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muffinlance · 8 months

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prompt: Ozai has Azula watch Zuko (his progress or rather lack thereof) from way earlier on, possibly even before Aang gets away from the iceberg in the first place

There it is, written at the bottom of his banishment notice, wobbling in and out of his vision and he’s not sure if it's his eyes—

(Father wouldn’t have meant to blind him. Being blind won't help him catch the Avatar, so he’ll just not go blind.)

It’s either his eyes, or. Or the rage. It has to be the rage.

So Zuko reads the line again, and lets the fire brim up and overflow, until sparks chase the shout from his lips.

“Banishment to be overseen by Crown Princess Azula?”

- - -

“Prince Zuko,” Azula says, standing as tall as an eleven year old can. She’s using his title, so that he’ll use hers. And if he doesn’t then he’s ill-mannered and not fit for his own.

“Crown Princess Azula,” Zuko grits out.

“I’ll just be inspecting your ship, then. Father’s orders.”

Two men are in shackles by the time she’s done.

“—Fostering mutiny against your prince,” she is yelling, and somehow her voice is just as high-pitched as his without sounding childish at all. “When our father hears about this—”

- - -

“So you had them executed,” Fire Lord Ozai inquires. Lightly. And from behind his flames.

“Of course, father,” says the kneeling child. “It was an attack on our family.”

Her father doesn’t say anything.

Azula is eleven. Eleven, she had presumed, was old enough to count.

One, two, three. Four, with Uncle. The royal family.

Her father is silent still.

One. Two.

“Forgive my impertinence, Fire Lord,” she says. “I will bring them to you for judgment next time.”

“Do so,” Fire Lord Ozai says. He does not contest the ‘next time.’

- - -

“Crown Princess Azula,” Zuko says.

“Your bandage is off, brother,” Azula says. “Are you blind?”

“No.”

(The blur of her red robes, the eye-searing glint of sunlight off her headpiece—he’s not blind in that eye. He’s just… still recovering.)

“Lovely,” she says. “Then what’s your excuse for the condition of this ship?”

…He has an increased budget for repairs, by the time she’s done.

- - -

“Brother,” Azula says, “traditionally knives are to be delivered to the back.”

“I… what?” her brother says, still holding out the inexplicable thing. “No, I bought it at port. For you. See, it matches the one Uncle got me.”

“How original,” she says.

Her brother turns a shade of red that puts his bending to shame. Not that it’s a particularly high bar. “Fine, I’ll just—throw it out.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic. At the least, Mai will want it.”

- - -

“Nice knife,” says Mai, looking at the hilt peeking out of Azula’s boot.

“Be silent,” Azula says, thus ending that conversation.

- - -

“Did great-grandfather… did we…” starts her brother, fresh from scurrying about the Eastern Air Temple like some particularly dim-witted pheasant-monkey, the dust not even brushed from his clothes even though he knew her ship was waiting down here. “Azula, there were children—”

“Be silent,” she says.

- - -

“You’re leaving frequently,” comments father, as his knife cuts through the pheasant-monkey, clicking against the plate below. The persimmon-cherry sauce is thick and red and smearing.

“I find it advantageous to cultivate a working knowledge of our nation’s tactics,” Azula answers. She does not push around her meat like a child, but she does eat only lightly; the dish is more sour than she remembers.

“And your brother?”

“Oh, him,” she says, to which her father smiles.

- - -

“...What?” Zuko asks, blinking down at the scrolls.

“It’s your birthday,” Azula says. “Apparently, I should have gotten you a calendar.”

“Thank you?”

She sighs.

- - -

“Do we… tell him we can hear him?” asks the assistant cook, as the prince continues monologuing. Dramatically, and loudly. Through the pipe connecting the drain of the kitchen sink to the ones in the shower.

“Ssh, I think this is one of his new plays.”

- - -

She gets him a calendar for his next birthday. It’s not funny.

- - -

He gets her a doll, for hers. The look on Uncle’s face as she torches it in front of them both is hilarious.

