Tumgik
#choose love help refugees
xtruss · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
7 notes · View notes
charitabledirection · 10 months
Text
Liam Payne painting's of One Direction featured on a t-shirt on sale in support of Choose Love
Tumblr media
View On WordPress
9 notes · View notes
lucrezianoin · 8 months
Text
Here is how to get astarion approval so high he will proposition you before the tieflings party. No evil choices, just some chaos. The score you want is 40.
Not all of these are necessary btw, if you di all of this you'll get over 40. Avoid what sounds too evil and check that you're getting up to 40. Also remember that for the party romance you actually only need 20.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
- When Lae'zel is in the cage, talk to her before releasing her and ask her to say "please"
- Attacking the thieves at the ruined temple
- When Shadowheart mention needing a cure (at camp) make sure to choose the option about being cautious
- When you meet with Zevlor, refuse to help saying you have your own problems. (you can help anyway, don't worry)
- When Lae'zel meets the tiefling and ask him to bow, go along with her at least once, then you can stop her and apologise to the poor man
- When you meet Wyll, you can talk with the guy training the children. Tell the children that they will all die
- After saving Arabella, tell the druid woman that you just wanted to see what would happen
- When you meet Auntie Ethel at the refugees' camp, let her fuss over you and then tell her about the tadpoles
- You know the kid with the magic ring trick? Pocket that ring
- When you meet the two siblings mourning their dying brother, Astarion will approve of you send them to face the owlbear (but I never choose this, because it makes me sad). But I think the big approval comes in the dialogue just next, where you can say that using the tadpole seems like a great idea
- At the blighted village, when the goblin spots you, you will get approval if you attack them back
- Say boooo to Volo
- Open the door where the sexy moans are happening
- At the entrance of the goblin camp, if you can, thow shit at the guard
- There's a goblin that will ask you to kneel and kiss his foot. Uno reverse it, and intimidate him
- Let the cleric at the goblin whip you
- After you free the owlbear, pet them at camp
- Get the necromancy of thay, and the amethyst that fits in it and give it to Astarion
- Recruit Karlach with him in the party
- Killing the monster Hunter will also shoot up your approval of TEN POINTS. I usually never kill him, but if you're close to the party and you really want to get to 40, this is also an option
- When you meet Raphael, agree with Astarion that you should not trust him
- If you decide to do auntie ethel too, make sure to convince her to free Maryna and get the deal at the same time
Now, I think the majority of approval will come with how you talk with him at camp.
- Go along with his dialogue about killing you if there's any tentacle showing. Just play along, don't shut him down
- Go along with the "whose blood would you drink" dialogue. Your answer doesn't really matter as long as you don't shut him down
- When he bites you, of course, offer to give him your blood
- During the mirror dialogue (sometimes it happens pre-sleeping together) you can insult him a bit (you're not aging gracefully), but at the second reply reassure him. The last reply is fine for all the lines and they seem to all get approval, as long as you don't just leave.
In general this is usually all I need to get to 40, which is pretty high. In my last playthrough I managed to also get to 40 without doing many of these.
But as I said, you only need 20. Just remember that he likes being petty and asserting dominance over others, he loves the tadpole, he is cautious, he's a little silly and chaotic, he's selfish, he likes joking and talking so don't shut him down.
Just remember that he's much more explicit about sex being an exchange if you get the proposition before the party, and you end up missing the scene of the party. Up to you! If you see that he's at 40 he will proposition the moment you talk to him, so if you accidentally got his approval too high and want to see both scenes you can technically kill the goblin leaders and free halsin, talk to him, then when you sleep you get directly to the party where you will have the party scene too.
3K notes · View notes
thesummerestsolstice · 2 months
Text
So I think one thing that really drives Feanor is his grief– he looses Miriel, and he very clearly never recovers from that. There's the pain of loosing a parent and the added layer of Miriel's death being, on some level, a choice to leave Feanor. You can't tell me he didn't internalize the idea that he wasn't good enough for his mother to stay ay least a little. And I can't help but imagine that most of Valinor really wasn't helpful. There was probably a lot of vague sympathy with no real understanding of the situation, people who in theory thought Feanor had the right to grieve but reacted pretty badly to any actual displays of grief, and some people who insisted that Miriel chose to stay dead, Finwe and Indis were happily married, and therefore, Feanor shouldn't feel sad about it anymore. Even for those with more understanding of grief, it's still a really complicated situation. But you know who would understand Feanor?
Elrond. And the reason is Elros and Arwen– Elrond knows what it's like when someone you love dearly chooses to leave you, essentially forever, not because they don't care about you or because you weren't good enough, but because they have to make the best choice for themselves. And how you can respect that choice, and be glad that they did what they needed to, but still grieve them and the relationship you had with them. He understands those complicated feelings and how to process them in a healthy and non-destructive way.
And I'm losing my mind over this because Feanor is the one who starts the kinslayings and the cycle of violence between elves, and Elrond is the end result of all that violence; born to two refugees and raised largely by Feanor's sons. But despite all that, he's good and kind and able to focus on healing instead of pain. He ends the violence and makes a sanctuary where everyone is welcome. And he's able to do what Feanor never could, and not be consumed by his pain. And that means so much.
490 notes · View notes
ghostboneswrites2 · 2 months
Note
Hello! First of all I love your stories so much💖 and hope you're having an amazing day. I wanted to ask if you could write something with this, feel free to decline if not 😊
I have this idea of Daryl and the reader being a thing before the apocalypse, Merle hated his girl and left her closed in a place with loads of walkers around without D knowing(something similar to what happens to him in Atlanta) but she manages to escape and survive thanks to what D has taught her. The group at the prison helps her after finding her tiredly fighting some walkers close to there. D and M are in the woods and the scene of D's back comes and says that the reader was his saviour for staying with him even after that and that they were planning to escape and get married. They arrive at the prison and she punches M in the face and well says to D everything that happened. M gets to see how D gets around Reader and before leaving the prison says to reader to take care of his bro and "sacrifices" himself going to fight the governor, D and r found him already turned and they both cry, promising to take care of each other.
I love the detail here! Plz forgive me, this turned out way longer than I intended. Nearly 5k words! I hope I did your vision justice! It was getting pretty long so I had to cut and tweak some things but I tried make sure to include all your key details!
Separated
Summary: You and the Dixon brothers are on your way to Atlanta to find that refugee center you heard about on the radio before they stopped broadcasting. When your journey is interrupted and you and Merle get separated from Daryl, Merle impulsively leaves you trapped and stranded in fear Daryl would choose you over him if it came down to it. When you're reunited with your love, you face tragedy together.
Note: There are some time jumps here. They're labeled to hopefully avoid confusion. Also some canon dialogue <3 A lot of your backstory with the Dixons wasn't totally necessary but I was trying to create a ~vibe~
18+ MDNI || Warnings: profanity, TWD typical violence, canonically moral deficient character, death and dying, mentions of alcohol and pills
Tumblr media
the way he cowers and shrinks away from Merle's walker makes me cry every time omg
Then:
        Things went south so fast. The three of you were traveling relatively trouble free. The guys could hunt, and Daryl had taught you a thing or two yourself, so food was never an issue. Finding water wasn't as hard as it would be later down the line. All the supplies left in homes and stores hadn't been completely ransacked yet. It was the beginning of the outbreak. With Merle's truck, Daryl's bike, some weapons and supplies, and the general survival skills you were learning from the two of them, fleeing to the city to find that refugee center had been as easy as something like that could get, until the water ran out.
        It should have been an easy pit stop. The town was small. Your grandma would have called it a 'blink of an eye' town, because when you passed towns so small on a trip they'd fly by in the blink of an eye. There was a general store right on the corner, so that was where you decided to start the search. Just some water, maybe first aide and booze. Who knew what you'd find? The truck was parked right outside the store. Daryl wanted a smoke. He said he'd meet you and Merle inside. Then the growls started. Daryl could hear them from a distance, so he knew it was a big herd. 
        None of you had had much trouble with the big groups of them yet. So far, maybe ten or fifteen at a time. You killed the ones that got too close and fled as fast as you could. No unnecessary risks, that was the rule. Merle always said if he died it would be from something cool like a police shootout or a bank robbery. He refused to go out the way those things took people out. Daryl always said he'd shoot himself before he let them get the chance to eat him alive or turn him. He'd never be a walking corpse. You? Daryl always said you were too pretty to die. You just said you were too much of a badass. 
        Daryl popped his head inside. There were only two freaks inside and they were easy enough to take down, so you and Merle were just looting by then. 
        "Incoming. We gotta head out." Daryl announced.
        "Just a second, baby brother. I'm lookin' for the whiskey." Merle said.
