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readerinsertfanfiction · 4 years

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Three Ways

Fandom: Naruto

Character: Kakashi Hatake

Prompt: I ought to give Kakashi some love since Naruto is refusing to do so. A series based on some wisdom shared by a wise uncle.

4/6

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

You met Kakashi again over the back of Guy. Literally, as you were seated onto the back of the Green Beast of the Leaf when you ran into the copycat ninja.

“Hello Kakashi,” Guy smoothly greeted in which you followed, making sure to strike the same pose to put emphasis into the act. It looked as horrendous as you expected it to be, the blank look of the receiver giving you all the information you needed.

“Guy. Name,” the man greeted back, cool as ever. Though the lilt in his voice was enough to give away his surprise at your appearance.

Might Guy brushed off the reaction, immediately turning down to business as he gave Kakashi yet another smirk. “Kakashi,” the man repeated, launching a dramatic pause before he made a wild gesture, “I wish to challenge you, again!” he announced loudly, a finger prodding into Kakashi’s direction.

Clinging onto Guy’s shoulders you rapidly tapped your hand, hoping that the man would soon realise that your legs were not secure. Feeling yourself slip away you couldn’t help but feel a little worried for yourself.

“If it is carrying [Name] you seem to be already losing,” Kakashi coolly offered as he gently slipped you off his overzealous rival. With a good view of the contours of his face up close and his usually apathetic eyes you suddenly felt yourself grow conscious as Kakashi looked down at you in his arms.

“Bridal style, how bold,” you managed to get out, reviving yourself as you slipped into your wheelchair that Guy had set down earlier.

Kakashi kept quiet, smiling that infamous eye-smile of his again. Before you could fill the silence Guy interrupted once more.

“I hate how cool you always are, Kakashi,” the man exclaimed, hands balling up as he realised his mistake. Never defeated it actually invigorated him even more. “Enough of your adorable moment! I want my challenge and I challenge you to a battle of friendship!” Guy exclaimed, another flashy pose following to which you were glad to be off his back.

Feeling your face grow hot once more you started to sputter against the man. “What ado--” you tried, but Guy never let you finish, following on:

“Since we both recently met and befriended [Name] we shall have a battle to see who is the better friend. It will be a battle to the death!”

There really was no stopping the man once he got all fired up. With Kakashi unable to forego any challenge with the man the battle was a fact, a thought that made you grin to yourself. Neither of the men had seemed to notice your obvious struggle and it suited you just fine. That if Guy could stop spouting nonsense.

It was only natural that you knew about both jounin and their personality. The huge amount of intelligence you had under your servitude was not to be mistaken, after all. However, when you had read about Might Guy’s over-zealously you had mistaken just how extra the man could be.

“First!” the man exclaimed as he pulled out a scroll. “In order to better understand [Name] we need to experience [Name]’s world!”

Unscrolling the rolls Guy summoned two wheelchairs, your eyes widening at the implications of the script you had discussed. It was definitely not what the two of you had discussed before. Winking at you the male gave you a fat thumbs up before seating himself down in one of the chairs, gesturing towards Kakashi to do the same.

“How exactly will this determine who is the better friend, Guy?” Kakashi questioned asking that what you both were wondering. Even if the two of you had your suspicions to what the answer would be it wouldn’t hurt to hear it from Guy himself. Though, it seemed that no matter the answer Kakashi was going to roll with it as he seated himself as well.

“Choosing a friend is not an easy matter, Kakashi,” Guy started, already wheeling himself up and down to try out the wheelchair. “We can’t just ask [Name] to choose between us, that would be unfair!” Tested against the logistics of the man himself it was a sound reason and neither of you decided to argue against it. That if it wasn’t for the extra line he had to add.

“Besides, we can’t expect [Name] to be able to choose between two handsome men!” he exclaimed loudly, another big fat meaningful wink heading your way.

Whatever counter you had went ignored. Too excited as the man was Guy had already proceeded.

And so the challenge started. Kicking off with a wheelchair race Guy had managed to force everyone to spend the day together, splitting the challenge up in several rounds.

“You are pretty adept at wheeling yourself around,” you complimented Kakashi, the two of you leisurely following the overexcitable Guy. “Though, what else is there to be expected from the one and only copycat ninja?”

Not soon after the race had started the man had announced that he would use his arms instead if he had no legs to use. With neither of you having the heart to call his instant loss in the race you left Guy to be. Besides, it gave the two of you some leisurely time. Something that you had found little off despite the break you had called in for the mission.

“I had the perfect subject to observe,” Kakashi responded, earning a scoff from you. “It turns out that it also makes for an excellent practice for chakra control,” the jounin continued, forever thinking of ways to teach his students new skills.

Eyeing him curiously you stopped in your tracks, lips pursing in thought. “I don’t think I have ever seen your sharingan,” you mused, wondering when the man had ever lifted his mask to use his infamous technique on you. There had been no reason to do so after all. Your job wasn’t meant for the frontline, thus leaving out much of the excitement in which a sharingan could be prompted to be used.

You would have missed the pause in his movements if it weren’t for the wheelchair. Shoulders tensing Kakashi threw you a lazy look, another hidden smile directed into your way.

“I didn’t need my sharingan.”

Stumped you weren’t sure how to respond, instead you stared after him. You knew that naturally Kakashi would have shadowed you for a bit. Just to make sure that you weren’t suspicious and you had known when he did so. However, you had never expected him to observe you to the extent of figuring out your technique without the sharingan. It begged the question what for?

Occupied with that piece of information the second round started. Bowls of ramen with an assortment of side dishes set out in front of the three of you.

“[Name], I will pay for your meal if you pay for mine,” Guy smirked as a first attempt in an offer.

Returning the smile with a scoff you rolled your eyes. “Might as well pay for myself,” you countered, amused at the format of the new challenge. Whoevers meal you ended up paying for would be the winner of the challenge. It turned out that the entire format was quite simplistic after all.

“Then I will pay for both to show off our youthful friendship!” Guy exclaimed, never dissuaded.

To this you had even less of a response. “How nice of you to offer,” was all that you said, earning yet another loss for the man.

Guy’s attempt to make you pay for at least one of his meals had failed, leaving the stage to Kakashi.

“Are you going to sweet talk me into paying?” you challenged. You knew of the track record he had, charming his comrades into paying, but you were prepared. You were also prepared for him to have known that you were prepared, leaving this to be the real battle to start. It really was a matter of who would give in first, or corner the other.

“Yes and no, you know I can sweet talk anyone,,” the man calmly responded. A fact that you laughed heartily at. A challenge it was.

Pausing the man turned towards you in his seat, his eye suddenly serious as he faced you. “I just wanted to say that I really respect you as a comrade,” he started, “not just because of the mission, but also as a ninja. ” Sparing no moment the male started his attack on your wallet.

It was a line you had expected Kakashi to start with. Keeping quiet you gave him a look, waiting for him to continue.

“Will you pay for the meal, [Name]?”

