. Anyway.

Ni Huang is collapsing, the Noble Consort is pretending to be concerned while also having to silently urge Sima Lei to take the initiative and grab Ni Huang, because he’s an idiot. Ni Huang fights against the poison’s effect and manages to TOSS HIM ACROSS THE ROOM and I CHEERED ughhh I love this woman she’s so great! The Consort looks absolutely horrified by this show of strength, lol, and then screeches for her maids to stop Ni Huang. But Ni Huang is a warrior. Even drugged, she smashes all those girls aside like they’re paper dolls. It’s so good. I hate everyone who put her in this situation, and I’m so proud of how she is fighting her way out of it.

Cut to the Empress doing one better than what Chang Su had asked of Meng and instead of just going herself to intervene she’s taking the old grandmother as welllllll. I am instantly on guard, because ALL scenes with that kindly old woman in them end in abject misery. ALL OF THEM.

Then Jing shows up at the gates of Zhaoren palace and when he is denied entry he just OBLITERATES the guards with an expression of being 1000% done on his face and this might be my favourite moment of the entire episode, oh my goshhhh. I love him so much. I keep saying that about everyone, I know, but I ESPECIALLY love this angry, stubborn, has-no-patience-for-your-nonsense Prince Jing. Wang Kai is SO GOOD in this fight sequence, just watch his expression, it’s priceless.

He fights his way into the courtyard just in time to see Ni Huang struggling out of the door, barely able to stand. The look on his face when he sees her–fury, but also genuine shock, because how dare they!! He instantly flies to her side and when she says they must leave he instantly supports her and off they go. He is THE BEST. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. PLS LIN SHU MAKE HIM EMPEROR.

Before the two can make good their escape, though, they are surrounded by dozens of palace guards, many of whom are carrying crossbows, all of which are aimed at Jing. The trio of villains show up and try to intimidate Jing, with the Crown Prince even scolding him for ABDUCTING THE PRINCESS WTH???????!!???

Jing doesn’t even turn around when he spits out a 100% venomous “You know what you have done” in reply. I don’t even speak Mandarin and I can tell that his delivery on that line was KILLER. The righteous rage just radiates off it, lol.

He then barks at the guards to move aside and the Crown Prince actually flinches back, ahahaha, but then the Consort tells her son that Jing is too unmanageable and they’ll just have to kill him(?!). THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY.

(Also, Sima Lei is in the background of all this looking increasingly unhappy to be there, like he’s thinking he didn’t sign up for this mess. YES YOU DID YOU FILTH NOW DEAL WITH IT.)

The Crown Prince is worried about killing another prince, as that’s a serious crime, but his mother just says it’s a good thing that the Emperor doesn’t like Jing much, and that’s so infuriating but also so sad, because at this point I can believe the Emperor would be pretty okay with turning a blind eye to someone getting his irritating son out of the way. So the Crown Prince announces to the guards that the situation is Jing broke in to try to assassinate the Noble Consort and Ni Huang, and therefore must die. Jing has a curious reaction to hearing this accusation, I’m not sure what it means–I wonder if he’s remembering the false accusations that killed people he loved years ago? He probably is, but I can’t tell what that makes him feel in this moment. Angrier at the Crown Prince? Angry at himself for blundering into the same fate? Just–upset? Well, he doesn’t have long for whatever that emotion was because the crossbows fire and he leaps into action by CUTTING ALL THE BOLTS RIGHT OUT OF THE AIR GO ON JING GO ON SHOW THEM HOW AWESOME YOU ARE.

But there’s too many, so he whirls his way to the Crown Prince and in a flash has his sword at his horrid brother’s throat, using him as a shield. The squawking sound the Crown Prince makes at this moment made me laugh for about a minute. The Consort screams at Jing about how dare he threaten the CROWN PRINCE’s life????? And Jing replies with the coldest sass I’ve ever heard and THE best line of the entire episode:

It’s normal for me to seize the commander of the army. YEEEEAAAAAAAAHHH

The sniveling Crown Prince asks Jing what he plans, and Jing demands that he and Ni Huang be allowed to leave. The Consort says well what if she doesn’t? Surely Jing won’t DARE to kill the Crown Prince? Jing just presses his threat, totally unfazed, and I love him even more. The Crown Prince starts wailing for his mama to save him and it’s beautiful. I’m relishing this moment so much. And then, in the midst of this madness, the Empress and Grand Empress Dowager finally arrive.