- - -

“Brother,” she says, looking up at the damage to his ship. “This is not the way to requisition additional repair funds.”

“Captain Zhao,” her uncle says in the background, with heights of pleasant antagonism she can only aspire to. As if a general could mistake Zhao’s new insignia. Particularly with all the polishing he does.

“It’s commander now.”

“How did you manage this?” she asks.

“Uh,” Zuko says. “Can we… speak alone?”

She eyes her brother’s shifting stance. Eyes, too, the way Zhao’s men are already moving to intercept and interrogate his crew. One of the new commander’s more noxious habits is stalking her brother’s every move.

Well. She’d been meaning to deal with that, anyway.

Azula snaps her fingers at the commander’s guards.

“Detain him,” she says. And for a moment, just a moment, her dear uncle freezes, as if she were talking about someone he actually cared for.

The guards don’t. She’s trained them better than that.

“Princess,” Commander Zhao says, his snarl well hidden behind a smile. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Crown Princess Azula,” she corrects. “Now hush; the adults are talking.”

- - -

They have an Avatar to catch, apparently. Her brother is coming home.

#her brother is coming home #it may be time for some other changes as well #how does the pheasant-monkey taste father?#oh of course I haven’t had any #you know I haven’t liked that since I was a little girl #are you feeling well father?#why don’t you have a little lie down father #oh is your crown uncomfortable?#let me just remove that for you #hush now #sleep #goodnight father #say hello to grandfather for me #avatar the last airbender #atla #Zuko #Azula #ficlets #yep that prompt hit the spot thanks Anon <3

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jellyclogs · 7 months

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op men reacting to you saying my uterus is trying to kill me.

quick definition because I'm not sure how common of a fraze it is:

zerbert definition: when you press your lips against someone's skin and blow making a funny noise. It is also referred to as blowing raspberry.

trigger warnings: melodrama, periods

Law:

(Y/n) was lying on Law's bed. She had not left his bed all day. He knew she was on her period and didn't mind letting her take it easy. He knew just how hard her period was on her.

He walked back into his room to check on her. He carried a sandwich a glass of water and a bottle of midiol. He was fine being her nurse for the time being.

(Y/n) was cuddled up to a pillow, a heating pad pressed to her stomach right over where her uterus was, " Law it's doing it again." She whined in a rather pathetic voice.

Law quirked a brow, " what." He asked in a soft understanding tone but it was clear his patience was running thin. He didn't have the best bedside manner.

"It's trying to kill me." (Y/n) whimpered.

Law tried hard not to groan. He loved Mel but she was being a drama queen. She was normally so tough he didn't get what about her period turned her into such a crybaby. He bit his tongue taking a deep breath, “You’ll make it, I'm sure you're not dieing.” he was trying not to sound annoyed and he was failing.

“I know I'll make it but it's really trying to kill me. But my uterus is still trying to commit a mutiny against the rest of my body.” (y/n) sat up she had a cute little pout on her face.

Law bit his lip, She was being so pathetic. “Eat this take some Midol and drink this entire glass of water,” Law said in a bit of a huff. “I have to get back to work, if you need anything call for me.” law kissed her cheek. She was being a crybaby drama queen but she was his crybaby drama queen.

Zoro:

(y/n) was sat in Zoro’s lap. She always got more cuddly on her period. Zoro didn't mind in the slightest. He liked it when he got to hold her. When she was in his arms he knew she was completely safe.

“My Uterus is trying to kill me.” (y/n) whimpered, burying her face in Zoro’s neck.

“That so?” Zoro asked amused. It was kind of cute how over-dramatic she could be.

“Yeah, it is.” not that Zoro could see but (Y/n) was pouting.

“Well, I'll avenge you if it succeeds.” Zoro gave her a gentle squeeze.

(y/n) couldn't help but smile, “Good.” she giggled.