It was as if he had been proposing. A proposal at which you rolled your eyes at with yet another scoff.

“As comrades shouldn’t the senior pay?” you teased, amused at the attempt made. Determined to make both parties lose you weren’t about to let a free lunch go either. Besides, Kakashi knew he needed more to tug at your heartstrings.

To this Kakashi had an answer as he continued his mysterious way of eating with a mask on.

“There is no seniority in respect and I certainly respect you the most, [Name].”

Another killer line. Leaning over to the man you put your hand on his shoulder, patting it as you nodded solemnly.

“Quite right, Kakashi,” you started. “Then the next meal shall be on you.” Raising your hand you then ordered yet another luxurious bowl from the good chef, leaving both men unanswered in their challenge and both your bowls paid.

Silence fell between the two men as they contemplated their next move, eyes meeting each other before turning back at you. The challenge was far from over and the two men had known each other for much too long to just leave it at that.

“Sounds like a date,” Kakashi casually exclaimed, rusing your attention once more.

Wide eyes blinked back at him in confusion before your last words dawned upon you, a chuckle escaping you. Now that you hadn’t expected. Though, as always you were quick to recover.

“In which the gentleman pays, right?” you winked, knowing full well that you were playing right into Kakashi’s hands.

Shrugging Kakashi finished his bowl, enjoying the blush you were trying to hide as Guy tried to fill in the gap in which he had fallen. Scrambling up the man shot up from his place, his voice beaming all over the shop.

“Let me take you on a date as well and teach you all about youth!”

Scrunching your face up you eyed the man. “I will pay you not to,” was your immediate response though your eyes were amused. You had to give it to them both, they were entertaining.

To this Guy smacked Kakashi soundly on his back. “I won, old comrade!” came proudly, his face sparkling despite the earlier rejection. “[Name]’s bias for you has facilitated my advantage!”

To this you tried to argue again, feeling another blush rising as you realised what had transpired. “Two dates is a bit much, isn't it?” you tried to defend yourself, but found that it was of no use. The pairs of eyes that were on you, not only of the two men but from the rest of the shop as well bore witness to the scene.

Those two were going to be the end of you.

#naruto #naruto x reader #kakashi #kakasi hatake #kakashi x reader #three ways #series

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theonceoverthinker · 6 years

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OUAT 3X06 - Ariel

Who’s ready to hear an amazing TAIL that only slightly FISHY?!

Yeah, yeah. They’re not all winners. Hit me up under the cut to read my thoughts!

Press Release

Back in the Fairy Tale Land that was, when Ariel saves Snow White from drowning in the ocean’s depths, Snow returns the favor by helping her new friend get acquainted with Prince Eric, with whom she has fallen madly in love with. Meanwhile, Emma, Mary Margaret, David and Hook attempt to save Neal, who is imprisoned in one of Pan’s encampments, and Regina and Mr. Gold begrudgingly team up to find a way to take down Pan.

Main Thoughts - Characters/Stories/Themes and Their Effectiveness

Past

Ariel is the main focus of this segment. Her character introduction is the reason for it.

And honestly, that’s pretty great.

I think that’s pretty evident by how much the fandom loves Ariel as a whole. I’ve never met a single person who doesn’t love her and there’s a good reason why. She’s energetic, kind, has a solid introductory story that gives you everything you’ve ever needed to know about her character. Johanna’s performance is so enjoying to watch as she captures the innocence of the character of Ariel as well as the bubbliness that made the Disney version so memorable.

Present

So, we all agree, the main focus of this segment are the secrets. It’s not to say there isn’t more meat there (Ex. Rumple and Regina), but I cover more of it in other segments and my thoughts on the secrets is what you want to hear.

”The deeper the lie, the more truth in its echo.” I guess that means the more you deny the truth to yourself and others, the more true or big it really is.

And to be experimental and do something different (And because I don’t really feel like delving into the revelations that will come to pass in future seasons), I’m going to just focus my review of the present by tackling these secrets as they are and with that mindset in mind:

Killian: Killian reveals that he kissed Emma and that the kiss exposed that he can move on from Milah and love again. I buy this as a secret. To keep this short as to not get too shippy (You can find THAT bit of shippy goodness in it’s home), it makes perfect sense to me that with Killian’s redemption underway and that he’s at least willing to let Rumple live, the idea of him moving on romantically works as both a story concept and a character concept. I also like how he was apparently fighting it at every step of the way, only being fully convinced with last episode’s kiss.

Snow: Snow reveals that for as much as she loves Emma and their life together, she longs for the firsts that were denied to them and thus, wants another baby. I feel like Snow addresses David more with this secret than she does Emma and for the secret of ‘I want another baby/another chance,’ there are too many instances of “our daughter” and not enough “Emma”s for me. Now, with that out of the way, the secret itself is very in-character for Snow. I like it in terms of enjoying it as something very in-character. It’s a believable desire for her to have and Ginny really sells how badly Snow wants it. It’s also heartbreaking for Emma and that de-emphasis on her (Or rather, de-EMMA-sis -- holy shit, that may have been my best pun ever) as she tells it really sticks out because of it. It sucks that this is never brought back up too because this is sort of another case of Emma being told she’s not enough and by her own parents who she saved.

David: David, of course, reveals that he’s trapped on the island. There’s really nothing else to elaborate on here. I like how the focus is on Snow and her anger at the lie is hard and fast. It builds on what she was saying about secrets and honesty in both segments of the episode.

Emma: Finally, Emma reveals that while she’s never stopped loving Neal, the pain of losing him again caused all of the pain from long ago to return with a vengeance, and that rather than being forced to deal with the pain that their past together caused her, she wished that he’d died. Again, I’ll try not to talk about all of the shippy goodness here (Again, there’s more down below), but some will be delved into, so fair warning. Looks like I’m 4/4 because I like this one too. I get that wanting someone to die as their best self seems better than having to come to terms with the complications in their relationship. When Neal “died,” he had just apologized to Emma and made a heroic sacrifice for her and Henry. That was his last impression and believing him to be dead allows for Emma to close the book on the pain that was between them. Him being alive brings those problems to the present and makes them active again and Emma would rather that pain not be the thing that ultimately impacts her memory of Neal the most. I also love Neal’s response and fast forgiveness. For a few episodes now, Neal has been discussing all of his regrets concerning Emma and how he felt about her and that hug really says a lot about just how sorry he is.

Insights - Stream of Consciousness

-”Did you really think you could hide from The Evil Queen?” “Actually, yes.” This line never fails to crack me up! The shrug and surprise in Ginny’s voice really sells it.

-Look at the synchronized swords on those guards! How long do you think they practiced that?

-Damn, the water here is beautiful. The way the lighting is done paints something mystical and yet deadly af!

-”No. There has to be a way without going dark.” No, Emma. Anger does not necessitate going dark. Anger is an emotion that everyone’s entitled to feeling and it’s one that can be a force for good. The way Regina’s teaching you at the moment doesn’t go against that. Coming right after the stellar subplot in “Good Form,” this really is a disappointment to hear from Emma. Emma knows righteous fury better than anyone. That said, I completely agree with this scene for framing Regina as in the right because it’s completely warranted.