Noble Consort Yue’s expression at this development is hilarious. She sends Sima Lei away, telling him to run out the back door and to pretend he was never there, something he looks only too glad to do. She then quickly tries to bargain with Jing, proposing they both pretend nothing happened. In that way she will not be punished for her attack on Ni Huang, and Jing will not be culpable for his threat against the Crown Prince’s life. Jing’s face is like stone. He drops the Crown Prince after a moment of tense thought and then returns to Ni Huang’s side, where she is practically unconscious on the floor.

In come the Empress and the Grandma Empress (easier to type than her full title, lol). The Noble Consort immediately tries to put her plan of coverup into effect, saying Ni Huang passed out because she got drunk from drinking wine. The Empress is smugly skeptical, saying isn’t Ni Huang a war hero? Why then would she get drunk so easily? (Side note, I am so tickled that she equates being good at soldiering with being good at drinking but where is the lie lol)

The Consort tries to say it’s because Ni Huang is stressed about the marriage tournament???? Ok sure, whatever. Jing meanwhile is just kneeling nearby, cradling Ni Huang and glaring bloody murder. He’s wonderful. Just look at how protectively he’s hugging Ni Huang T_T But he hasn’t spoken up, which surprised me, actually; maybe his sense of self-preservation is actually keeping him quiet???? Not what I expected. I wasn’t really aware of him having any particular feeling of self-preservation, only duty; but perhaps Mei Chang Su’s plan of getting him on the throne and defeating his two hateful brothers has now given him reason for caution?

The Empress’ face is impassive but her glee at the situation comes through anyway. If what the Noble Consort says is true, she says, then why is the courtyard filled with armed guards? The Consort struggles to come up with an answer for that one. Oh, she finally titters, the Crown Prince wanted to show her a fun military exercise. The Empress’ predatory glee does not abate: what could possibly have possessed the Crown Prince and his mother to leave Ni Huang passed out drunk on the ground of their courtyard, which is open to the sky, no less, while they watched a military exercise on a whim??? The Consort’s eyes dart frantically as she tries to think of another lie while her pasted-on smile slowwwwwly wilts and it’s really funny seeing her in such a bind. I hate this character but the actress is really good.

Grandma Empress is both curious and distressed about the “child” lying on the ground (ughhhhh she’s just too sweet for this horrid family and their horrid politics, all she wants is just to have happy (and married lol) grandchildren I’M SO UPSET. And Jing’s face when she walked in, when was the last time the out-of-favor Prince Jing saw his grandma’s face UGH). The Empress tells her it’s ok; Ni Huang is just drunk but she will wake soon. That’s both a threat and a promise to the Noble Consort; they both know Ni Huang knows she was NOT merely drunk, and when she wakes the Consort will be in BIG trouble.

Meanwhile, the fleeing Sima Lei runs smack into the waiting Mu Qing, who yells at him about how dare he attack Ni Huang and then proceeds to order an entire gang of soldiers to beat up the shrieking Sima Lei and this is the best thing ever, it’s everything I ever wanted for this episode. The icing on this cake of violence is that during the flurry of movement as all the soldiers start kicking and whaling on Sima Lei, if you focus on Mu you can see him grimly, deliberately rolling up his massive and magnificent sleeves while he stares menacingly at Sima Lei, and I had to pause the episode because I was laughing so much. PUNCH HIM, MU. PUNCH HIM HARD.

Later, the Emperor–who, remember, has been having a pretty great day up to this point–is called upon by Ni Huang to deliver just punishment upon Noble Consort Yue for her horrendous actions. The Consort tries to sell her lies again, but she’s obviously scared out of her mind, which is so fun to see. Ni Huang is scathing and cold and will have absolutely none of her excuses. The Emperor grows increasingly upset; it has been evident from the first episode that he has a special fondness for Ni Huang, so of course any attack upon her would provoke his fury, but the accused is his favorite concubine, so of course he doesn’t want to believe she committed such a crime. I would feel sorry for him, except I remember what he did to Jingmum so I’m totally okay with him suffering.

Desperate, Yue kneels and begs the Emperor to investigate whether Sima Lei was ever in her palace; she says he was not and her servants will back her. Of course they will, Ni Huang sneers, they are YOUR servants! They have to support whatever you say! No chill Ni Huang is my favourite Ni Huang.