“Theirs that dumb laugh I love.” zoro squeezed her tighter to his chest. He knew (y/n)’s period could be really hellish for her. He always did his best to get a smile or a laugh out of her when she was like this.

(y/n) let out a little snort, “My laugh is adorable.” she gently hit his chest.

“Yeah, adorably dumb.” Zoro bew a zerbert on (Y/n)’s neck.

(y/n) let out a full belly laugh, “Zoro!” she laughed out. Hitting his chest a little harder.

Shanks

Shanks looked at his adorable little (Y/n). She was sprawled out on his bed, her hair sopping wet dressed in little more than one of his shirts. She’d just gotten out of her second bath of the day, “so are you feeling particularly dirty or just feel like wasting water?” shanks asked playfully.

(y/n) shot him an annoyed glare, “My uterus is trying to kill me, and only boiling myself helps.” she pouted.

Shanks bit his lip before laughing. “Boiling yourself?” he asked shaking his head.

“It's a fight against my uterus’s mutiny against the rest of my body.” (y/n) huffed.

Shanks adored (y/n). He absolutely loved his lovely little girlfriend but dam it she could be melodramatic about her period. He'd be annoyed by it if she wasn't so funny with how she expressed her pain. He knew dam well she was fully aware of how dramatic she was being. She acted like this because it helped her put up with the pain she was going through. “You're too cute sometimes you know that right?”

“You weren't born with the curse of having a uterus you don't get to call me cute.” (Y/n) huffed.

“Well I could get your uterus to leave you alone for nine months.” shanks joked. Crawling into bed with his adorable girl.

“Like I wouldn't be even more whinny if I was pregnant.” she groaned cuddling up to her lover.

“Yeah, but your melodrama is cute I'd put up with it.” shanks hummed.

“I already have two masses of useless flesh on my chest, I don't need a parasite in my stomach too.” (y/n) snorted.

Shanks let out a hearty laugh, “Well I don't think your boobs are just useless masses of flesh, I like them.” shanks teased

“Then you carry them around.”

Shanks held her to his chest and ran his fingers through her wet hair, “no I think I like them where they are.”

(y/n) just let out an amused chuckle. She was glad that Shanks didn't mind playing along with her melodramatic self. She felt slightly better being held to his chest.

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brother-emperors · 6 days

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ok the Fulvia comic was supposed to be the last modern AU post for the time being, but this is like. the One AU I have where Crassus doesn’t die, so Octavius (the legate) got bumped up to secondary main character status so that Crassus’ exit from the narrative could still pack a similar punch. this scene is sometime after the Bona Dea scandal, probably

this is Octavius!

But when they mutinied and clashed their targets in a threatening manner, [Crassus] was overpowered and forced to go, and only turning about at parting, said, “You, Octavius and Petronius, and the rest of the officers who are present, see the necessity of going which I lie under, and cannot but be sensible of the indignities and violence offered to me. Tell all men when you have escaped, that Crassus perished rather by the subtlety of his enemies, than by the disobedience of his countrymen.”

Octavius, however, would not stay there, but with Petronius went down from the hill; as for the lictors, Crassus bade them be gone.

Plutarch, Crassus

and Pompey is right btw but he didn’t have to come out and say it 😔

⭐ places I’m at! bsky / pixiv / pillowfort /cohost / cara.app / tip jar!

#modern au tag #komiks tag

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saints-who-never-existed · 2 months

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I love Dundy so so much but Christ, do I hate how fucking calm he seems in that Lawful Mutiny scene...!

Little is riled the fuck up. He's the most animated and impassioned we've perhaps ever seen him, using uncharacteristically expressive language too ("this coven of traitors", "that devil").

Le Vesconte, in sharp contrast, appears cool and collected, to the point of complete detachment and numbness (I say appears because of course he's suffering too). He speaks slowly and plainly, clearly having rehearsed, and chooses his words very very carefully indeed (those too ill to walk will not be left behind, for example, they'll just "stay").