-YASSSS! Thank you, Killian for telling the truth about Neal!

-I’m fully with David and Killian here. Emotionally and strategically, it made the most sense to keep Emma in the dark about Neal being alive until they could confirm it.

-”Can you keep a secret?” Fuck no, she can’t!

-”Sorry. She deserved to know.” THEY WERE GOING TO TELL HER THE TRUTH, SNOW! PATIENCE. IT’S A REAL THING.

-Rumple, while trying to look into the future, looks like he’s either trying to summon a Final Flash from DBZ or the Doctor Strange magic hands.

-I spend a lot of time thinking about Rumple and his future telling abilities and why they never came up after this season. Like, I honestly don’t care that much about plot holes, but they can matter when they’re character-based. When a character has a power like that (One that’s been established since the pilot), there needs to be a reason for them not to use it, and Rumple, who has an over-reliance on magic as a major character trait, would use that as often as he could. In Neverland, Pan made it clear why he couldn't. But why not afterwards? Is the power just that vague that we can infer that he was using it? My personal HC is that they just went away after his first death.

-Okay, Pan is the one hell of a villain, but he’s also one hell of a chef, too! No wonder Fiona loved him!

-”You’ve lost your son Neal. Again.” You’re such an asshole, Pan, but it is like the greatest thing to watch.

-Okay, so real talk: I have misophonia and loud chewing and talking with one’s mouthful often enrages me. And Pan didn’t! I was ready to cringe when he picked up that egg in a basket, but he was fine. Pan, you may be the villain of this arc, but you’re the Savior to my ears! Thank you, Robbie Kay for enunciating properly as you eat!

-”That by killing you, all our troubles end?” Rumple: Sass Master Extraordinaire.

-Okay, so it looks like Rumple specifically has to die to kill Pan. Da fuq?

-”Have you forgiven YOUR father?” Wow, the writers of this show were just milking that twist with everything they had, didn’t they?

-”She looks fertile.” I repeat: Da fuq?

-I feel like I’d hate Snow a lot more in this episode if it weren’t for her tracking abilities finally being put to good use.

-I like Regina’s decision to leave the group from a character perspective. While the group should definitely try to save Neal, Regina, who doesn’t care about him would have no interest and after the second stop in their journey AND after talking to Henry, I can understand how all that frustration would just explode at the thought of another deviation.

-”It [the fork] is really not that valuable.” I don’t know. That is a really well made fork. XD

-”I may be heartbroken, but I’ll understand.” People, I give you Prince Eric: The only true unproblematic fave.

-Ooh! That mirror transition effect from the party to Regina’s castle was amazing!

-”Come home to Storybrooke.” Rumple, that’s as big of a red flag as there can be that that’s not Belle!

-”Are you really going to fall for this?” My sentiments exactly, Regina!

-You know, this is some great acting on Emilie’s part! She has to pull off a suffocation scene as the victim with no physical help from another actor. She really sells fake Belle’s desperation and panic!

-Speaking of good acting, look at Robert’s face when he discovers that Pan’s shadow was fake Belle. For the first time, we see a full display of the true fear Rumple has for his father!

-For as much as I’m apprehensive about Snow in the present segments, I’m LOVING her in the past. She’s so kind and supportive.

-”Thanks. For nothin’.” A little ungrateful there, aren’t you, Ariel?

-I giggled for a good twenty seconds at Regina saying “Ah-riel!”

-”You’re not gonna die at anyone’s hands but my own.” Honestly, Rumple dies at EVERYONE’S hands but your own!

-”Because I came here to kill him and die in the process!” Rumple, you are so fucking extra! Still bring the freakin’ weapon! You are so gloriously extra!

-Lana is having such a fun time playing Regina playing Ursula and I’m loving it! XD

-I took another five second giggle at “Dil-EMMA.”

-”I lost half my crew inside those rock walls.” Wow. This has gotta hurt.

-”He believes once we do [Reveal our secrets], we’ll destroy each other.” I love how this just doesn’t happen. It threatens to happen, but the strength of the group is strong enough to overcome them.

-Okay, so Snow’s a total boss during this Regina confrontation! Not only is she once again completely supportive of Ariel, BUT she decides to egg on Regina as much as she can before dying at her hands by saying that she’ll never be happy. For this point in Regina’s life, it’s an incredibly satisfying sight to see.

-SAME GOES FOR ARIEL! She fucking stabs Regina in the neck! WITH A FORK! Not even Snow or Charming could do that with a sword!

-”I don’t know the particulars. Only what I’ve been told.” So Killian didn’t go in?

-I love the video game that is the Echo Caves!

-”You know that’s not how this works.” Emma’s reaction to this line is just the best, her body screaming “can’t blame me for trying.”

-Anyone feel like if they were trapped in the Echo Cave that they wouldn’t know their own deepest secrets?

-REGINA! FUCK YOU! It’s an amazing evil plan and as a viewer, I’m loving this, but for breaking Ariel’s spirit, FUCK YOU!

-Real Ursula. Both powerful and kinky as all hell. <3

-”Storybrooke.” Regina’s so proud of the name, and to be fair, quite rightly!

Arcs - How Are These Storylines Progressing?

The Mission to Save Henry - We have a way of defeating Pan! XD Once again, the main plot focuses on something else than this mission, but I don’t think it was a bad idea. The subplot keeps the momentum going quite nicely.

Killian’s Redemption - GREAT on Killian for telling the truth about Neal! That’s really the biggest point here, but it’s an important one nonetheless that speaks to how seriously he’s taking his redemption. He doesn’t hesitate telling her family and only keeps Emma in the dark temporarily as to spare her further pain.

Regina’s Redemption - Regina gets some great moments here! First, how she teaches Emma is fantastic! Like, I’m so glad that she showed the value of anger and how it and darkness are not necessarily one and the same! Second, she saves Rumple’s ass! Third, “maybe we can find another way.” The third way has been the heroes philosophy for a while and to see Regina trying that outlook rather than sacrificing Rumple is a nice bit of foreshadowing to her eventual fates and abilities! I actually think Regina may be in her best form this season! She’s still snippy and hates everyone, but she’s focused on doing right by her son. Because of that, she’ll use the darkness for the noble cause of saving him, and rather than waste time (As she puts it), she’ll look for faster means when working with those that are good isn’t making what she deems as acceptable progress.

Rumple’s Redemption - Despite Neal’s betrayal and his doubts from “Nasty Habits,” Rumple is still sincerely all in for his redemption, as much as he can be, at least. His self preservation habit is still eating at him, making him trust more in Shadow Belle, and it really works!