Yue tries to insist her servants would not lie to the Emperor, and then points out that despite the accusations, the Empress did not actually SEE anything criminal happening, nor did she see Sima Lei. Yue even tries to claim that she and her son are the real victims here, as Ni Huang doesn’t like them very much and makes such accusations against them because she supports the Empress. If Ni Huang’s looks could kill, the Consort would have dropped dead right exactly there. Not cowed, Yue continues and asks Ni Huang: if you were attacked in my palace, why are you unhurt? And if I was plotting against you, how in the world did the Empress arrive at exactly the right moment to save you?

Ni Huang bolts to her feet, having had ENOUGH, and shouts yet another great line of this episode: I have fought against hundreds of thousands of enemies in war. And yet none of them are as vicious as this woman in the harem! This moment of her fury bubbling over made me want to cheer. The Noble Consort also jumps up and again tries to play the victim–Ni Huang is picking on her and has no proof!–and for a brief moment Ni Huang looks like she’s going to punch her. I REALLY WANTED HER TO PUNCH HER. Instead, we get something just as good–the announcement of the arrival of Prince Jing.

AND HE TELLS THE TRUTH. He kneels before the Emperor, and reports completely truly on what happened in the courtyard of Zhaoren palace, including the facts that Sima Lei was there and that Jing himself was forced to threaten the Crown Prince’s life to save both his own life and Ni Huang. I am so, so proud of Prince Jing; I KNEW he wouldn’t let me down! I’m also worried about how he’s exposed himself to very severe punishment–easily execution, I’m sure–for the sake of supporting Ni Huang and making sure she gets justice, but there’s no way he’s getting killed this early in the drama. He will be fine. And he’s reaffirmed both how good he is and how bullheaded he is, lol. Where is Mei Chang Su to pull him out of this fire he’s hopped into?? (There actually is a small scene here which shows Chang Su talking with Prince Yu and then Yu hurries away in his fancy palanquin, but I’m not sure what that means. It has to be the important other business Su said he had to take care of earlier in the ep, but is it related to the Ni Huang situation or is it something else? Jing Rui and Yu Jin are also there, and Yu Jin asks whether now that’s taken care of Chang Su would come watch him play polo later? Yu Jin, you’re a dear. Also, how great would a filler polo episode be?????? I know I won’t get it but now I want it.)

The Emperor of course immediately latches onto the whole Jing-took-the-Crown-Prince-hostage thing because he’s awful and biased, but Jing also uses his own “crime” to add credence to Ni Huang’s claims: why would he confess such a thing, and why would the Consort want him to be quiet about it, if it were not true?

The Emperor is FURIOUS. He asks the Noble Consort for the truth, and she–backed into the corner by all these witnesses–stops denying it but also does not confirm, still trying to play the victim who is being bullied by all these others. THEN Meng shows up!! The Emperor grumbles about “oh here comes another one” which made me lol but Meng is here with maybe the most important proof of all: he’s arrested one Sima Lei who was trespassing at Zhaoren palace. DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN.

The Consort looks absolutely thunderstruck: she knows she is DONE. The Emperor has no longer any excuse he can use to believe in her innocence; she is overwhelmingly trapped. After all that talk about posture earlier it’s a fun little detail that she and the Crown Prince are practically cowering as they kneel, hunched low to the floor, while Wang Kai is careful that his supplicant Prince Jing is straight as a board. Kneeling like that looks really painful, btw, I personally can’t kneel like that even on a soft floor due to dance wear and tear, and I hope he has a cushion hidden under those robes or something. I’m wincing every time they show him lolll. Kudos for the commitment, Wang Kai.

The Consort falls apart and starts wailing about how ok, she’s guilty, but her son had nothing to do with it!!! She was acting on her own to try to help him!!!! He has not denied his involvement out of a sense of filial piety that forbids him from accusing his mother!!!!! He’s too good and naive and she worries all the time he will be taken advantage of and that’s why she made this mistake!!!!!! Blah, blah, blah. The Emperor, thankfully, sees through this, and points out her son IS THE CROWN PRINCE. He should be strong enough in character and secure enough in his power not to feel threatened by political games! This point is valid and also feels like a MAJOR blow against the Crown Prince, as it demonstrates he is weaker than a Crown Prince should be. A Crown Prince should be seen as a filial son, yes, but not a mama’s boy! It’s a major error on his mother’s part. But she has also successfully provided an excuse for her son that the Emperor can willfully turn a blind eye to. He rages at her for a while, but not at her son, and then asks for Sima Lei to be brought. Hilariously, Meng says he would have to be carried: Mu broke Sima Lei’s legs. Ni Huang looks pleased. The Emperor considers, then just sort of shrugs it off, which also made me laugh. For a scene with VERY high stakes, there’s a lot of funny bits to leaven the serious stuff.