It's almost like he's that arsehole in a disagreement who tries to convince you that they're right just because they're arguing in a calm, 'logical', grammatically-correct manner, and you're wrong just because you're getting passionate and emotional over the subject at hand.

Like, just imagine being Little in that situation!

You've been suppressing your emotions for god knows how long, keeping your anger and resentment simmering just below the surface for as long as you can remember for fear of what will happen if you let those emotions show, fear that it'll just make things worse.

But finally you can suppress no longer, something in you breaks. All that anger and resentment starts to boil over but you find that you were right - letting those emotions show didn't help at all, it made everything worse, just as you feared.

#I don't think I'm articulating this as well as I'd like to #Same old story #But nevertheless I persist #I'm having a lot of feelings about this today and I just need to get them out somehow #It's just the lack of catharsis y'know?#The idea of letting go and ceasing to give a shit and tearing your treacherous coworker a new one #Only it doesn't help #It doesn't make you feel any better and it doesn't change anything #You're just screaming at a brick wall #Oh lord I'm rambling #Ooh boy this got real long and real incoherent real fast.#The Terror #The Terror AMC #Edward Little #Dundy #Henry Le Vesconte #Meta #Observations #Random Observations

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oz00ms2 · 6 months

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I’m like five hours late with Starbucks to this but I neeeed to ask you about your Marine Buggy au if you’re up for it. How much do you think Buggy is a formidable threat in this au and how much is him somehow stumbling into success like in canon? Not that canon Buggy can’t be a threat under the right circumstances , but one can’t deny how much is just pure unadulterated dumb luck and it’s just extremly funny to me imagining another version of him bumbling his way to the top in the same manner, but also this version of Buggy seems more competent in comparison, so I am interested in hearing how you interpret him yourself.

Also as a Shuggy appreciator I am still gonna throw out the scenario of someone promoting Firebug up a rank and adding „You really did it Sir. If those dastardly pirates set sail just an hour earlier we wouldn’t have had the menpower and that tactical advantage that helped us win that last fight . It’s a shame that red headed bastard got away, but nevertheless this is a huge success for all of us. Truly remarkable Sir! How’d you do it? How did you keep them from setting sail for so LONG? Did you mingle amongst the crew to stage a mutiny? Did you damage their boat? Sir, I would love to know Sir!“ Buggys mind flashes back to him and Shanks absolutely violently making out against the wall in Shanks cabin. „… Some tactics are better kept a secret.“ „Of course Sir! Yes Sir!“

did you bring me a coffee too? :<

ty for asking about this silly lil au.

for marine!buggy I still have to believe he falls UP as is his MO. this little dude has supernatural luck and a bizarre power over men with his strange charisma so having that transfer to this au with minor tweaks.

I like to imagine he was under tsuru's tutelage once he officially joined the navy - as it's difficult for me to see him viewing any man as worth his obedience after rogers and his broken heart. plus she has a strong immunity to flashy types and I believe she'd be capable of curbing his worst traits. buggy would need someone to speak to him like an adult, blunt and lacking the whimsical dreams of his adoptive pirates who I see as having allowed buggy too lofty of a perception on the world with his issues.

would he be a dangerous marine? probably not on his own - but being believed in and supported by structure and more talented minds - I think he'd be a crafty ballistics expert and a typically underestimated foe. very useful against run of the mill pirates and keeping shorelines safe. but against more daunting enemies he'd depend on numbers and the backup of more powerful allies (while absolutely taking the praise for "organizing the group attack". )

like, please imagine smoker being his subordinate - that is hilarious to me.

I think he'd be a successful marine with very little interest in the darker machinations of the marines because he's only here to feed his loss and be praised for doing a good job. however he would be easily manipulated by darker hearted higher ups and probably not the most reliable.

unfortunately he's still buggy at heart, still a dreamer, and if he happens to mess up when his envy of free-spirited pirates gets in the way of his job, well he gets demoted/promoted endlessly like he's riding a ferris wheel with a broken brake.