Favorite Dynamic

Regina and Rumple. Regina came to Rumple at just the right time. She dragged him fighting and screaming away from danger and self loathing and back to reality and the point of this mission. It’s actually a great relief to see Rumple again with someone who won’t take any of his shit. Characters like that challenge Rumple and with Regina, it allows for us to see just what happens when they combine their dark magic and few fucks together for a good cause. It’s as Regina says: “We’re the two most powerful practitioners of magic who have ever lived. The Evil Queen and The Dark One joining forces? I’d say we can find another way of handling some smug teenager.” And together, they’re effective at coming up with a real strategy to defeat that smug teenager!

Writer

Adam and Eddy are “Ariel’s” writers and I really like what they did here. All three stories are balanced well, everyones motivations are really understandable in the present and that fits the framing of everyone being sympathetic, and the material in the past is just engaging.

Rating

10/10. It’s a great episode! Ariel is a compelling character and watching her learn the value of honesty is a nice story that cleanly fits Snow and Regina into it. The present really delves into the further conflicts of the main characters and shows how honesty can be both an aid and a curse. The episode itself is given nuance because of that and the sets of interactions chose for the most part do a lot of good for expanding on the character’s mindsets. Also, as you’ll see below, this episode is FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH SHIPPY GOODNESS!

Flip My Ship - The Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness”

Captain Swan - I think it says so much about how Killian cares for Emma that he’s willing to tell her family immediately that Neal’s alive, only holding out on telling Emma herself so that they can confirm it and save her from more pain. Pan said it himself: There is a good chance Emma won’t return his affections after its revealed that Neal’s alive. But he does it anyway because he knows how devastated she was from his loss. Whether you believe he’s completely in love with her or not, that is what caring for another person truly is. Also, look at how Emma looks to Killian to confirm whether or not that’s true when the beans are spilled (Thanks, Snow). She really does trust him now! And on Emma’s side, she actually tells her mom she kissed Hook! “I was feeling good.” And she says it in such a gossipy practically bursting way! It’s not-at-all giddy, but still a little giddy at the same time! And when Snow asks her if it meant anything, she says “i-it was just a kiss,” but everything from her tone to the fact that she actually told someone about this kiss means that it definitely was more! Now let’s talk about the Echo Cave. Killian reveals his secret and Emma’s first response is “It’s just a kiss.” But just look at the vulnerability in her eyes! And the first panel comes roaring out once he reveals what it fully meant to him! Truth! And as Emma goes towards Neal, there’s this dark acceptance in him, but it’s a respectful possible resignation.

Swan Fire - I genuinely adore how soft Neal is with Emma. The entire time he’s in his cage, he gives Emma gentle nudges in the right direction and oodles of comfort. And Emma’s confession to never stop loving Neal was beautiful. Jen’s performance here is just beautiful, soft and tender features all around as she admits that. And even as she’s admitting that she wished Neal was dead, she’s crying, clearly wishing to herself that it wasn’t true because of the love she has for him. And what’s Neal’s response to this when he gets out? An IMMEDIATE hug. It’s a tender, desperate, emotional hug. I actually found myself choked up here. He completely understands what she means. Emma gives this genuine apology for how she feels and Neal just gets it. And he’s still going to fight for her.

Ariel/Eric - Damn, Eric is romantic af! He cares about no one’s thoughts but Ariel’s and it’s really charming. “If I want to dance, I can.” <3 I almost find it a touch too forward for him to ask her to explore the world with her after one date, but given that they’re going full in on the Love at First Sight trope and Ariel says twice that she wanted to see the world, it works! He’s also a full on gentleman, stepping back (Literally) the second he feels she might decline for her comfort and even says” “I’m pressuring you: That’s unfair!” The dude’s an honest-to-goodness heartthrob! And Ariel really cares about him too! She doesn’t want him to be forced to choose between her and his dreams. And together, they’re just a cute, optimistic, lovey-dovey pair!

Millian - Short blurb, but I think it really says something about the depth of Killian’s feelings for Milah that he could NOT move on from her for over a century and when he finally found someone, he had to kiss her to finally push the denial out of his system. Like, that’s some powerful love.

Snowing - “At least not with me.” Okay, so David definitely lied and that sucks, but holy shit. In this one line, David gave his blessing for Snow not only to move on, but to have another child with someone else. And that’s gotta hurt! Like, LOVE! That’s love!

-----

This review was admittedly much shorter than I usually make them, and I’m sorry, but not too sorry because ONCE CON!!!! If you want to keep up with my con adventures, I’ll try posting some pics to my Instagram, protochan44, and hell, maybe I’ll do a live video at some point! And yeah, I’ll probably post some shenanigans on my blog too! But yeah, I am so excited and also pretty relieved that I was able to get through all of these!

Thanks for reading and thank you to the beautiful folks at @watchingfairytales, at least two of whom I’ll be meeting either tonight or tomorrow! Next time, we hit up “Dark Hollow!”

Season 3 Total (59/220)

Writer’s Scores: Adam and Eddy (19/60) Kalinda Vazquez (10/40) Andrew Chambliss (10/50) Jane Espenson (10/30) David Goodman (10/40) Robert Hull (10/40) Christine Boylan (10/20) Daniel Thomsen (10/30)

Operation Rewatch Archives

#ouat #once upon a time #watching fairytales #ouat 3x06 #ouat rewatch #jenna watches ouat

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huf0001 · 6 years

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Blue’s philosophy, tabula rasa, and science

Sam Huffer, 13 January 2018

All contributions, comments, and feedback on this matter (and the essay) are welcome. If you read this essay and disagree with my view on the matter, you are more than welcome to add your thoughts. If you do agree or just want to comment on the essay, you are also welcome to contribute. If I have written anything inaccurate, or missed anything that would be relevant, please do point it out; this is the first essay I’ve put up on Tumblr regarding the color pie, so while I would hope I didn’t miss anything, chances I probably did. If you think there is a particular article or essay that I and/or others should read on the matter, especially with regards to the color pie, links, references, etc. are most welcome. Enjoy.

Blue’s philosophy is the only one that blatantly contradicts science

Magic: The Gathering (1993), the brainchild of game designer Richard Garfield, was the first trading card game and quite possibly continues to be the best trading card game to date, even after over two decades and many competitors. It has limitless depths to its flavour and strategy and has captivated the minds of countless gamers, children, and young adults. Critical to its success, and central to both its function and flavour, is the color pie, which divides cards up into five categories, or colors: white, blue, black, red, and green. Each color has its own strategies, strengths and weaknesses, and its own characteristics, identity, values, and philosophy.

A day or two ago on Tumblr, I came across an anonymous ask addressed to Andrew Weisel, who runs the blog Sarpadian Empires Vol. VIII and writes about Magic. The ask alleged that “Ironically… blue’s philosophy is the only one that blatantly contradicts science. Blue believes in the concept of tabula rasa, something which has pretty much been disproved by science.” Weisel responded by saying ““I could be a ballet dancer or a truck driver or a celebrity chef!” doesn’t blatantly contradict a nebulous definition of SCIENCE” (Weisel, 2018). I saw the post, and added my own thoughts to the discussion, saying that blue could still “apply its philosophy of becoming what it wants” within the constraints of genetics and that it thus “does not contradict science in that sense” (Huffer, 2018).