The Emperor further punishes Sima Lei with exile and loss of title and punishes his father too, which is too bad for his father. Then the Crown Prince crawls forward and starts wailing about please forgive his mother, don’t kill her, he wouldn’t be able to bear it, he will apologize on her behalf, pls dad plssss

(The camera cuts to Jing’s face a few times as he watches this display, but I can’t tell what he’s thinking. It’s interesting that they do keep showing him, though. Is it to drive home to us the viewers the contrast between his silence and the Crown Prince’s groveling? Or is he remembering Prince Qi (who I still don’t really know much about except that he was falsely convicted of some kind of treason and that Lin Shu and Jing both adored him, which is enough to make me on his team of course) and seeing the contrast between Qi and the Crown Prince, not the Crown Prince and himself? Maybe it’s supposed to be both. Anyway, it’s an editing choice that stands out.)

After more anger the Emperor shows a hint of sadness and softening as he lays one hand on his groveling son’s head. Everyone present knows this indicates he will have at least some mercy. He strips Noble Consort Yue of her high status and title and puts her on house arrest–but he does not kill her or banish her outright. What a pity. He then turns his attention to Prince Jing:

Jingyan, do you know what you have done wrong?

And end episode! Argh! I so want Jing’s reply to be a snide “nothing, I’m perfect,” but that would definitely get him killed so maybe not. It’s true, though.

#badpoet watches nif #nirvana in fire #nirvana in fire episode 5 #badpoet watches

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yahooben · 7 years

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'Mass Effect: Andromeda' review: A sprawling space drama that struggles to stay on target

‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ invites you to strap in for another space opera.

“Space is big,” beloved author and interdimensional traveler Douglass Adams noted in his seminal towel-seller, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” “You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big,” he wrote, hammering home the point that when it comes to bigness, even our new president has nothing on the universe.

That size presents quite a challenge to game makers, but few have hacked away at the quandary with as much gusto as developer Bioware. The team behind the blockbuster “Mass Effect” trilogy managed to capture the epic scope of the big unknown while keeping our eyes trained on the intimate interactions between characters, a space opera in its truest — and, in terms of video games, among its best — form. So when they announced a return to their beautifully realized universe with “Mass Effect: Andromeda” ($60 for Xbox One, PS4, PC), we all got very excited indeed.

But a great deal has happened since 2012’s “Mass Effect 3” simultaneously wowed and enraged gamers; namely, “The Witcher 3,” “Fallout 4,” Bioware’s own “Dragon Age: Inquisition” and a host of other genre-blending RPGs (you could arguably toss recent greats “Horizon: Zero Dawn” and “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” into that mix, too). Big-budget role-playing games have blossomed in the past five years.

‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ has the makings of a great game, but misses the mark with a number of missteps.

And unfortunately, “Mass Effect: Andromeda” picked up some unwelcome visitors on its long journey to your gaming machine. Though it has some stellar moments, “Andromeda” tries to cram too many ideas into one package, turning its obsession with the bigness of space into a crutch for uncharacteristically shoddy workmanship.

The (next) final frontier

To answer your most obvious question: no, you do not need to have played the prior “Mass Effect” games to understand what the hell is happening here. “Andromeda” tells a self-contained story featuring entirely new characters, planets and star systems, though references to elements from the original trilogy (the Citadel, the Geth, Spectre, etc.) do occasionally pop up.

The game is set roughly 600 years after the events of the original trilogy. Just as things were heating up in the Milky Way (around the “Mass Effect 2” timeframe), several giant Ark ships were launched towards the faraway heart of the Andromeda galaxy. Snuggled in cryo beds and dreaming of a new life, the adventurous souls aboard these vessels were hoping to discover habitable new worlds and plant some flags.

‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ sees you exploring the Andromeda galaxy for a new home. But – spoiler alert – things go very wrong.