        "Ain't got time for that. I can hear 'em comin'." Daryl insisted. You zipped your bag up with everything you had found so far, including the water, and walked toward your broody boyfriend with a half smile.
        "There were exactly three waters left. How's that for good luck?" You said to him.
        "Why'd'ya think I keep ya 'round? You're my good luck charm." He winked before slapping the window to get Merle's attention. "C'mon, man! No unnecessary risks!" 
        You slipped past Daryl and stepped outside, throwing your bag in the bed of the truck. You could hear the moans and groans. You turned your attention in the direction of the noise and you could see the heads peeking up over a hill. Your eyes grew wide as your heart sped up.
        "Uh... Guys? We gotta go!" You called out, not taking your eyes off the herd that was slowly coming into view. You had never seen so many of them.
        "Merle, come on!" Daryl was growing more aggravated and impatient as the seconds ticked by. 
         Daryl jogged back to the truck just as Merle was emerging from the little shop. With no sense of urgency in sight, Merle just looked over the bottle of Jack he had found as he casually strolled over to the driver's side. You scooted into the middle seat and Daryl hopped in the passenger spot and slammed his door shut.
        "Hurry up, man!" Daryl urged his brother. 
        Merle grumbled some smartass remark about being afraid of 'a few dead bodies' as he cranked the engine and hit the gas, speeding away.
Now
        You were so sore. So exhausted. So ready to just give in, but you couldn't. You refused to give in that easy. Someone told you once that you were too pretty to die, and you took that to heart. 
        You kept swinging your machete at them as they closed in on you. You were cornered between a building and a fence. What the hell were you supposed to do now? You had no idea, but you were determined to figure it out. You had gotten yourself out of worse situations.
Then
        "Gon' have to circle back somewhere to get back on the interstate." Daryl informed, looking at the map.
        "I don't need a second driver." Merle waved him off. You rolled your eyes. You were glad to be surviving something so scary with the man you loved, but the third wheel was getting hard to live with. 
        "Whatever, man." Daryl huffed, turning his attention to the window instead of paying his brother any mind.
        You kept your attention on the rearview mirror, relieved to see the herd fading away as the truck rolled forward. Those things really freaked you out, especially when they were all together like that, stumbling and bumping into each other carelessly.
        A mile or so down the road, you heard a loud pop and the engine started to sputter. "Ah, hell." Merle sighed. 
        "What?" Daryl asked, leaning forward to see his brother.
        "Gas is empty." He replied, looking down at the dash.
        "Are you kiddin' me?" Daryl asked incredulously. "Ya didn't think to check before?"
        "I did check, but I thought we'd be back on the interstate by now. Plenty o' cars to siphon a li'l fuel from back there." Merle defended. 
        "Hate to raise the stakes even higher here," you interrupted. "But, that herd is gonna be catching up soon, so we need to figure something out."
        Merle shot you a sideways glance. If it was up to him he would have just left you back home and fled with his brother, but Daryl insisted on picking you up. Now, he couldn't even hop on his bike with his baby brother and sail away to safety because there wouldn't be room for you and Daryl would never agree. He wasn't the greatest brother, but he wouldn't leave Daryl behind either.
        "Wha's that?" Daryl suddenly asked, breaking the tense silence as the three of you considered your pressing circumstances.
        You both turned your attention to what the archer was pointing out. Just beyond the treeline was a small wooden structure. Some kind of shack. 
        "A house?" You wondered.
        "Nah. Shed or somethin'." Daryl figured.
        "Maybe we can hide there and let the freaks pass by. They're pretty stupid, right? Maybe they'll just keep going straight if we don't draw their attention." You suggested.
        "Won't even know we're there." Daryl agreed.
        "Well then let's quit the yappin' and get over there before they see us." Merle drawled as he pushed his door open. Daryl got out and offered you a hand while you stepped out of the truck. Your posh parents never liked him much, but they never saw what a gentlemen he could really be. You had cut ties with them long before the dead started roaming.
Now
        You were beginning to think maybe this was really the end. It really wasn't that many. Seven at the most. But you were just so tired. You lazily swung the blade into a skull and struggled to yank it out. You had climbed on top of a dumpster, so at least they couldn't reach you, but you were still trapped until you could get rid of them. You wondered how stupid it would be to take a quick nap. Surely one of them would reach you eventually. You decided against it.
Then
        Without any spoken agreement, the three of you grabbed any supplies you thought you'd need and jogged over to the dilapidated structure. It was vacant and smelled faintly of mildew and rotting wood.
        "It'll do." Merle sighed.
        "Do? This is a mansion compared to the truck." You remarked, stretching your body. You were stiff from so much sitting. 
        The three of you watched silently through the cracks in the door as the herd stumbled by with their swinging arms and dragging feet. The smell was something you couldn't get used to, and with so many of them, it was strong. You gagged quietly. Daryl rubbed a hand up and down your back when he noticed.
        The three of you really thought you were fine. You outsmarted the dead ones and soon you'd be on your way again. You had never been so wrong about anything before.
        Merle got a little too comfortable given the situation. He went and dug through his duffel for his whiskey. He had been drinking so much you wondered if his piss could get someone drunk. The entire time you'd been on the road with them, the man had managed to find liquor everywhere he went. There wasn't a single day he hadn't been drunk, and if there had been, you were sure he'd have a stash of pills to keep him feeling nice. You guessed you couldn't blame him. Shit was rough nowadays.
        When Merle found the bottle he dropped it and it shattered. After giving Merle a look that could kill, Daryl turned his attention back to the herd. A few of them were veering off. The sound had caught their attention. Only a few heard, but as they started walking toward the shed, more followed. 
        "Shit." You whispered. 
        "This place ain't gon' hold." Daryl added.
        "My Jack." Merle complained.
        "Hell with your booze, man." Daryl scoffed as some of the dead started to claw at the outside. "We gotta go."
        "Go  where, baby brother?" 
        "We could take down the few that are at the door and break for the truck."  You thought.
        "Nah, too many on the road. But we can run off that way." Daryl nodded toward the back of the shed.
        "Okay." You nodded, throwing your bag over your shoulders and readying your machete.
        Merle haphazardly hooked his duffel and cocked his pistol.
        "No guns. Too loud." Daryl reminded him.
        "Relax. It's a last resort." Daryl shrugged, tucking it unto his belt. With a nod to each other, you and Daryl kicked the door open and took down two walkers. Merle was right behind you.
Now
        Tires screeched from ahead. You looked up and saw a car. A woman and a man got out of the vehicle and rushed over, taking down the walkers with ease and precision. Gee, you thought. Bet it's nice to have someone that has your back. 
        The couple walked over to the dumpster and eyed you cautiously, glancing at each other. "You okay?" The man finally asked.
        "Could use an espresso." You quipped.
        "What's your name?" The woman inquired.
        "(Y/N)." 
        "I'm Maggie." She introduced. "This is Glenn."
Then
        Only using your energy on the ones closest, the three of you darted deeper into the woods. They followed, because they saw you and now they wanted you. 
        Only, there were more in the trees than you anticipated. Usually the woods were pretty clear save for a few stragglers here and there. These woods were not. You wondered why, but there was no time to guess. You just kept running.
        Eventually there were just too many. Daryl got pushed further and further away as more and more emerged from behind trees. When you realized you couldn't see him anymore you called for him.
        "Quiet girl! He can take care o' himself. You're drawin' more to us!" Merle hissed. You reluctantly obeyed, because you knew he was right. Daryl probably evaded them somewhere and would meet you both back at the truck.
        When the running began to take its toll and your chest started to burn, you put more of a focus on searching for somewhere to hide. To your advantage, there was an overgrown cabin not too far ahead. erle peered over his shoulder.
        "We're losin' em. Let's get inside an' wait 'em out. Daryl 'll meet us back at the truck when it passes." He strategized well for his inebriated state.
        "Okay." You breathed, just grateful for a chance to stop and rest.
Now
        "Need some help? Maggie asked, offering you a hand as you slid off the edge of the dumpster.
        "Thanks." 
        "You have a group?" Glenn wondered. Maggie gave him an unsure look. You noticed Glenn looked pretty beat up. You wondered what happened.
        "No." You said lowly. You did have people, but you were left behind. 
        "Well.." Glenn trailed off, looking to Maggie as if to silently ask what they should do with you.
        "You can come with us. Can't promise you can stay though." She spoke up.
Then
        The cabin had been vacant for a long time. Some of the old dusty furniture remained so you both sat down and just breathed. You handed him a water bottle and sipped on one for yourself while you waited. It felt like hours had gone by. It had grown dark out. Merle peeked out of the window. There were a bunch of them all around, but they had no idea the two of you were in there. It seemed like they lost their lead and just stopped, staggering around in the same spot. 