However, thinking about it now, I’m not particularly satisfied with my comments on the matter. Therefore, I have done a bit of digging with regards to blue’s philosophy, tabula rasa, and any conflict with empirical data.

I should first concede that some of the resources I have used (namely Wikipedia and the like) are quite possibly imperfect in their accuracy if not in their nature, though I would argue that they do at least give readers a general idea of the concepts entailed, and are sufficient for my purposes here. Furthermore, while one could vandalise Wikipedia’s entry on tabula rasa to say the phrase refers to tables of adjustable heights or some other nonsense, for example, I doubt anyone will be bothered to do so. I’m confident trolls can think of higher profile pages to vandalise, pages that are focused on more controversial topics than the initial state of the human mind.

A lesson in philosophy

The first question that unfamiliar readers might have is this: what is blue’s philosophy? (And my question here is why haven’t you already discovered and fallen in love with Magic? Seriously, what have you been doing with your lives? Magic is amazing!)

Blue believes in potential, that “anyone and anything has the ability to change for the better” (Rosewater, 2008), and that everyone is “born a blank slate with the potential to become anything” (Rosewater, 2015). It believes that life’s purpose is for people to “learn what [they] want to be and how to achieve that goal” (Rosewater, 2003), and that they just need to “figure out what [their] potential is” so that they can “track down the means by which [they] can achieve it” (Rosewater, 2015).

Blue values learning, knowledge and education. It values calm, logical analysis and adaptability, an environment that allows individuals to strive to reach their potential, and access to the tools, means, and methods through which one can maximise and achieve their potential. It is the most comfortable with technology, caring only about the “function of an item, not its origin” (Rosewater, 2015). And in Magic’s lore, it has the greatest knowledge of the inner workings of magic, and thus the greatest control over its operation and manipulation.

(It should be noted that the above is just a brief summary of blue’s philosophy, and thus does not cover all aspects of it. However, those points will suffice for this essay. That said, I do encourage readers to do their own research on the color pie; it is an interesting, fascinating, and brilliant topic that no-one should regret reading about.)

The maybe-not-so-blank slate

What about the concept of tabula rasa? While many people would know what it is, many more would not have the faintest clue what those two words mean. Briefly tapping into Google’s near-omniscience will turn up a number of definitions and explanations:

From the online Merriam-Webster dictionary: “the mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state before receiving outside impressions”.

From its webpage at Encyclopaedia Britannica: “a supposed condition that empiricists attribute to the human mind before ideas have been imprinted on it by the reaction of the senses to the external world of objects.”

From Wiktionary: “The idea that the mind comes into this world as a “blank slate””, with blank slate defined by them as “Something that is clear and empty, or free from preconceptions and biases.”

From Wikipedia, according to a paraphrased John Locke: “at birth the (human) mind is a “blank slate” without rules for processing data, and that data is added and rules for processing are formed solely by one’s sensory experiences… As understood by Locke, tabula rasa meant that the mind of the individual was born blank, and it also emphasized the freedom of individuals to author their own soul. Individuals are free to define the content of their character—but basic identity as a member of the human species cannot be altered.”

(Again, I concede that some of the resources I have used here are by nature imperfect. However, they do provide readers with a general idea of the concepts entailed, which is sufficient for my purposes here.)

A blue tablet

The original ask that prompted this essay claimed that blue believes in tabula rasa, which has been disproven by science. At a cursory glance, one could see how such a conclusion could reasonably be reached. Anyone with a decent high school education would be aware that each individual is genetically pre-programmed, in a way, with certain characteristics, traits, and inclinations. According to Wikipedia’s Tabula rasa page, even an infant’s mind is not the equivalent of an empty warehouse and their brain devoid of any content or structure, but rather has mechanisms and “pre-wiring” in place preparing it for social interaction “not even hours after birth”, and that unborn twins engage in social actions aimed at each other “starting from the 14th week of gestation”. No doubt this is only one of a number of instinctual mechanisms built into the infant brain.

While it would seem that a state of total tabula rasa with regard to the complete lack of any structure and content in the minds or brains of the newly born is disproven, it should also be noted that that is not the only meaning ascribed to the phrase “tabula rasa”. For instance, the concept’s Wikipedia entry notes that there have been claims “in psychology and neurobiology… that the brain is tabula rasa only for certain behaviours” (for example, “with respect to one’s ability to acquire both general and special types of knowledge or skills, Howe argued against the existence of innate talent”). Furthermore, tabula rasa’s Merriam-Webster page notes that “In later years, a figurative sense of the term emerged, referring to something that exists in its original state and that has yet to be altered by outside forces.” Arguments could be made for and against the veracity of such positions; I shall leave that to scientists and philosophers more familiar with and invested in the topic and related evidence, and even those who are willing to do much more thorough homework on the topic than I have done here.

Separate from the issue of the truth of the concept of a literal tabula rasa, whether all-encompassing or limited solely to acquired knowledge and skills, is whether or not blue subscribes to the concept to begin with; this issue I will put forward an argument for. Going through Mark Rosewater’s articles focusing on blue’s philosophy (2003, 2008, 2015), I do not find any explicit mention of the concept of tabula rasa in the sense that minds begin literally empty of all structure and/or knowledge. Yes, they do mention that blue views people as blank slates, but the feel of those statements is more that they relate to people having the ability to become whatever they wish than to the concept that people’s minds are initially blank. In fact, the only mention of the two words “tabula rasa” that I have thus far found in a resource focusing on blue’s philosophy is in Gamepedia’s article on blue: “The belief that dream can be reality – to which Blue holds fast – is belief in tabula rasa, the blank slate.” However, the article goes on to frame that within the context of blue’s disagreements with green regarding free will and destiny, saying that “Blue believes that all things begin existence blank, without destiny or purpose” whereas green believes “that one’s life is predetermined, say, by natural ability”. (For more details, read both Pie Fights (Rosewater, 2016) and Thank You For Being A Friend (Rosewater, 2017).) As such, I think one could reasonably conclude that blue does not necessarily subscribe to the concept of tabula rasa, or at least not a literal take on it concerning the human brain. In fact, one could argue it would be the first to drop the concept if or when disproven, given how it values adaptability, knowledge, and information, and its commitment to the application of logic and rational thought before acting.

Science, potential, and Magic

On a slightly tangential note, but one linked in my mind to questions of blue subscribing to the concept of tabula rasa, I suspect that some might still contend that even if blue accepts the facts and evidence regarding the makeup of the infant mind, it rejects or ignores people’s initial traits and characteristics as determined by genetics, evolved instincts they are pre-programmed with, and so on, and that on that basis, blue is unscientific or deluded. I would argue against such a view of blue’s beliefs.

I should first note however that I will not concern myself with blue’s philosophy towards adopting any occupation one wishes, taking any role one might be inclined take, etc., the constraints that might affect ones choices in this area, and the scientific accuracy of blue’s views there; Weisel’s original response succinctly and adequately disposes of any objections to what blue believes on those matters. Instead, I will focus more on blue’s philosophy regarding questions of whether a person can or will have the physical, mental, emotional, etc. capacity to do a specific action or task, and any limits that might prevent them from doing so, whether they be a person’s innate attributes, or acquired or imposed characteristics.