Naturally, things go sideways. You play as either Scott or Sara Ryder, a twin thrust into the role of ‘Pathfinder’ and tasked with guiding a ragtag group of aliens in a quest to find a new home. It’s all pretty standard sci-fi stuff — a bite of “Star Trek,” a nibble of “Battlestar” — but Bioware crafts a well-told tale that rises above its derivative vibe to keep you, um, engaged throughout.

Mostly, that’s done though a tweaked version of the branching narrative structure Bioware is known for. Conversation options have expanded beyond the binary Paragon/Renegade of prior games, adding flexibility and giving you a bit more agency over your particular Ryder. Despite some nasty bad guys and extremely high stakes, it’s also significantly more lighthearted than the trilogy’s dour doomsday scenario. Regardless of how you play Ryder, he (or she) is quick to joke and seems intent on keeping the joy of discovery intact.

The dialogue system isn’t as thrilling as it used to be, however. Other franchises have taken the cue and built branching narratives with greater emotional value. “The Witcher 3,” “Life is Strange” — heck, the entire Telltale Games catalog (whose Season 1 of “The Walking Dead” bested “Mass Effect 3” in most 2012 Game of the Year Awards) have pushed the envelope of branching narrative design, making each choice feel impactful. Though your tone changes based on your responses in “Andromeda,” Ryder’s playful, at time snarky attitude takes some of the gravitas out of the decision-making. You rarely break a sweat.

‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’s’ dialogue system lacks the kind of gravitas that makes games like ‘The Witcher 3’ so addictive and powerful.

Still, developing relationships, opening/closing paths, trying to get busy with a blue lady — it’s all here, and thanks to an interesting story, likable characters and great voicework by both male and female Ryders, “Andromeda” does a convincing job of turning you into Captain Kirk.

A downright uncanny job, you might say.

Valley of the Dolls

Unless you’ve been avoiding the internet for the last week, you’ve likely caught wind that gamers are, to put it mildly, displeased with the “Andromeda’s” animations, particularly its facial close-ups. And, well, yeah, the facial animations aren’t great. The game doesn’t just glide over the uncanny valley, it builds a big space house and moves right in.

I typically don’t put too much stock in this; plenty of outstanding games are kind of ugly up close (I’m looking into your lifeless eyes, “Fallout 4”). What makes it so rough here is the amount of time you spend staring at close-ups. A good third of the game is spent chatting with people and developing relationships, but when they look like broken robots, it breaks the spell. About halfway through the game, my Ryder inexplicably developed two wicked lazy eyes that lasted for a good 10 hours.

‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’s’ human characters look like dead-eyed androids.

Perhaps the increased power of modern consoles/PCs (I played on PS4) is the culprit — as the theory goes, the closer you get to reality, the deeper the valley. But as ugly as it gets for humankind, the power leads to some amazing aliens. The brutish, dinosaur-like Krogans have never looked better, and jittery eyes and smooth skin give the amphibious Salerians incredible life. I relished every chance to chat with non-humans, both to bask in Bioware’s great work and as a respite from the mannequin onslaught.

This sort of uneven delivery extends to the rest of the game’s graphics. The art design is triumphant – Issac Asimov would commend the look and feel of the game’s colorful terrain, sweeping interstellar views and massive starships – but technical glitches abound. Flickering textures are common, load times are excessive and occasional pop-in mars the stunning planetside vistas. These sorts of glitches aren’t game-breaking, but they speak to a project struggling to bear its own weight.

Humans might not look good in ‘Mass Effect: Andromeda,’ but the aliens are gorgeous.

Galaxy quest

And make no mistake: “Andromeda’s” scope is massive.

Much of the game takes place on explorable planets that are significantly bigger than the regions found in “Dragon Age: Inquisition.” You can spend hours scouring the nooks and crannies of each location from the comfort of your Nomad rover. And as you find ways to make life more hospitable, the areas open up even further.

‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’s’ worlds are vast and beautiful.

A star map gives you free reign to explore the Heleus cluster of the Andromeda galaxy. You can only land on and explore a handful of planets, but you rarely feel hemmed in, and the desire to build outposts pushes you to approach Andromeda like a real pioneer. It’s a good hook.

But this goal is quickly buried beneath a ridiculous number of less essential Things to Do. Some are classic “Mass Effect” – your shipmates have needs, and if you want to unlock their highest-level abilities or get them into bed (perv), you’ll need to attend to those — but you pick up other, seemingly unwanted side quests with alarming ease.