         "There's a lot of 'em, but they ain't payin' attention. I say we leave out the back an' sneak back toward the road." Merle suggested. You thought for a second. 
        "Yeah," you nodded. "Okay." 
        Just as you passed it by, Merle suddenly shoved you in a closet and shut it behind you.
        "Merle, what the fuck, man?" You complained, banging at the door. It wouldn't budge.
        "Quiet, now. Don't wanna draw in any unwanted attention." He taunted. You sighed.
        "Merle, c'mon this isn't funny."
        "'Fraid it ain't a joke, Darlin. Truck's outta gas an' my bike only carries two."
        Your heart sank.
        "Daryl isn't just gonna leave without me." You reminded.
        "He won't have a choice when I tell 'im 'bout how them dead ones took ya down." He mockingly lamented. "It was just terrible, ya know? They grabbed her. I couldn't pull'er away in time before they got to chompin'."
        "The hell, dude? Don't do this!" You begged, banging at the door again.
        "Look. Ya got your bag in there, got your weapon, got your wits. You'll figure it out." He reasoned.
        "Not if I'm trapped!" 
        "I'm sure you can kick that slab o' wood down if ya try hard enough." He was getting further away by the sounds of it. "Jus' try not to be too loud. Don't want 'em hearin' ya."
Now
        "I'd be grateful." You admitted. "I haven't had anywhere to rest in a while. I have some medicine here I'd be happy to share in exchange for a good night of rest."
        "Watcha got?" Maggie asked.
        "We actually came out her for medicine." Glenn added.
        "Some antibiotics, some Benadryl, some stuff for pain. Oh, and I found an EpiPen. I'm allergic to bees, so." 
        "Antibiotics is what we need." Maggie said.
        "Yeah, whatever you need. Thanks again."
        They still hit a few stores while you rested in their car. Maggie made sure to grab the keys just in case you tried anything, but you were too tired to try even if you wanted to. When they had found everything they thought they'd need for the prison, they drove you back. Rick and the others were apprehensive, with everything happening with Woodbury and recently losing one of their best fighters. Daryl was also their hunter, their tracker, and generally someone they all relied on.
        You explained to them that you were traveling with some people to Atlanta but they left you behind and you'd been on the move ever since. "I'd be glad to sleep outside if it makes you more comfortable." You said to Rick. "I can leave in the morning. I just really need somewhere to sleep."
        Rick studied you for an uncomfortably long time before he asked, "How many walkers have you killed?"
        "Walkers?" You asked. You'd never heard that term before.
        "The dead." He clarified.
        "Oh... I don't know, really. A lot."
        "How many people have you killed?"
        "None." You said honestly. "But there is one person I might beat to death if I ever see him again."
        "Why?" 
        "He left me stranded, surrounded by the dead."
The Next Morning
        Rick let you sleep in a separate cell block. He let you know you'd be locked in for a the night but that he'd come get you in the morning to talk. You didn't really care. You just wanted rest. 
        When he came and got you that morning you were offered a warm meal, which you gladly accepted. You made sure to give them the majority of your antibiotics as a show of gratitude. 
        Meanwhile, deep in the woods, two rednecks were hashing it out. Name calling, shoving, whatever it took to unleash all the pent up frustrations they had between each other.
        See, in all that time Daryl spent with Rick and their group, he began to find a side of himself that was suppressed with his brother around. The only person to ever make him believe he could be good was taken from him before they made it to the quarry. Merle, on the other hand, only represented everything that Daryl was trying to put behind him. Merle was capable of hurting good people or looking the other way instead of helping someone in danger. If only Daryl knew some of the things Merle had really done.
        "There was a baby!" Daryl defended as Merle laid into him for risking his own ass to save a family on a bridge.
        "Oh, otherwise ya woulda just left 'em to the biters." Merle retorted.
        "Man, I went back for ya. Ya weren't there. I didn't cut off your hand, neither. You did that. Way before they locked you up on that roof. You asked for it."
        "You know what's funny to me? Hmm? You and Sheriff Rick are like this now." Merle said, locking his two fingers together. "I bet you a penny and a fiddle o' gold you never told him that we were plannin' on robbin' that camp blind."
        "It didn't happen!" Daryl snapped. "And we woulda never had to if ya didn't let the truck run out o' gas! And my girlfriend wouldn't be dead!" Daryl's chest was heaving as his eyes stung, threatening to spill fresh tears at the thought of her. Merles eyes flashed something Daryl couldn't quite decipher.
        "It didn't happen 'cause I wasn't there to help you!"
        "When we were kids.. Who left who then, huh?" Daryl frowned.
        "What? Huh, is that why I lost my hand?" Merle rasped.
        "You lost your hand 'cause you're a simple-minded piece o' shit!" 
        "Yeah?!" Merle lost it. He grabbed Daryl by the shirt. "You don't know!"
        When Daryl fell to the ground, his shirt ripped down the back. Merle froze. His chest felt tight as he stared down at the gruesome scene left on Daryl's back from years of abuse at the hands of their father. "I -- I didn't know --"
        "Yeah, ya did." Daryl's voice cracked as he pushed himself to his feet. "That's why ya left. But (Y/N), she never left. She was always there, man. Always. She was the one who saved me. She protected me. Not you, man!" He wiped a tear as he took a breath between heated words. "We were gon' run away, gon' get the hell outta that town and get married, maybe start a family. I don't know, and I never will thanks to you!"
        He did blame his big brother for the loss of his love, but not in the way that he should have. He blamed Merle's clumsiness, carelessness, and negligence. He had no idea that Merle trapped and abandoned you.
Later
        Daryl went back home to the prison. Merle couldn't stand too watch him leave, so he followed. Guilt was starting to eat at him, gnawing away at his insides, mouthfuls at a time. He almost felt nauseous hearing about you and what Daryl had planned with you. He tried to imagine his battered baby brother in a nice little house with a wife and kids. Hell, he even tried to picture it for himself, but the image wasn't clear enough for it to seem possible. All either of them had ever known was violence and loneliness. That was why they needed each other. That was why he had to get rid of you.
        You had just finished a tour of the prison. Rick told you that you could stay for a while, but he didn't know if he trusted you as one of them. He shared a little about a rival community with a crazed leader. You understood. You never expected to stick around, even if they offered. You couldn't see yourself trusting anyone after what Merle did to you.
        You were sitting in the cell you slept in the night before, sharpening your machete and thinking about the things that you couldn't change. You heard distant voices echoing from the other block. It was some sort of confrontation from the sound of it. You snuck over to the cellblock where everyone stayed and peeked around a corner. Glenn and Maggie were blocking most of your view, but they seemed to be the most pissed off. Rick was off to the side trying to mediate.
        "You can't let him stay. Not after what he did to Glenn!" Maggie demanded.
        "He goes, I go."
        You stopped breathing. That voice sent chills up and down your spine. 
        "Okay." Rick held his hand out, attempting to set forward a solution but the room fell silent as you stepped into view. Merle noticed you first. He looked like he had seen a ghost.
        "Well, I'll shit bricks." He murmured in disbelief.
        "(Y/N)?" Daryl breathed, almost inaudibly. Your eyes were welling with tears as you stood just feet away from the man you loved.
        Daryl dropped everything and ran over to you, wrapping his arms around you and lifting you up. You couldn't even hug him back because your arms were trapped under his. All you could do was let out something between a giggle and sob.
        "Daryl." You whispered. Your body felt so perfect against his, just how he remembered. Then, it dawned on him. He set you down and turned to look at Merle, a blend of betrayal and fury flooding his eyes.
        "You said she was dead!" Daryl growled. 
        As everyone around you watched the scene before them unfold, they felt clueless. Daryl had never mentioned you because it hurt too much to bring up. Your feet began moving before you could even think. One second you were standing beside Daryl, then you blinked and you were inches away from Merle, rearing your fist back and striking his jaw with a force you didn't even know you were capable of. Merle stumbled and dropped to the ground holding his face. He moved his jaw around a little before he glared up at you.
        "Okay. I deserved that." He accepted.
        "Yeah, you did." You spat. 
        "Hold on. Someone care to explain what the hell's goin' on here?" Rick spoke out.
        You turned to Daryl, as if it was he who answered the question. You didn't care to share with the class. Daryl needed to know.
        "When we got separated in the woods.." You began, taking a breath. "Merle and I found a cabin. We hid there, waited for shit to blow over, and we were supposed to meet you back at the ruck. Merle figured you'd wait for us there."
        "And I left her." Merle admitted from behind you. You glanced back at him momentarily. You were surprised at his accountability.
        "In a closet." You added spitefully. "The place was surrounded. Took me forever to get out of there and even longer to get back to the truck. By then, you two and the bike were gone."