…

as for the scenario you so beautifully presented: yes absolutely 100% 10/10 no notes.

the amount of times buggy has been interrupted mid-tumble with shanks and it has been misconstrued as him "fighting epically against the horrid red hair captain" is in the hundreds at this point.

the Marines who know the truth wish they didn't and he gets his ear dragged around by tsuru as she screams at him: that's not what she meant when she said to take red hair down!!!

#shuggy #buggy the clown #captain fire bug #buggy au #red haired shanks #oz answers #shanks x buggy #marine!buggy au

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sirenjose · 4 months

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Analysis of Ganji Gupta

Ganji was born in India during a time when Britain still ruled over it.

Britain came to India after a sea route connecting Europe to India was found, and Britain initially came due to the economic prospects of trade, but eventually this turned into the desire to acquire territory.

The British presence in India began with the establishment of the British East India Company (the British government having no authority over them at this time). Initially, the focus was trade and acquiring goods such as silk, cotton, spices, and more. Trading posts were established and British communities developed, but eventually they started to meddle in Indian politics and transformed from a trading company to a ruling one. It was at this point that the British attitude towards Indians degenerated (a sense of superiority vs inferiority formed, biased views regarding non-western cultures arose, British disdain increased, and so on). Racism, frustration from the British forcing their own way of doing things (including the English language) on them, policies benefiting the British, and so on contributed to the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (aka Revolt of 1857, First War of Independence, or Sepoy Mutiny).

As a result of this rebellion, the British East India Company was replaced by the British Raj, which was when the British Government took direct control from the East India Company, with Queen Victoria later proclaimed Empress of India. Britain continued to focus on profit and change beneficial to themselves, which led to subjugation and exploitation, and their views of Indians did not improve (still viewed themselves as superior, believed in stereotypes as well as believed Indians were in need of British guidance and governance to civilize them and bring them modernity).

This background is important for Ganji as it is clear this is what he experienced, especially due to Ganji’s 1st letter.

Ganji we know grew up with a talent for cricket, which was the “British national sport”.

His 2nd deduction implies he was a “prodigy”, with many people who knew him recommending him to participate in the regions “open tournament”. We know from Ganji’s trailer that he received “Love, Happiness, Hope and Pride” from playing cricket, showing how much he enjoyed the sport and how much it meant to him.

According to this same deduction, combined with Ganji’s backstory, we knew he was a “kind, obedient, and friendly” person, “mild-mannered” (aka gentle and not given to extremes of emotion, which is curious considering later on in Ganji’s story), quiet, and well-behaved. One of Ganji’s backstories states this event (where he was recommended to participate in the Open) took place when he was 16 years old.

During this competition, we know he was skilled enough to earn 12 consecutive wins. The next game after those 12 was a semi-final with the British Royal team. It does not say if Ganji won or lost that match, nor if he won the competition in general, but we do know he was skilled enough to receive an invitation from the Royal team to join them and an offer to help him train. As the deduction uses the word “exception” and applauds him for his performance, I’m assuming he did manage to at least defeat the British team and could’ve won the competition too, but it’s impossible to say for sure right now.

We do know that Ganji saw this invitation as a “good chance” and he “looked forward to a better future”. As a result, he left India with the British Royal team, where he stayed at the Queen’s Guard’s manor. Unfortunately for Ganji, it isn’t until he has arrived that he realizes the truth: “he discovered that no one here cared about him at all, and that he was just a toy that was called away for entertainment when the Guard had a little fun. No one knew where he came from, and no one had seen his family. He was struggling alone in this strange place”.

This was echoed in Ganji’s trailer, which says: “Yet when I was brought here I finally realized, These gentlemen simply needed a proper toy to play with. The funny thing is they were far from gentlemanly themselves. All they longed for were our submission and servitude”.

The terms “submission and servitude” tell us how Ganji was treated while in Britain at the Queen’s Guard’s manor. This is further emphasized by Ganji’s deduction 5, which states Ganji was only given 1 day to train, while 2 others (Oliver and Willie) were given 3 days to train. As that deduction says, despite how Ganji hoped for a better future from this opportunity, the “other sided” ended up only being a “mirage”.