While none of Rosewater’s blue-centric articles explicitly state that blue accepts or denies that people have initial traits, characteristics, and predispositions that they have to work with, there is an implicit acknowledgement that blue understands this. He writes that blue believes “the world is a collection of resources that allow an individual the ability to transform himself into whatever he wishes” (2003), that to reach your potential, “You have to first figure out what your potential is” (2015), and that you should “strive to be the best that you can be” (2008). In each statement is an implicit acknowledgement that people start in an initial, imperfect state where someone might have characteristics they want to change, or that they might be lacking, or that might restrict their potential. If one takes “blank slate” comments as being figurative, or referring to questions of purpose and destiny rather than initial form and function, then blue’s philosophy is entirely reconcilable with science.

Furthermore, even if blue did reject the proposal that one’s “inbuilt” attributes can place a limit on one’s potential and what they could become, such a position could still be considered consistent with science in principle. For example, suppose that a child was born with no hands. Does this mean that the child will never be able to play a guitar, or hold a book, or play rock paper scissors? No. Their ability to any such activities is not, in principle, limited by the fact that they were born with no hands. Thanks to advances in science, it is possible to make such a disability inconsequential; the child could get prosthetic hands made, or undergo a hand transplant. It is possible in principle for them to overcome the attributes they were born with, and thus disregard any limits on their potential imposed by said attributes. If people are not metaphorical blank slates in this matter, they are still slates whose contents can be changed, through the writing of new content, or the erasure and rewriting of existing content.

As time goes, science will become more and more advanced, and individuals will be able to disregard more and more potentially constraining attributes. One could extend this argument from removing constraints to adopting enhancements beyond what one might normally be capable of even under ideal circumstances. As such, one could argue that the only constraints on one’s potential are the limits of science itself. That said, whether humans should artificially enhance themselves is another argument entirely and one that I will not step into. I merely make the point that one could argue that such is possible, nothing more.

One final comment that I will make on the issue is that within the Magic universe, science is not the only method through which individuals might remove inborn constraints. As the franchise’s name suggests, blue would also have access to magic. The feats it could achieve with magic would likely exceed even the achievements of science, and plausibly remove constraints that even perfect scientific knowledge could not do away with. Blue would be able to laugh at the limitations imposed by nature and science, and would be able proceed to devise and employ the best spell to override them.

The blatant non-contradiction

There is nothing ironic about blue’s philosophy at all. Blue’s belief in becoming what one wishes to be, in maximising one’s potential with the right knowledge and tools, does not equate to or necessarily encompass a belief in tabula rasa, or any given take on the concept. Its goal of improvement through learning, of, in the most extreme, perfection through omniscience (or as close to perfection and omniscience as is practically possible), is perfectly reconcilable with established facts. Its views do not contradict the current consensus in science, and even if they did, blue would be the first to admit it and adapt to the facts; it is the color of learning, logic, and adaptability after all.

References

Games

Garfield, R. Magic: The Gathering. Renton, Wizards of the Coast (1993)

Articles and Essays

Tabula rasa, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., viewed 12 January 2018, <https://www.britannica.com/topic/tabula-rasa>

Tabula Rasa, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, viewed 12 January 2018, <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tabula%20rasa>

2017, blank slate, The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., viewed 12 January 2018, <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blank_slate>

2017, Blue, Curse, viewed 5 December 2017, <https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Blue>

2017, Tabula rasa, The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., viewed 12 January 2018, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabula_rasa>

2017, tabula rasa, The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., viewed 12 January 2018, <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tabula_rasa>

Huffer, S 2018, Oath Inc, viewed 11 January 2018, <https://huf0001.tumblr.com/post/169572876415/ironically-i-think-blues-philosophy-is-the-only>

Rosewater, M 2003, True Blue, Wizards of the Coast, viewed 3 December 2017, <https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/true-blue-2003-08-11>

Rosewater, M 2008, Striving for Perfection, Wizards of the Coast, viewed 12 January 2018, <https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/striving-perfection-2008-11-17>

Rosewater, M 2015, True Blue Revisited, Wizards of the Coast, viewed 12 January 2018, <https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/true-blue-revisited-2015-07-20>

Rosewater, M 2016, Pie Fights, Wizards of the Coast, viewed 20 November 2017, <https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/pie-fights-2016-11-14>

Rosewater, M 2017, Thank You For Being A Friend, Wizards of the Coast, viewed 28 December 2017, <https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/thank-you-being-friend-2017-03-20>

Weisel, A 2018, Oath Inc, viewed 11 January 2018, <http://sarpadianempiresvol-viii.tumblr.com/post/169564034219/ironically-i-think-blues-philosophy-is-the-only>

#mtg #color #color wheel #color pie #blue #science #tabula rasa #blank slate #potential #original #philosophy #contradiction #essay

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skydiverjim · 4 years

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The Fall of “All Great Societies” Introduction

When I was in what we then called Jr. High School, we had to elect what courses we wanted to take in preparation for the rest of our life. I don’t know, at that point in life how the average child is supposed to know what he or she would want to do when they "grew up" but based on all those years of experience I guess the Board of Education figured we were mature enough to figure it out.

I knew what I liked, but I could not see how I could make a living at it. Being all 13 years old, with all that experience behind me (sarcasm intended), I wanted to be an archaeologist, but I could not see how anyone could make a living at it. With all the foresight and intellect of a 13-year-old though, I reasoned by the time I had completed high school, college, and obtained my PhD, all the discoveries would have been made. So then what would be the sense of becoming an archaeologist if all the discoveries were made, even if I could figure out how to make money in that field of work? (This is really what I thought! Ah, yes, the reasoning of a 13-year-old)

Anyway, I figured a better course of action would be to invest the time and energy into studying something with a big future - like industrial applications for electricity and electronics. So, that was the course curriculum I elected. Although heavily laden in formulas, mathematical equations, and theories, the courses came easy to me. As a matter of fact, rarely did I ever have to study to get by (honestly, except for rushing through homework in study halls, I don’t ever recall studying). It was so easy for me, that I didn't really take it seriously and even started to work full time as an apprentice chef. You weren't supposed to work as an apprentice back in those days if you were still in high school but back then they didn't have Big Brother tracking you the way they do today. Unless you told them or made some objection yourself, no one really cared, so it seemed, anyway. All they cared about is that you worked and did your job. In addition to going to school for electricity, learning to be a chef, I still retained a love of history and spent time reading and studying ancient civilizations.

FOR LOVE OF HISTORY

One of civilizations that really caught my fascination was that of ancient Roman. No civilization before nor after has lasted as long as they had. Due to a number of circumstances, it is my humble opinion that the likelihood of a civilization coming along that would meet their greatness will never been seen again during the history of mankind. Books have been written on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Unlike the great advanced mythological civilizations, the Greek, Egyptian, and Roman civilizations have solid proof of their existence.