        Daryl's nostrils flared with rage. His fists were balled up so tight his knuckles turned white against his tan skin. His shoulders rose and fell with each heavy breath he took. He was so pissed, so hurt. The weight of the revelation had weighed him down so heavily that his boots felt like they were nailed to the ground. Otherwise, he would have lunged at his brother and beaten the teeth out of his skull. All that time Daryl spent in pain, mourning the loss of someone who wasn't gone. All because his brother didn't like her.
        "Why." Daryl growled.
        "The bike only fit two, man." 
That Night
        You sighed contently as Daryl traced little circles over your shoulder. Once it was decided to leave Merle in a cell, and everything had been explained to Rick, you and Daryl retired to his own cell to enjoy your reunion in private. He was laying on the bottom bunk, one foot crossed over the other as he stared into space, enjoying the feeling of your head on his chest and your arm and leg draped over him.
        "I missed you." You whispered, breaking a long, comfortable silence.
        "Mm." He hummed. "I mourned ya every day. I shoulda gone back."
        "Don't do that. We're together now. Don't blame yourself." 
        "Shoulda never believed 'im. I knew how jealous he was. Thought he'd get over it." He confessed. You smiled softly and nuzzled up closer, taking in a whiff of his sweaty scent.
        "Me too." You agreed. "But he left me with my bag. He didn't want me to die. I think he was afraid if only two of us fit on the bike you'd leave him behind."
        "Nah. Woulda had your sweet ass ride the handlebars." He teased, twirling a finger through your hair. You giggled, then you paused.
        "Wow. I think that's the first time I've laughed since we got split up." You realized.
        "Sure ya didn't find no boyfriends along the way?" He joked. He always did that when things felt too heavy between the two of you. You rolled your eyes, not that he could see it.
        "You say that like I've had a lot of those. We've been together since we were like, twenty." You laughed.
The Next Day
        Merle and Michonne had disappeared. You learned that the leader of the opposing community -- the Governor, as they called him -- wanted Michonne in exchange for peace, but Rick refused. Merle had likely taken her as a peace offering since he knew what the Governor was capable of.
        You and Daryl left to search for him. He took you to a spot where they had previously convened for negotiation. The two of you did a brief sweep of the area before stumbling across some walkers. You each took one down after another until you were left with only one. You froze when you registered what -- or who -- it was. 
        A sob immediately escaped Daryl as he fell backwards. You blinked back tears as you crouched down behind him and pulled him against you, rocking gently as Daryl wept. Merle's dead body clumsily pushed itself off the ground and onto its feet. You stood first, hoping to put it down before Daryl had to do it himself, but Daryl was quick to push past you. He violently shoved the corpse. It sumbled back, but it walked toward him again. Over and over Daryl shoved what was left of his brother as he cried. Tears were freeling spinning down your cheeks. 
        When Merle's body fell on its back, Daryl crawled on top of it and plunged his knife into its skull over and over and over until he collapsed.
        You wanted to intervene, to console, to be his rock, but something told you to let him get it out. He needed to. So, you waited until Daryl's blind rage simmered down and placed an assuring hand on his shoulder.
        "Wanna bury him?" You whispered.
        Daryl shook his head.
        "Okay." You relented. You glanced around your surroundings and noticed a patch of wildflowers off in the distance. "I'll be right back." You squeezed him gently before jogging over and gathering each and every flower in the patch. When you walked back over to where Daryl was hunched over Merle, he looked up at you with wet, red eyes. When he clocked the flowers, he gave a single nod and stood up beside you. You split the flowers in half and handed Daryl a bundle. The two of you placed them each individually around Merle's corpse.
        You thought back to a conversation you had with Merle the night before, when you couldn't sleep and went out of the cell to get some water.
        "Take care of my baby brother, will ya?" Merle's voice echoed through the quiet block.
        "I always have." 
"We'll take care of each other." Your vice cracked as you spoke. "Promise."
        "Promise." Daryl whispered.
Tumblr media
Join the taglist! || Masterlist
tags: @kissmeunicornbaobei @thesadcatt0 @clairealeehelsing @duckybird101 @tmntfixationxreader @ryoujoking @blackvelveteen1339 @yondus-girl @ladylincoln @sunshinebug9 @saylum559 @yoowhatthefuck @duffmckagansbandana @celtic-crossbow
227 notes · View notes
headspace-hotel · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media
source
joe biden makes me want to throw up but the USA's actions under his admin have much less to do with him personally and more to do with the entire putrefying mass of USA policy and its entire history and the situation of a compromise-based government system half dominated by the most rabid, hateful fascists imaginable.
every day I see a hundred posts on here saying "look at how bad Biden is, the two sides are the same and he is no better than a republican would be" and the revulsion in my heart at my country's actions agrees, yet the Republicans are frothing over Biden being marginally less bloodthirsty and furiously demanding far more violence and repression.
Honest to God I don't even know what to do with this. I'm not telling y'all, because I don't know. This country is a suicide bomb and the whole globe is strapped to it.
Like, on a lot of policies, it seems like both parties are further right than the majority of Americans. I don't think I even know anyone IRL who is pro- helping Israel bomb Palestine, and a lot of these people would probably consider themselves "moderate conservatives" or "centrists." The government makes no pretense of representing us at all.
It's the exact same with the climate; majorities in EVERY state, even red states, support taking action to mitigate climate change, and even the moderate liberal folks support policies more radical than anything the government manages to do. Republicans are attacking the Endangered Species Act, one of the most popular laws Congress ever passed! How do we even BEGIN to get out of this mess?
I looked up this Tom Cotton's Facebook and it is just as the article says and worse
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
I can't even begin to describe how monstrously Fox News has just straight up lied about the genocide in Palestine, calling any and all protests in support of Palestinians "Pro-Hamas." And there is a substantial minority of Americans whose whole grasp of the world is framed by Fox News, which turns their brains into a disgusting slurry like a racist plasmodial slime mold whose primitive network of neuron-like impulses responds to no other stimuli apart from fear and paranoia
When Ron Desantis was still running for presidential nomination one of his campaign promises was that we would stop sending humanitarian aid to Gaza and that we would not allow Gazan refugees into the country. It was on his Instagram back in November. How would Gazan refugees make it all the way over here??? Like sure we should take them if they wanna come but I think they just want their home back! That fucker had to INVENT a hypothetical opportunity for a compassionate act so he could demonstrate that he would choose the cruel option. He was widely despised, but still, it's terrifying.
And before you say "violently overthrow the government," the small percentage of Americans who are straight up openly Neo-Nazis own a LARGE percentage of the guns, and they love to organize into stupid little militias about it. You bet cops and ex-military overlap with this category a lot. A "leftist revolution" is a wet dream for these guys.
I know, I know, it's not unsolvable, I know the hateful folks are in the minority, I know a future is possible, I know violence and oppression cannot continue forever, but AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGHHHHHH
205 notes · View notes
isagrimorie · 2 months
Text
People give Janeway guff about not giving Kazon replicators and transporters. Still, it's proven repeatedly that giving one Kazon faction an advantage over the other would be mixing it up in an internal war that would LITERALLY shift the balance of power.
Klingons at least know the technology they have engineers, even as it's becoming a dying breed over Warriors.
TLDR in Alliance Chakotay and Tuvok convinces Janeway that making an alliance with a Kazon faction is the way to go.
And so she does finally concede on this little experiment but with a lot of reservations going in: That once they leave the infighting will go on, and might actually have been worse.
Tuvok naively thinks it might help and bring about a Federation.
B'Elanna then pushes forward Harry's sarcastic comment about forming an alliance with Seska and then at the first sign of this, Chakotay balks.
And then Janeway says something that I feel is her guiding principle in dealing with hard decisions:
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Janeway: "You can't have it both ways Commander. If you want to get in the mud with the Kazon you can't start complaining that you might get dirty."
Again, this is what I love about Janeway -- she gets flack for it but when Janeway makes a decision no one else wants to make it.
As I've mentioned in another post in tags: #right or wrong#i admire how janeway is always the one#who goes#the buck stops with me#she makes the hard choices on voyager#especially during debates#when the staff just goes around and around in circles#like in memorial where she starts just in the background#listening to the senior staff debate#from how janeway started in episode 2 of season 1#where she's presented with the horrific#sophie's choice of neelix dying because he has no lungs#and then subjecting another person to the same fate#to the (now boring debate about tuvix)#to this moment#to the moment on the memorial episode#she will take on that burden#and she will always stare at the hardest choice unflinchingly#because someone has to#as the 12th doctor once said#sometimes all your choices are bad ones#but you still have to choose#
In this episode, she allowed herself to be persuaded but she's not sold on it. But she's letting her crew run with it -- okay so we do this, but if we do this, we commit to it. And yet, at the first uncomfortable decisions... there's already balking. This was Janeway testing the waters if any other person on her senior staff could carry water about making the hard choices.