Considering Ganji’s earlier invitation and how he is now being treated combined with only being given 1 training day, it seems the British didn’t want Ganji to be outstanding, which potentially could relate to the feelings of superiority discussed earlier. They didn’t want to feel inferior to someone like Ganji, and thus could further explain why they didn’t give him much training time. In the trailer, we see him picking up balls, and if this was all he was allowed to do, that’d further hurt his ability to train and improve. Lastly, Ganji was only allowed to train on Sundays, and back then, this was seen in Britain as a day of rest, when people didn’t work. This could’ve included cricket as well (there are instances of people being prosecuted for playing cricket on Sunday), which shows how much the Royal team tried to hinder Ganji’s ability to train, meaning he likely wasn’t being trained very professionally.

(If the room we see Ganji in before the fire in his trailer is the one he was given upon arriving at the manor, the state of the room could further show how the Royal Team felt about Ganji. The only identifiable items in the room are the cricket ball, as cricket is what he enjoys, and a blurry picture that we can see Ganji in, which could potentially have been of his home and thus ties to his desire to return to it.)

This fits with Ganji’s design notes which say “his social status and the agenda of politicians did not allow him to have obvious extraordinary talent”. It is because of this the design notes say Ganji’s gentle personality was forced to change into “a personality that takes strong measures to fight against fate”. (It is also right after this that it mentions Ganji being “manic”.)

Going to Ganji’s 1st letter, it further reveals how people thought and felt about Ganji and others like him. The part where the author says they need to “take the lead so that the rest of us may get the chance to educate the foolish” fits with how we earlier discussed the British felt they had to govern and civilize the people of India for their own good. This is emphasized with how later the letter says “If it weren't for your insight, he would have spent his life in the mud without ever being touched by the empire's light” and Ganji getting “the chance to lead a civilized life”.

This letter describes Ganji as a “gift” with his “only desirable qualities” being his “average cricket skills and humble personality”. Their sense of superiority is clear hear considering they call Ganji’s skills “average”, yet we know he was talented considering he at least managed to receive 12 consecutive wins in the competition, while the comment about Ganji being “humble” could tie in to how Ganji in his trailer says they just wanted “our submission and servitude”.

Despite how badly Ganji was treated, the one exception was the son of the owner of the Queen’s Guard’s manor. We know he was friendly to Ganji based on Ganji’s deduction 6, which is title “relieved” and shows that the kid thought Ganji was “brilliant” and asked Ganji to play with him. It is possible Ganji is the one who feels “relieved”, and that could be due to actually finding someone friendly in this place. In the JP and CN versions, it potentially has the kid use the term “big brother” for Ganji, so altogether, the kid was likely being honest about his feeling regarding Ganji’s skills and honestly just wanting a real playmate (rather than a toy like the others saw Ganji as).

In this same deduction, it mentions a “well-made board” that has Ganji’s name carved in it. As this is the deduction that involves the son of the manor owner of the Queen’s Guard, it is possible this board was a gift from that kid, and that board may have actually been a bat for cricket.

Going back to Ganji’s 1st letter, it mentions a “Duke Elgin” and a “Viscount”. Based on the mention of “the Viscount’s prominent father” and how this Viscount “demanded” Ganji to “take classes with him instead of just playing cricket with him”, it’s possible the “Viscount” could be the son of the owner of the Queen’s Guard’s manor. We know this boy asked Ganji to play cricket with him due to how cool and talented he thought Ganji was, so it could also fit he might also ask Ganji to take classes and spend other time with him. I’d like to imagine Ganji enjoyed spending time with the boy, as taking classes and playing cricket with him was likely much better than being treated as a toy by the others or languishing along in his poor room.