Checking in on an outpost? Be careful who you talk to, because apparently every single life form in the galaxy is incapable of handling their own business. Even if they don’t have a gigantic exclamation point on their head, they’ll probably ask you to shuttle something somewhere or look into a mild, pointless drama. And you’ll feel pressed to track down every one, because you never know which insignificant-sounding rabbit hole will yield some legit XP or loot.

‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ piles on the quests like every other RPG, but organizes them poorly.

This is fairly common to RPGs, but “Andromeda’s” flood of quests is compounded by terrible quest tracking. A Journal ostensibly keeps tabs on them, but inexplicably lists them based on where you picked them up rather than where they are located in the world. It’s a crazy way to organize quests; land on a planet and you’ll have to either scour dots on the map or rummage through your Journal to figure out what, if anything, you’re supposed to do there.

This alone drove me nuts. I may be a real-world organizational disaster (I am a writer, after all) but this is definitely a trait I don’t want to carry into my sci-fi power fantasy.

Laser tag

On the other hand, I did get to carry lots of guns. And this is one area where “Andromeda” really fixes something.

The game does a fine job of improving and even amping up “Mass Effect’s” combat. Jump jets and a handy dash make you far more maneuverable, which is a boon since you contend with enemies in open-world locations. Skills and proficiencies can totally alter the way you play. Focus on Combat to be a Rambo, invest in Biotics to be a Jedi, stick with Tech to hurl fire and ice, or spread the wealth and be a bit of each. Deep but approachable, the system serves as a solid backend for the on-the-field action.

If there’s one thing Bioware improved for ‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ it’s the game’s combat.

I forgot exactly how shooty “Mass Effect” was, and once you get used to the fact that you’re not playing a game quite as refined as the “Halos” and “Horizons” it attempts to ape, it falls into a pleasant rhythm. Nice touches abound, like jumping and pausing in the air for a few seconds while aiming down your sights. Experimenting with different abilities is also a snap thanks to a handy respec option, quelling the FOMO that rules most games that force to to stick with one class. It’s flexible and fun. Bioware upped their game here, for sure.

But it isn’t perfect. The wide-open universe only yields a handful of enemy types, and none of them are particularly exciting. You have little control over your two fellow squadmates, and the weak enemy A.I. means you never need to think strategically when deciding which companions to bring into battle. I mostly stuck with the Krogan warrior because he looks cool. A baffling “auto” cover system claims that you just need to move close to an object with your gun drawn to hide behind it, but it doesn’t work very well. It just ends up getting you shot a lot, even when you think you’re safe.

You want jump jets? You’ve got jump jets.

Systems overload

“Andromeda” just doesn’t know when to quit, layering on screen after screen and system after system to make even the simplest task, like equipping a hot new weapon, painstaking.

Find a gun? You’ll need to head back up to your ship or find a “forward station” to switch your loadout, because, well, who knows. Tiny, uniform iconography turns inventory management into a slog. You know the thrill of finding and ogling a gorgeous, exciting new rifle in “Destiny?” That ain’t here.

Scanning planets for resources takes forever due to pretty but infuriatingly slow pans and zooms. Tracking down a specific resource to, for instance, craft a new helmet, is a total crapshoot. Bioware’s focus on the big picture has left a surprising number of holes in its basic RPG foundation.

They even tossed in co-op multiplayer, because it’s 2017 and I think that’s required by law now. “Mass Effect 3” toyed with this and it returns largely unchanged, as you and some pals clear out waves of increasingly stubborn baddies. It’s got its own progression system and offers a decent break from the RPG slog, though considering the core game could take a good 80 hours to complete, I’m not sure anyone needs it.

So do they need “Mass Effect: Andromeda” at all? That’s a tough call. A cool game is buried beneath “Andromeda’s” issues. When the guns are on point and you’ve exploded a Biotic combo, or when the ramifications of some difficult choice made hours ago comes back to haunt you, “Mass Effect: Andromeda” scratches that old space itch. But getting past the technical gaffes and unfriendly interface requires a great deal of patience. Space is big, indeed, but it’s supposed to be fun, too.

Platform reviewed: PS4

What’s hot: Cool story; outpost settling is a good hook; improved maneuverability; deep combat options

What’s not: Technical issues; aggravating interface; seriously uncanny valley; quest quantity over quality; dated feel

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Ben Silverman is on Twitter at ben_silverman.

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