So far the ones who have stepped up were B'Elanna, Tom, and Neelix.
Anyway, I wish there was more fallout on the whole Kazon vs Trabe conflict because that was actually interesting.
But also Voyager had a Doctor Who problem -- if they meddle in the affairs of a spatial politik, they don't know the repercussions of their actions and just look at Living Witness and the reputation Voyager gained simply by doing a bit of a trade deal.
Voyager can help when they can, see: helping Brenari refugees escape the Devore. (Counterpoint).
But they can't and shouldn't really interfere with internal politics. They're not like DS9 where they can stay in one place and fix things permanently. They're just passing through.
This is also why I think she wasn't really considering Tuvok and Chakotay's thing during the Void episode where they raid another ship's resources. (Also, because after Ransom and Equinox, she knows what faltering in the Federation principles can do).
Crucially, she's also known both Chakotay and Tuvok enough that while she loves them -- Janeway knows neither men have the stomach for their proposals.
The Alliance episode was one example of that already.
Janeway, though, if she is pushed to make that commitment and there was absolutely NO way they can prevent raiding others-- Janeway would have committed to that action 110%. This is why I feel Janeway would actually come to a similar conclusion as Sisko in In the Pale Moonlight.
Especially, if she gets daily reports of Starfleet casualties. I have a feeling, there would be less kicking and screaming when Garak finally does his reveal.
Janeway has rules for a reason. She is fastidious about it. For a reason. Because once she commits to an action, it will take both hell and high water to take her off that course.
/edited
164 notes · View notes
hanadoesstuffwrong · 2 months
Text
Thinking abt the air nomads:
What if, after the war, once the dust has settled a little, Aang goes back to travelling, hoping that maybe he can find at least some trace of surviving airbenders. As an added bonus, he gets to do more of the exploring and wandering that he had to put on hold.
Toph goes with him ofc. She only just got a taste of real freedom and it was overshadowed by ever-present impending doom. While she's on speaking terms with her parents, she isnt quite ready to be back under their roof on a permanent basis. The rest of the gaang have their individual homes and responsibilities that they get back to, though they join for the odd field trip or adventure when they can.
So anyway, they're touring all over the world and over the years they notice just how displaced so many people have become. EK citizens who barely escaped the blaze but lost everything; FN military now decommissioned with no idea how to carry on; people looking for a new start in the hard-won peace. Maybe it starts with Toph heading back to Earth Rumble, where a group of young runaways scrounge for cheap fights to make a little money.
At each turn they find more and more people with no homes to return to and no family to protect them; runaways escaping the roles the war forced them into. Gradually, Aang and Toph start to see that they aren't so different from themselves. They just want a new start.
So they decide to give them one. They clean up the temples and set up villages in the surrounding areas (helps to be master earthbenders), where people can arrive and stay as long as they need. Travellers and refugees pass through in droves, sometimes choosing to stay and rebuild their lives there, sometimes continuing in their wandering with a guarantee that they'll always have a place to return to should they have the need.
Over time, the lemurs grow in number and even some flying bison calfs (hybrids with a relative species maybe?), can be seen in the skies. Whenever the founders visit, it isn't the same but Aang feels a little more at home.
The first time someone asks Aang to teach him his philosophies, and expresses his desire to become a monk, how can he refuse? Maybe it's a former soldier, somebody who's done terrible things, looking for a path to redemption. So Aang teaches him, and then he teaches others. And though they may not be airbenders, they are as earnest and faithful as any nun or monk Aang knew before. The temples become filled with new faces: Firebenders, Earthbenders, Waterbenders and non-benders all wearing Air nomad orange and yellow.
Aang always feared that it would be his responsibility to have airbender children, and the idea of forcing that on someone he loved terrified him. Maybe that's why he waited so long before acting on his feelings for his best friend, his travelling companion, his fellow-village builder and temple-restorer. How could they have a truly happy relationship with this pressure hanging over them? He wishes he could be content with the new way of things that he and his friends have created. But he knows that he can't be the last airbender forever...
Nobody knows why some children can bend the elements and others can't. Is it blood? Is it blessing? Is it the land in which you're born? Or is it the simple allocation of fates decided by the values and norms you're raised believing in? Is it enough to be surrounded by the culture and beliefs of the Air Nomads? Nobody knows...
All they know is that nobody sees it coming when the six-year-old daughter of two non-bender villagers from the Earth Kingdom and Northern Water Tribe sends herself flying twelve feet into the air with a sneeze.
151 notes · View notes
achaotichuman · 3 months
Text
Okay you guys know what time it is.
Acotar Rant Time.
Okay, I know, I know, the idea that Tamlin will step down or otherwise hand the Spring Court over to Lucien and Elain and go to live his life as a travelling musician is one of the most popular theories (it most of the time involves Tam dying but I don't like that at all so we're going with him stepping down)
And whilst I see it as a possibility for canon, I cannot get on board with it, specifically because of the way the High lord's power chooses the next High lord.
Tamlin knew he was most likely the next heir since he was young, he was experiencing the power when he was a child and knew his brothers would kill him if they ever found out. He hoped that one of them could take the throne and he would serve in their armies and simply keep his head down low.
But what he wanted didn't change the fact that he was in fact the Heir.
The magic had already chosen him as its next High lord, despite him being the youngest and on the surface, the least worthy of the role.
This happens again within the books. Tarquin was chosen as the High lord of Summer, despite being Norstrus' cousin, and Varian technically being the next viable Heir. Tarquin would have hardly been trained for the position but would have been trained to be some kind of advisor or courtier for whoever the next High lord may be, assuming it would be Varian.
He even admits to Feyre that is young and considered inexperienced yet he tries his best and look, he ends up doing the same sort of thing Tamlin wanted to achieve. Which was taking in refugees, fighting for people's freedom, and trying to establish equality. I love Varian but he fell in love with a monster that wants Rhysand to take over Prythian, so I do not believe he would have tried to implement these changes. Possibly would not have even thought of them.
I say this to show that the magic chooses who will benefit the Court best, even skipping to other bloodlines if need be.
I believe this is the same for Tamlin.
When you read book 1, he is incredibly similar to Tarquin. He was not trained for the position but was trained to act as a kind of second, in assuming the form of a General. Same kind of thing as Tarquin.
He admits he is considered inexperienced but is trying his best. He fought for people's freedom, he took in refugees and post acomaf had a pretty equal Court.
My personal theory with what happened during Acomaf was a combination of many factors.
1- Amarantha most likely raped Tamlin under the mountain. Considering how she was lusting after him, she finally got him for weeks and he could do nothing but let her do what she wanted.
2- Being under the mountain brought up suppressed trauma from his childhood, most of which would have revolved around Amarantha, but also not being able to protect Feyre would have brought up not being able to protect his mother. Being tormented by his brothers. Being abused by his father. Then when they came out from Under the mountain, he wasn't able to suppress his trauma so well anymore, and become erratic and unpredictable.
3- Having the High lord's powers shoved back into him so suddenly caused him to lose control, and because he, unlike literally everyone else. Had no one to help him manage his magic, or help him control it properly. As Rhysand and Morrigan have stated multiple times throughout the series, especially in Silver Flames, uncontrolled magic will lead to madness. It can drive a person to literal insanity, which is what I think happened in the case of Tamlin (It was retconning but I am looking at the ways of which to bring back book-1 Tam within canon rules)
All of this to say, these are all outside factors things that could not be predicted. By looking at the factors of who would be best fit for Spring, Tamlin is the obvious choice.
He is empathetic. Connects well with the people. Fights for what is right and for freedom. He is kind and caring.
Post-Under the Mountain, and presumably post-curse Tamlin was one of the best High lords, his Court was thriving, his people were happy and even gladly went to their deaths for him and his Court.
The magic didn't chose wrong. It chose Tamlin for a reason. He was the best choice to bring about good change within the Spring Court.
I believe all of the outside factors are what led to Tamlin relying on his father's way of ruling, because he was unable to dig out a whole new path in the state he was in. Tamlin was living in fight or flight mode from Acomaf and onward and it shows.
I think Lucien would be a great High lord, but we also underestimate how the power is connected to the land itself and like it or not Lucien is not of Spring.
He is of Day and Autumn. It shows in his mannerisms, his personality, his way of thinking. And it will show in his power.
He will not be able to connect to the people the way Tamlin will, because Tamlin's magic comes the heart of Spring itself. He was literally forged for it. The Spring magic will be alien to Lucien, and Lucien will be alien to it.
We see how uncontrolled magic can affect the person it was built for. Now imagine that magic also not being built for the person using it. Lucien has no reason to even be able to control it, it would drive him insane as well.