Something I have questioned and what puzzles me is that the subject matter is so relevant to our society today, I ask myself, why aren't the lessons we learned from the rise and fall of all these civilizations taught with more enthusiasm in our educational system today? Indeed, why aren't they taught throughout the civilized world?

Is it because a few selfish people in our society who wish to control the money supply and power and they find this is much easier to do if they control the knowledge or flow of that information? Is it that people just do not care about the long-term survival of their society and the quality of life they leave behind? I don’t have the full answer, but I’ve spoken with a lot of people and I think I have a couple of ideas.

Although several factors have been said to have contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire, (as well as every great civilization in history) historians have determined, the following eight factors are common to all civilizations that have fallen. First, I will list these factors and then in the following chapters, I will detail each item and discuss my thoughts.

LIST OF EIGHT COMMON FACTORS

1. Military losses against outside forces. The civilizations did not understand nor take the threats to their society, collectively as “serious.” Although there were lone voices within the social structure in some cases that foretold of the threat, in most cases the threats were not seen as very serious and “allowed to hang around” until they either gained sufficient strength or wore down Empire, or the Empire itself just lost the will to fight. The military forces were looked down upon.

2. Economic troubles and over reliance on technology or slave labor. With the society seeming to be at a constant state of war, and being attacked from outside forces, there were forces from within that also were at odds with the empire. The empire started to show signs of weakness. The infrastructure began to crumble from within and due to severe financial crisis very little could be done. The constant wars and preparations for war had significantly lightened the coffers. Instead of tightening fiscal policies the governments increased taxes. Oppressive taxation and inflation had widened the gap between rich and poor. In most cases, the wealthy class fled to the countryside and set up independent fiefdoms to avoid the taxman.

3. The loss of traditional values - the core values of the population had been lost. Fundamental views, whatever they were, eventually were abandoned completely.

4. Weakening of the military forces. Throughout history, dominant societies, empires, or kingdoms have all been accented by strong militaries. It would only be logical then that there is a definite correlation between a strong military and a great society or civilization.

5. Deemphasizing of authority, nationalism, with greater dependency on mercenaries, imports, outsourcing, contingency workers and contractual personnel or conscripts

6. Leadership incompetence and political corruption. As each society began to fall, the people faced leadership instability. There existed a lack of competence in the higher echelons of power and the levels of government became more and more corrupt. Instead of doing right for the society, the politicians became more concerned with their own personal agenda and protecting their power base.

7. The arrival of outside cultures and their migration. As other cultures are accepted into the immigration system, the ability of the social structure is taxed to the breaking point putting additional strains on the financial systems causing the citizens to pay even higher taxes. As the immigrants are brought in, in ever increasing numbers, their contributions are not significant enough to balance the stress caused on other social systems thus promoting more and more discontent and dissatisfaction.

8. General hoarding, cheating, acceptance of bribery and corruption as the norm. The people in general were more concerned with their own personal welfare than the welfare of their neighbors or neighborhoods. In the beginning, the studied societies studied had pulled together for the betterment of the general welfare of the society as a whole, whereas in the waning years the population was only concerned with self-promotion and their own personal situation. This is otherwise known as a shift to "lifeboat ethics."

#Edited from previous post on Oct.13 2016 #(TO BE CONTINUED)

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les-bi-katamari · 6 years

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SESSION 12

We pick up right there in the middle of the road. The carriage-driver has taken off - Brianne tells Ghorza her demon book was in it.

Ghorza turns to the soldiers, unarmed, and says, “I hope you can believe that we are not your enemies.” We start talking about the undead in the forest - the soldiers were entirely unaware of them, saying it sounded impossible since ranger captains regularly patrol the forest. We started asking them more about Theris, and tell them the real story, and ask if any of the rangers have gone missing. They suddenly start to remember many, many, many people who have vanished, that they hadn’t been thinking of, how could they not have realized -

Ghorza suddenly remembers the thing Megs had saw, that had stolen their memories of it. When she brings it up, Megs doesn’t really know much, but says that it’s very “out of sight, out of mind.”

While Ghorza tries to comfort them, Apphia and Brianne go to investigate the Purifier’s sword. Apphia managed to pick it up, with no adverse affects aside from getting a faint sense of the violence inherent in it.

Brianne examines the sword more. The Abyssal text is similar to what we’ve seen before; only the gold in the runes is different. Gold is, of course, a metal associated with purity - and Lyrae’s scales and leaves were also gold. It seems to be significantly associated with more powerful monsters. This transformation was also instantaneous, with no prolonged ritual necessary, and produced a much stronger creature. The ritual may have been prepared ahead of time?

Reminder note: one of Galaias’s epithets is ‘the golden-scaled’

Most of the people the soldiers have been talking about are outriders, rangers. Apphia recognizes a couple from her friendship with one of her dad’s guards? Brianne retrieves the fake warrant from the ground; Ghorza talks soldier talk with the remaining elves and invites them back to Vassarein, where their patron might help protect them.

Apphia asks Ghorza to carry the body of the fallen soldier over to her. Since the fire, everything smells like blood and fire and Ghorza… likes it. When she approaches the corpse, broken and bloody, torn by the Knight’s jaws… GOD it smells good. She’s hungry again. She carefully avoids drooling, sets the body down, and backs the hell off. Apphia lets the soldiers say their goodbyes and give last rites before the pyre.

We start discussing plans for getting to Vassarein. The soldiers have two horses; Cadence is a third. That accounts for six riders: we have the three elves, Ghorza, Apphia, Brianne, Megs, and Nemeth. Nemeth (and then Megs) offer to stay and wait for the next carriage.

“Megs says, ‘We’re basically best friends now!’ Nemeth stares at you like she’s on the Office.”

We also decide to leave the sword with Nemeth, since it doesn’t seem magicky any more. She’ll bring it and we’ll have it melted down.

[I, OOC, insist that Ghorza should ride with one of the elves, since that will leave Apphia and Brianne together on Cadence. Plus she’s like bonded with the soldiers and stuff.]

There’s a LONG discussion between Gwen and Megan about which of Brianne and Apphia should be in front, whether animal handling proficiency would be necessary to ‘steer’ Cadence (Lin: “CADENCE IS NOT ACTUALLY A HORSE!”), and land vehicle proficiency (Lin: “yes, she would count as a land vehicle”) before we finally set out.

We get back to Vassarein and track down the carriage pretty easily - it’s more Fantasy Amtrak, it’s a public service, core infrastructure of the Marches thing - and tip him very heavily as we retrieve our stuff. I give the elves some money for a meal, send ‘em to the Orcish Forge and tell them to tell her moms that Ghorza sent them. It’ll be an hour until the next carriage arrives.

