#but where althea's towering resentment has to be navigated through her pragmatism and dealing with tybalt

[anghraine]

So, I'm playing Xiulan with my family in our GW2 sessions, and still having a lot of fun, though I'm a bit unsure when it comes to judging how much damage to absorb after almost always playing light armor spellcasters (my mother's main is an elementalist with Power stats, so my usual judgment of how much damage she and Althea could take was "none").

I've only gotten Xiulan's storyline to the beginning of the Vigil arc and I haven't written anything on pro patria in ages, but I am having "AU Xiulan in pro patria" thoughts nevertheless! I mean, she definitely exists in the pro patria universe (along with AU versions of my headcanon-y PCs like Magister Isabel and Lightbringer Gwen). And given that the early Vigil arc takes place in Althea's birthplace, which Althea is visiting at this moment in pro patria ... hmm.

Hmmmm.

#anghraine babbles #anghraine's gaming #anghraine's headcanons #fic talk #fic talk: pro patria #ascalonian grudgeblog #xiulan azar #althea fairchild #most vigil members in the area are all 'these silly ascalonians with their silly grudges about being nearly wiped off the face of tyria' #and meanwhile xiulan is there and not about to talk about being orrian but she feels plenty of solidarity wrt the towering resentment #about just having to accept that the culture whose actions led pretty directly to her diaspora never cared about that and still don't #and are never going to make it right #but where althea's towering resentment has to be navigated through her pragmatism and dealing with tybalt #xiulan is more like ... you know how sometimes people are super intense about being good allies to the point of seeming a bit odd #and then two years later they've realized they're actually gay or whatever #this is a bit like that—she's a canthan-krytan just being a good ally to other humans. the best ally! so sympathetic and understanding! #and eventually she and althea are on good enough terms that she confides that she's understanding bc she UNDERSTANDS #althea (blankly): yes that's what- #xiulan: it's not theoretical. i know exactly how you feel. #althea: you're ascalonian? why didn't you ever say anything? #xiulan (taking a deep breath): i'm not. it's ... my mother's family. they were from orr until—you know. #althea: O_O #obviously they'll make out eventually. still figuring out the details of that also :P #better just start this tag now: #althea x xiulan