If Tamlin was given someone to help train his magic, like Rhysand had Amren, Tarquin had Varian and Cressedia, Eris will have his mother and brothers, and Lucien will have Helion. He would be in full control.
Like a quote from an SJM interview stated, the characters find who they need, not what they want. Tamlin may have started out not wanting the throne, but he may very well find what he needs to control his magic and bring back his Court.
Tamlin was forged for Spring. Like Lucien was forged for Day.
Unless Sjm kills Tamlin, I highly doubt he will cease being High lord any day.
And if she does kill him, I am disappearing from this fandom because Tamlin is the only one keeping me here.
114 notes · View notes
tavshortfortavern · 6 months
Text
Noble!Tav
How they react to finding out you were born from high nobility and ran away when they reached adulthood to be an adventurer. Takes place when you're both already in a relationship.
Zevlor
Felt unworthy before learning you were of high status, those feelings doubled after hearning the news. You had to reassure him titles and status meant little to you.
Is there for you when he learns of your family's disapproval for becoming an adventurer and leaving that life behind. But he does appreciate it knowing you had helped so many people and his by choosing this path. He thinks its admirable you chose to help others and venture out instead of living in luxury like other nobles
When he gets the chance to see you in your noble bearings, like you had to attend a fancy gathering or a ball, he'd just look at you in awe. In a regal dress/suit, decorated with expensive jewelry and even some artful makeup, you looked everybit of a princess/prince of fairytailes. He still loved seeing you normally, even covered in dirt and blood, but this was a new side he hadn't seen.
He was used to seeing you in armor, getting into trouble, maybe cracking inappropriate jokes, laughing freely, further estranging you from your noble identity. He'd see you were barely tolerating these 'parties' and would help you leave.
He wouldn't push you to tell him everything. But he was a great listener. He learned your past, your choice to leave, the difficulties with your bloodline and the expectations placed on you.
Would be anxious meeting your family. So sure they wouldn't approve of your relationship. They probably had wanted you with some younger, more suitable match. With your fame now there were probably plenty who would ask for your hand. But then when you do introduce him your chest puffs out in pride and take his arm. Proudly announcing your relationship. He'd be emberassed when you bring him around, showing him off like a catch.
It didn't matter in the end. He saw the real you. Showing true nobility when you faught alongside your companions to defend the weak than the rest of those nobles lazed in their mansions. He'd stick by you for everything.
Would sometimes refer to you as my lady/lord before holding a hand out for you.
Rolan
The discovery hits him hard. He hated being seen as lesser, has worked hard to not be so for most of his life. You were already the hero of Baldur's Gate and savior to the refugees. He knew he had to be seen as your equal. Being the new wizard of Ramazith's tower helped a lot, he would boast whenever you two were out together as a couple but now it was revealed you had noble status.
It felt like you deliberately kept it from him. But he almost didn't believe it either. You were a menace, covered in grime and blood, without any of the elegance and poise nobles possessed. Maybe crass sometimes. Taunting and teasing him.
Some headcanons had him born to a noble woman before being given up for adoption being a tiefling. So this could sting a little more. Especially if you had a good upbringing and were given multiple great opportunities. Perhaps hearing you had gone to this well known university, recieving academic awards before graduating then got bored and took another course! He honestly would feel a little peeved you were well off enough to freely chase interests while he had to claw his way up
While he's ultimately happy you became an adventurer and met him, he could understand your parents dissaproval having paid for your studies, supported those interests (the mundane ones atleast), and got you everything you needed only for you to choose a life of danger, strife and instability. Any parent would be worried and seeing the things you get up to is giving him sympathy stress. Yeah your family should be worried.
Probably wouldn't recognize you at first when you dress up. Used to seeing you a certain way. But startles when he realizes its you, sees you all decked out in finery and has to hide his real feelings. You were already distracting, now it seems his face was permanently warm whenever he stared at you. He'd brush it off thought, play it cool, or tries too. "You- you clean up nice." eyeroll
Is more possessive. Will show up any noble ponce who tries to catch your eye. Would hate hearing your parents had certain matches in mind for you. Feeling the gap betwen you grow larger. Would absolutely try to win your family's approval.
Then sees how empty your eyes were when you were in these noble gatherings or family dinners. It felt like a switch. Whatever brightness and vibrancy you had was sucked out. You barely talked and when you did it was short, polite, fake. Plenty of people wanted to speak to you after you saved the city, but you looked drained and he's seen your stamina.
His more negative feelings shrink when he sees your strained family bonds. Your parents seemed to have a hard time understanding you and you could barely figure out how to speak. If you were someone who was usually silvertoungued and great with words its made more apparent.
He'd be at dinner, trying to make a good first impression, but he'd look over to you and see something off. You simply went with what everyone told you to do, hardly smiling. It was wrong. Not you, stubborn, determined, compassionate you. Plan ditched then, he's paying attention to you, offering to leave with you if you were uncomfortable. He'd feel unimaginably warm when you asked to return home which was his tower.
You would have a long talk about your relationship. You told him you already saw him as an equal and he admits his feelings about your origins. He should have known it wasn't all easy for you and your love wasn't tied to status. Everything returns to normal but he woud reprimand you sometimes for acting un-noble like and require some class.
Dammon
Suspected something early on. Noticed you owned an item, maybe a peice of jewelry, that was really high end. It was subtle in design, could pass as plain, but as a smith he could see it would take a lot of effort and skill to make, not to mention the purity of the material. Either pure silver or gold. It would be worth a fortune. He would notice it after you two were intimate and simply relaxing in bed, having seen it on you and ask about it.
He would remark the craftsmanship, running his fingers on it as he listened to you explain it was a family heirloom. You had it since you were young and never thought to take it off. You didn't reveal much else but he would wonder about your family if they could afford something like this. But doesn't pry.
Then learns you were noble born. Doesn't get upset you hid the fact, just curious why. Atleast on the surface. He's not without doubts. You were already a famous hero, being a noble made him feel he was really out of his league. He's not a fighter or anything like your companions, he was a blacksmith. What would a noble be doing with him?
Never thinks to keep your relationship secret or hold back any affection towards but when you accidentally run into some of your old noble friends in public he saw your alarmed expression. He worried you would be emberassed being seen with him but five minutes in the conversation you're possessively holding his arm and shooing your giggling friends who kept flirting with him.
Once they were gone you grumbled you knew this would happen if they met him. He would admit he thought you were hesitant to introduce him as your partner. That was never the case, you were more concerned your friends and others would see him as the catch he was and try something.
didn't know how to act when you came out dressed to the nines, like a vision out of a painting. Probably won't go to any events with you. It would be so out of his element. Like the tiefling party where he wasn't there. Prefers his forge and being in your company.
Would want to get along with your family but nervous. He's had to deal with discrimination as a tiefling, its stronger in nobles so there's a chance your parents would feel the same.
Seeing you stay with him, spending days in his simple home or keeping him company at his forge would mean a lot to him. It silences most of his doubts knowing your the kind of person that looks past wealth and status.
129 notes · View notes
woosaaghh · 4 months
Text
Spoilers for Wyll's story!
I'm so fucked up about Wyll's storyline. He has quite literally never made a selfish choice in his life. He exudes goodness in almost every interaction the player has with him. His kindness is infectious, his optimism is overwhelming. He spends every moment thinking of how to help others simply because he thinks it's the right thing to do. He's been that way since he was a boy, going so far as to be entrapped by Mizora into trading his soul to save Baldur's Gate. He's 17 years old and has never made a selfish decision in his life, but his father can't give him so much as the benefit of the doubt. He makes a life for himself as a savior of the people, and then gets kidnapped by mindflayers and infected with a mindflayer tadpole and his immediate reaction is "Whelp guess I'd better go help these tiefling refugees near where I crash landed from this spaceship."
In my playthrough I saved Florrick with Wyll, speaking with him made her choose not to give up and hold on to hope, she thanked him for helping her see it wasn't too late. What a lovely interaction. That night we spoke to Mizora and she offered Wyll his freedom, I told him to take it. The next day when I entered the city the same Florrick came and literally spat at my Tav's feet, told me that she was there for Wyll's head because Mizora said he killed his father because he was mad with power. The man who saved her life THE DAY PRIOR.
No one in this damned game other than the tadfools are ever willing to give Wyll the benefit of the doubt, nothing he could ever do would be worth them having faith in him. He accepts his banishment as his father doing what he believed was right and never resents him for it, still loves and misses him. He takes on Mizora's punishment for not killing Karlach without flinching because he knows what he did was right and Karlach deserves to live. At the tiefling party he isolates himself to keep from making others uncomfortable with his devilish appearance. And he's so alone: no mother, his father abandoned him, he has been travelling alone for the past 8 years just helping whoever he sees in need of it. Then, when you go through the steps of saving his father, that ass is willing to make Wyll a villain again, until Tav steps in and shares their memories. You needed a stranger to show you all of this to believe your own child wasn't evil incarnate? Was it not enough to have known him, did you ever even actually see your boy when he was in front of you?? Or was he just something to be molded and thrown away when you thought he didn't turn out right?