While waiting for the tieflings, we read up on demons:

“Bloody-Handed Galaias was once summoned at the behest of a sadistic elven warlord who desired the subjugation of another elven city that had resisted his assaults up until then. Having long nursed his hatred and arcane power from the depths of the Abyss, she answered his call and led an army of elves and demons to reduce his enemies to ruin. Then the Purifying Light tortured the elf to death, trapped his soul, and forced him to watch her devour his family before devouring him as well. Drunk on the blood and terror of her summoner’s former subjects, she was later banished by an alliance of powerful heroes, and the tyrant’s nascent empire collapsed in her wake.”

…Ghorza’s resolve to not give in to Galaias is strengthened because WHAT THE FUCK.

We wonder if this might be the history of Isvanir and Tarjanir, the ruined elven city where the Oneiric Lens was found? It is NOT, according to Apphia; this is something else. That said, it IS kinda similar. “Two is a coincidence, more is a pattern.” Galaias ‘the Feybane’ seems to be targeting elves again, and places linked to the Fey like Azure Glade.

The fall of Tarjanir: it was besieged by the dwarves, and the desperate elves did… something. The dwarves vanished from their mountain halls shortly after - at least, they haven’t been heard from since, and they are presumed dead. The site of Tarjanir is abandoned now, said to be haunted by the ghosts of elves and dwarves, and people Do Not Go There. Tons of refugees from Tarjanir settled in Vassarein, living mostly in slums.

[Various ooc quotes: “Yeah, I’ve plotted Apphia’s family all the way back to the dragon and the dragon-fucker.” “Dragons are too powerful for gender” “True vers / Neutral bangin” “With Ceremony, I could only marry humanoids within 10 feet of me, so we’d be limited to a 25-person marriage.” “Unless… we create new geometries in defiance of the DnD rules…” “Okay so how many wives could we stack into a 10-foot cube?” “Well, a dome is a more stable structure.” “Okay, so for the stability of the WifeDome…” “You know, in the Astral Plane there’s no gravity, so we could make it a complete sphere, maximize the number of wives in the spell’s volume.”]

OKAY BACK TO THE BOOK “Galaias was a giant in life - a Fomorian. She is a patron to them, but is a minor power, despite her immense strength, because the Fomorians were cursed by the Archfey to lose their beauty, their magic, and their minds. There are few Fomorians remaining who have the mental capacity remaining to understand Galaias, let alone worship her. Thus she reaches out to the lesser races.”

The next carriage arrives after an hour with the Tieflings - Megs is riding on top, sprawled and clinging to a luggage rack. We hear laughter from inside - a older gentlewoman in fine clothes, middle merchant class, is blushing and saying “Oh, you’re TERRIBLE!” Nemeth says, “Oh, you have no idea yet how terrible I can be. I’ll see you again.” She flirts a lot more as the woman leaves. Ghorza gives Nemeth a high-five.

It becomes apparent that no one else remembered that The Orcish Forge is a bakery, so we just stash the sword there for now, and do not melt it down in the bread ovens.

Megs suggests that she could probably sneak in, like, you know, she could. Apphia says her plan is to Alter Self into a specific maid, get to Ivandra, and get her to bring Silenne with her. Megs says “okay, well, I was just saying I could. I don’t have to or anything. I’ll just go try to swipe some food-” “Did you literally just tell me you’re planning to go steal from my parents.” “NO, I’m not going to steal from them! Just like see if they would give-” “You said swipe!” “I just meant, like, they might give me some, cause we’re friends now!” It was beautiful. Lin plays Megs REALLY well.

We head off - the rest of us are going to go into the castle too, but try to hide in the conservatory to ambush not-Silenne. Apphia will get a head start.

[She heads up first - the servants’ entrance is unlocked. She enters, holding a cloth bundle that is actually her cloak. She heads up to Ivandra’s room - it appears to be just the two of them. Ivandra looks exhausted, her chambers disorganized. Apphia’s plan goes off without a hitch and she heads on down to meet us.]

The rest of us just kinda headed on up to the servant’s entrance and didn’t know what to do. We don’t know the way to the conservatory. We decide to just walk in and act like we’re supposed to be there. Ghorza absolutely talks chummily to the chefs and offers to help them out, and there’s no problem. I chat with them a bit. Apphia comes to fetch us and we go to hide in the Solarium, waiting for Ivandra to bring not-Silenne. It’s empty and beautiful. We all take up positions.

Megs tries to hide behind a flower arrangement and Ghorza herds her back to the wall. M: “I totally had it under control, and it was fine, and you just had to cramp my style-” G:“Yeah, I hate fun.” M: “You kinda do?” G: “Sorry. I’ll make it up to you, okay?” A: “Please keep quiet!”

As not-Silenne walks in and the doors shut, Apphia immediately charms her. We start investigating and discover Silenne is alive, locked in a cupboard in her room. We convince her Ivandra is on the cult’s side now to keep her talking, making allusions to killing off Aren.

Spy: “Well, he is busy - facing the Hordes of Ardazhan alone - if I was facing them down alone I’d be worried”

Uhhhh. We press for more, what the fuck?

Spy: “Whole lot of nasty characters went dormant after a failed conquest of this region. And now… they’re waking up. Dwarves, from the north. They’ve fallen to demons. You know. Aron’s gone up with soldiers to try and stem the tide. He’s hoping Isvanir will send help, but I think we both know it won’t be coming! Soon Cyric will have what he wants.”

G: “…and what does our God want, again?”

Spy: “Heh, you should ask this one [Ivandra]. It wasn’t too long ago you were playing for the other team.”

I: “No more! No more talk! We need to stop her, now!”

And it’s a fight, as a teal-green light builds up in Ivandra’s hands and she hurls a spell at the spy. “Silenne” flickers, and the illusion drops, revealing a gaunt woman with messy brown hair and a twisted scar across her cheek and jaw, dressed in studded leather armor. We drop her EXTREMELY fast, nonlethally. Ivandra says, “What are you doing?! Finish her!” but we talk her down. Ivandra rushes off to find the real Silenne, and we loot and tie up the spy.

She had some standard armor and shortsword, as well as thieves’ tools and a poisoner’s kit. We decide to keep the tools as a spare (Ghorza will carry them). Then there’s this exchange.

Ghorza: “Is Megs gonna take the poisoner’s kit?” Megs: “Uh, NO? Why would you think I would want that?” G: “Um, sorry, I just - you pick locks and stuff-” M: “That doesn’t mean I KILL PEOPLE! … I mean, I do, but like, it’s not one of my favorite pastimes or anything! I don’t go looking for new fancy ways of killing people! Arrow does just fine.” G: “Yeah. Sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed.” M: “Tell you what. Bake me something good, and we’ll call it even.” G: “Deal”. Megs raises her hand. Imp: “Ok, Ghorza goes in for a- wait was Megs going for a fist bump or a handshake? (Handshake.) Okay, Ghorza goes in for a fist bump, but then switches to-” “Megs also switches.” They sorta give up. (beat) Brianne: “So if noone else wants it, I’ll take the poisoner’s kit!”

We tie up the unconscious spy and mull over the new revelations.

End session.

#recap #day 5

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