As someone who grew up closeted and still am to my relatives outside of my immediate family Wyll's tragedy hits far too close to home for me, the idea that no matter who you show that you are or what you do, the people you love the most, who are supposed to love you, are willing to drop you immediately and take back their love because of a single fact about you, without ever trying to understand more.
Wyll's story may not be as hard of a life as some of the others, but it messes me up in a way I hadn't expected. I wish Wyll had more story, and I wish I could use the tadpole to mentally berate and verbally eviscerate Ulder Ravengard for 30 real life minutes about how no matter how honorable and just he may be seen as in the eyes of the people of Baldurs Gate that he'll always be a failure of a man and a father.
(Also, I understand that they all have grounds in reality: terminal illnesses, chronic pain, indoctrination, physical and sexual abuse. But for the severe lack of Wyll content in the game you sort of have to read between the lines for it to hit as hard as it did me, it just made me wish there was more exploration of Wyll's feelings in game.)
64 notes · View notes
limpfisted · 7 months
Text
Wyll ravengard is a very funny character because he literally just. Has no idea the terrible things wrong with baldurs gate
Hes like BALDURS GATE IS A JEWEL. It WOULD HAVE WELCOMED REFUGEES 10 YEARS AGO!
Maybe thats true. Ten years ago. I doubt it. But maybe. TEN YEARS AGO. (Tbh I hope it isn't bc that means ulder made the city actively worse LOL)
But descent to avernus is a canon and it takes place the same year as bg3
There were HUNDREDS of refugees from elturel. Even more than are outside the gate now from the absolute
And they ALSO were not allowed in. In fact, some of them are beaten in the streets by the very flaming fist that wyll's dad is in charge of. For the crime of being refugees, I guess.
If u read the 5e stuff about baldurs gate its clear that baldurs gate is a truly terrible and unsafe place to live if ur poor. Even if ur rich its unsafe, but then at least u can stay in the upper city and gamble all day long away from The Poors.
Its a place defined by inequality and crime but also culture and magic and pride
Wyll sees the best in it, he sees the pride and the people and the magic. He was privileged enough to see only the best in it
As much as I love the idea of wyll as a fairy tale prince returning home and everyone loves him---ulder being from the lower city and going versus the nobles is HARD and he has had to fight to keep his power and fight to keep the lower city safe from the guild and make bad deals and lbr to work with the flaming fist, to work with the evil ass patriars, he had to let some things slide
Wyll has his work cut out for him! Just as his father did!
And I think being grand Duke would present an interesting challenge for him as a character, in that he would not be able to solve problems by fighting monsters or killing devils. He has to deal with evils of injustice, even within the people who work for him who protect him and who he may have at one point looked up to
And that's extremely difficult
There is political intrigue and frustrations and tragedy to be had
Wyll genuinely has the compassion and empathy and charm to help baldurs gate.
BUT.
The point of wylls narrative and the stuff with balduran and ansur is very much a wake up call that the fairy tale of his fathers hero balduran is built on lies and there is no one great man that can save baldurs gate. Just like there wasn't one great man that built it
Gortash himself is like, a foil to this because he believes he's the one great man who can fix every problem with literal mind control
It is MUCH easier for wyll to just step away from baldurs gate after all this. And if u let HIM choose, that's what he does
If he becomes grand Duke and his fathers heart of the gate, he becomes responsible and beholden to things we can't imagine
And tbh? Wyll doesn't have that many of his own allies like his Father had. He has to rely on people like florrick, people like the flaming fist. People who respected his father, people who will talk over and take advantage of the 26 year old who stopped his education at 17
His story doesn't really end here, u know? It's really just beginning
In fact with an evil arch Duke everyone genuinely seemed to believe in dead, so many patriars dead, Duke Stephane dead, who knows what happened to vanthampur, the flaming fist had sided with gortash, who knows what happened to the actual upper city watch.
Literally and truly. The story of the absolute, and BALDURAN is finally over. But the story of baldurs gate? Baby thats just beginning
80 notes · View notes
liesmyth · 6 months
Note
has something from a tlt fic ever become headcanon to you? i ask because i find this happening to me all the damn time with this fandom but not others
OK SO, my tlt headcanons are like schrodinger's cat, they explicitly contradict each other sometimes and all of them exist at the same time in different quantum states of canon. So in that sense I've never read a fic and thought, okay, THIS is my canon from now on.
But I've read so so many fics that burst my third eye wide open and made me consider different perspectives on a character / dynamic, or helped me shape some I already had. A few favourites:
the soul that seeketh him by bittybelle — missing scene pre NtN ft. John and Kiriona. Wherein John Gaius meets his daughter, remembers the women he left behind, and deals poorly with being the male god of a universe in which the divine is essentially feminine.
AO3 user LesbianJesusLovesYou gave me Big Feelings about Gideon's childhood on the Ninth and her relationship with Harrow, Aiglamene, Ortus and Crux
believing in everything (and knowing nothing at all) — A series of childhood memories from the Ninth
when i call, will you come to me? — “My Lady,” Ortus wheezed, shifting uncomfortably. “I only thought you should know… Gideon Nav was flogged before the congregation.”
A few fics set right after NtN that really stayed with me:
never hear the sound of someone calling me home by @corpsesoldier — Kiriona Gaia returns to the House of the Ninth.
One More Son by captainpeggy — After Nona, Pyrrha Dve walks the Ninth.
two old broads split a cigarette by @forjodssake — Aiglamene/Pyrrha. “sometimes the girl you like becomes one person w her soulmate and you have to jack off about it”
Post HtN missing scenes:
Death in its season by @ancientannoyance — John holds Mercymorn's 24 minutes funeral
recognize them by their fruits by @ceruleanvulpine — John and Ianthe emerge out of the River
Other stuff that Stuck With Me
so I open the window to hear sounds of people by @sunderedstar — post NtN flashbacks. John and Alecto are the only two beings on earth, and he starts working on the Resurrection. This is harrowing and I'm absolutely obsessed with the implications in this fic of WHY John removed everyone's memory.
and they were roommates by @herenortherenearnorfar — pre Resurrection Mercy and Cristabel, from their first meeting onwards and it just really burrowed a hole in my brain and grew roots and sprouts and everything. Latin American nun Cristabel it's all I can see now, and YES they met working with climate refugees when M— was a bright eyed idealistic doctor. It also lines up great with the Asian Mercy headcanon that exist in my head (I have a whole elaborate backstory about M— aged 12 proclaiming to her Filipino Catholic family that she's an atheist now). Anyway, it's just a lovely, gorgeous fic. I think about it every day.
John 25:12 by @halfeatenmoon — pre-Resurrection, John and his friends escape the cow fortress to spend Christmas Day at the beach. With beer, salads, pavlova, and the corpses of a million fish killed by nuclear weapons testing. Ft. Southern hemisphere holidays in Mururoa Atol and 100% canon. To me.
Operation: The Most Honorable Man by @cadmean — Augustine has a proposal for the Saint of Duty (Dios Apate. That's the proposal)
lowkey cheating but I can't choose — absolutely anything AO3 user Raxheim has posted has been SOO up my alley. Every time I read one of their fics I feel like I'm enlightened by some never-before-considered detail. And mean ANYTHING, from Harrow Nova to Wake to Cytherea and the Lyctors to the Universe's #1 Sadgirl Gideon
118 notes · View notes
antianakin · 1 year
Text
It's really interesting to compare Bode's story to Reva's, specifically in how they view family and the Jedi Order.
While it's a little unclear how Reva ended up in the Inquisitorius (I can't quite tell if they picked her up against her will and only after she was captured did she choose to use the position to try to kill Anakin, or if she intentionally let the Empire pick her up so she could join the Inquisitors so she could kill Anakin), there is a level of choice to what she's doing there. She knows what she is and where her loyalties lie and is choosing to keep hurting other Jedi in order to ultimately gain enough to power to get vengeance for the Jedi that Anakin killed. She's making this choice over and over again because she can't let go of her grief and anger enough to walk away. She's causing the same misery that she wants to get justice for, now.
Bode chose to join the Empire in order to protect his daughter and is hunting down the Jedi which leaves his daughter effectively captured by the same people who murdered his wife and would happily murder both him and his daughter anyway. He's putting his daughter right in the middle of the danger he's so scared of, constantly exposing her and leaving her alone with the enemy because he can't let go of that fear enough to find another way.
Reva still considers the Jedi family, despite what she's helping the Inquisitors do. She wants justice for her slaughtered family, for her desecrated home, for her lost life. And because of that, she does still have a strong connection to the idea of family, enough that Obi-Wan is able to use that to convince Reva to help distract Anakin long enough for the Hidden Path to escape. Reva is able to understand that there are other families among the refugees, families that will be getting destroyed if she doesn't help Obi-Wan escape with them, and so she does. She doesn't let Anakin destroy any more families. She's even in some ways touched by Owen and Beru's fervent defense of Luke, she's almost confused by the way they are willing to die for a Force sensitive child who isn't theirs. That concept of family MEANS something to her and is able to keep reaching her over and over again.
Bode, however, makes several snide remarks at Cal about how he could never understand the choice Bode made because Cal isn't a father. He's lessening the familial connection that existed (and still exists) between the Jedi, which seems to suggest that if Bode ever did feel like the Jedi were family, it wasn't enough. It almost makes me wonder if Bode was brought to the Jedi at the older end of the spectrum and so he still has memories of his birth family and struggles more with the Jedi lifestyle because of it, not unlike Anakin himself. And so when he makes a more "typical" family with a wife and a child, he considers that family more normal and his feelings for them more real and more powerful than anything Cal might feel towards the Jedi. And tellingly, the thing that truly gets him to betray Cal is the idea that Cal might want to help OTHER FAMILIES in the Hidden Path get to safety, potentially putting HIS family at more risk. He was willing to let Cal and maybe a few of Cal's friends come stay on Tanalorr, but the concept of just helping any family that needs it is a breaking point for Bode.
The concept of family, then, isn't really the same for Bode as it is for Reva. It doesn't truly mean the same thing to either of them and family for Bode is more about an extension of himself while for Reva family is about selflessness, it's about compassion and kindness and love. Reva can see other families, even families that look different from her own, and understand them. She can see them as equally as important as her own. She can want to protect them from feeling the loss that she has felt. Bode can't. Bode can't look at any other family and see them as equal, everything is inferior to his own because it's not about HIM.
And of course throughout the game we get comparisons between Bode and the Inquisitors, the Inquisitors keep getting called basically animals, dogs on Vader's leash, while Bode is something better.
But Reva is so much more human than Bode has ever been. Reva, an Inquisitor, has so much more capacity for understanding and compassion in her than Bode has ever shown. And we don't see that any clearer than in their reactions to the Hidden Path.
152 notes · View notes
marymary-diva17 · 1 month
Text
Does he still love me
female Ao’nung x neteyam
Tumblr media
here another cross posted story I had made, and now have brought here. Angi the daughter of tonowair and ronal had become the mate of eldest son of tokru makto neteyam sully, after his clan and family came sneaking refugee and help. Angi and Neteyam had started off and friends but soon become something more over time, and soon enough the two of become a mated pair when Neteyam had confused his feeling to the girl. When they become a mated pair it soon result it ever lasting alliance between the two clans, a year later the couple will be blessed with a child. 
Angi " ......." Angi was out with her son which had been named Zata it was a name that Neteyam and his family had been discussing and chosen, as it will fit the boy well. 
Navi women " look at her walking around like she better then all the other female here just become she the mate with neteyam" 
Navi women 2 " I still think she did something to make neteyam choose her as a mate and now loom she does next have a child with him" 
Navi women 3 " I feel bad for Neteyam that he has to be mated with her he could've chosen someone from the clan, but no he picked her" 
Navi women 4 " well I heard the reason they become mated was that her father didn't have to keep an eye on her, and that it will make peace between the two clans it was all made between the Tokyo makro, tonowair, and neteyam" 
Navu women " no that cant be true" 
Navi women 2 " I believe it do you really think neteyam will give up all the way of the forest just for her, we live on this small inland connect to the Metkayina... we will still practice the ways of the forest but everything had changed because of her and all the other Metkayina that have bene trying to find a way in our clan" 
Navi women 3 " I wonder how many of these couples will stay true if we ever return to our beloved forest" 
Navi women 2 " we also have to remember that tsyeira girl with loak" 
Navi women " she better then her sister angi will bring down her family name I heard that the deers thought tsyeria will been a better choice for Neteyam... she doomed being mated with the clan outcast loak" 
Navi women 2 " rumor going around the the elder might ask moat and Jake to remake the mates between his sons, Tsyeria and loak will be a perfect pair verse the ones they have now" 
Navi women " that is so cruel no way Jake will do that to his own sons" 
Navi women 4 " it true I heard even tonowari elder agree as well tsyeria and neteyam will be better match then Neteyam and angi, even some of her own people hated her and want her gone her future title of tshaik has been rumors to be give to her sister" 
Navi women 3  " oh yes and it custom that the olo'eythan and tshaik will have to be mated pair or have some family connect to be true leader, and if she not tshaik the it will be bad for everyone" 
Navi women 5 "what of the child" 
Navi women " it an freak a future outcast look at It the boy maybe if Neteyam mates with tsyeria they will have beautiful children, verse him and the girl" 
Navi women 5 " don't you all feel bad for the poor baby or angi and loak I know they might not be like everyone else, but they are still good people" 
Navi women " who cared if neteyam and tsyeira end up together then loak can help raise that child no will care or know" 
Navi women 5 " yes but this still mean to them and will hurt three people or more in he future" 
Navi women " it for the best forever" 
Angi " ......" angi felt like her heart was breaking when she was listening to this new she didn't want to belie that her Neteyam had mated with her for that reason, she had thought he really love her. She fell tears rushing down her face she didn't want to believe that neteyam had mate with her out of duty for his clan and her clan. 
Angi " oh my son im so sorry" zata could feel his mother was become unsettled by the word she had heard as the group of women had left. 
Angi " come on let get home I will put you down for a nap with a story and lullaby that will make you feel better" this might explain why neteyam has been distance lately from the brith of their son three months ago her family and her in-law have bene acting weird, but she couldn't allow ugly rumors and gossip like that to mess with her. She knew that neteyam love her and their son he will do anything for them he is just busy with his duties and responsibilities. 
Later that night 
Angi " yes I will make neteyem favorite meal it will be good for us all and maybe we can talk" 
Neteyam " hey I'm home" 
Angi " welcome home I was about to get started on dinner I was going to make your favorite your mom help me learn it" 
Neteyem " oh well  dinner is happening with my parents and your tonight" 
Angi " oh that will be perfect we can bring zata with us it will ...." 
Neteyam " I'm sorry it a dinner for only a fee selected guest it me, your parents, my parent, and your sister with maybe kiri and rotxo being there" 
Angi " oh okay" 
Neteyam " I have enough time to be here with my two favorite people" 
Angi " okay" neteyam soon smile and sat down near angi after he picked up zata who was now awake Neteyam was holding his son in his ar, and soon kissed his mate forehand he had stayed for three hours before he had to leave. Neteyam didn't return home until late in the night worry angi and when she woke up the next day he was completely gone and no longer in their bed. It was hard for her to decide if he had spent the night in their bed or night. 
Angi " he gone he always here when I wake up he never gone without saying a word" angi had soon eat her breakfast and feed her son before she left to do her task for the day. She hadn't seen any of her family or friends during the morning making her feel alone and sad, once again she spotted the women from before talking again. 
Navi women " did you see that neteyam was at dinner with his family but his mate and child were not there, and so was loak" 
Navi women 2 " yes I saw him eating dinner alone as tsyeira was having meal with the others" 
Navi women 3 " I'm starting to think these are no longer rumors but true you see how her parents and neteyam parents haven't been over that much to see their first ever grandchild, and how she been slowing pseudo from her role as tshaik" 
Navi women 4 " so she over and one done for we all knew this was going to happen" 
Navi women 2 " we have to wait and see" 
Navi women " well whatever happens I hope angi take it well we dont need her becoming jealous and take her anger out" 
Navi women 4 " she won't but hey soon we will have a good oloeyath and tshaik like their parents minus the one that was supposed to rule originally" angi had avoid the group of women and soon went to a secret spot of her and sat down there, tears falling down from her face until she felt someone touch her face. She looked down and saw it was zata soon enough angi had picked up her son and smiled at the boy. 
Angi " no matter what happen zata I will always love you" angi soon got up and went back to her track of the day she knew whatever came for her in the future she will raise her son with love, support, and care and she didn't know if it was going to be with her mate or by herself. She knew she was going to do her best to keep her son away from any harm that the clan will throw at him as they was her duty as a mother. She was saying prays to the great mother to give her guidances and support for what the future had in store for her.
26 notes · View notes
loveallthegays · 2 years
Photo
Tumblr media
Sebastian Croft attends the opening of the annual Choose Love shop for Help Refugees on November 02, 2022
359 notes · View notes