Ganji continues to play cricket, despite his anger, though he does form a relationship with this boy. If Ganji was 16 during the Open when he was invited to join the Royal Team, and Ganji is at least 21 in game (as he can drink Demi’s dovlin), he was likely subjected to the mistreatment of the Royal Team and owner of the Queen’s Guard’s manor for a fair number of years at least. As we know, he was never able to meet his family while he was at that manor and he was forced to “struggle alone in this strange place”. The “last straw” came one day when he received news “bad news” about his hometown, with his deduction 7 saying he’d received a letter saying “Go home and save them!”

It is soon after this that a fire breaks out and burns down the manor of the Queen’s Guard. The only survivor was the owner’s son and Ganji.

This is also the same time that in his backstory trailer it says “Stop being nice to everyone. I need a new identity. I want to go home. Perhaps that is the only place where there's still hope”.

This matches with Ganji’s last deduction, which is “a letter to home” that he wrote to his mother, saying that “everything’s fine with me. I’m coming home soon”.

Right after the fire starts in one of his backstories, it says Ganji became a “manic patient, often falling into uncontrollable irritability”, so it seems the fire and around this time is when he is first said to be manic. His deduction 9 has a diagnosis saying “Mania, easily irritated. Avoid looking at fire. Suggest locking all windows and doors and staying at home alone”. It is because of his worsening mania that is says people stayed away from him and called him a “thug”, but Ganji only cared about going home.

Once again returning to Ganji’s 1st letter, the end of it talks about getting info on Ganji’s “hometown and the extraordinary spice extraction”. The mention of spices fits our earlier discussion on Britain’s interest in India in part for its spices. This info about Ganji’s home and spice extraction is apparently helpful to whoever this “sir” is and an “upcoming mission” he will be going on. This same “sir” is apparently someone responsible for the idea to bring Ganji to England (though for now I’m thinking he isn’t the Queen’s Guard’s manor owner, who I think is the Viscount’s father).

Considering the talk about Ganji’s hometown and the obvious interest in its “spice extraction”, this could mean this “sir” is someone behind whatever “bad news” came from Ganji’s hometown, and likely the “bad news” and “upcoming mission” had to do with their clear interest in its spices. And if they wanted info on Ganji’s hometown, that could mean one of the few reasons they invited Ganji over was for that info so they could exploit his hometown for the “spice extraction”.

(One side note about Ganji’s 1st letter, but in the CN and JP versions, it says this “Sir” is someone who is recovering their health in “Delhi”, which further shows it’s not the owner of the Queen’s Guard’s manor, who we know was in Britain. It’s possible, if this is someone capable of going on missions and is mentioned regarding “we need… people like you to take the lead” that this “sir” is someone higher up in the government regarding rule of India, who could order a mission to Ganji’s home for it’s “spice extraction”).

Next is Ganji’s 2nd letter, which unlike his 1st (which happens before the fire) his 2nd happens after the fire. We hear he tried to board a freighter. Likely he was attempting to stowaway to return home, but he was caught and taken away by someone working for Duke Elgin. Ganji was placed in a detention center, where he was examined. They mention a “strange scar on his forehead”, which potentially came from the fire that burned down the Queen’s Guard’s manor. We do see Ganji with the owner’s son while the fire burns the manor, so if he had to go in to rescue him, that could have been when.

Considering how they say Ganji, besides his scar, seems “as strong as ever” to me kind of feels like they’re still talking about him like an object or one of their possessions.

After this, the letter mentions how Ganji would be “quiet during the day” but would go “mad” at night, with him “either holding his head between his hands while slamming it against the wall with a pained expression plastered across his face or attempted to snatch the candles used by the guards to keep the place lit up. He only settled down once we locked him in the darkness of the dungeon. But once the next day arrived, he was back to normal again”. It was due to this behavior that the author states he went to purchase “strong sedatives” (to be used on Ganji if he went out of control). During this time while the author was away, Ganji was able to escape despite the guards around him. Despite this, the author believes Ganji will return as they still had several of his possessions, including “medical records, an invitation, and that "treasure" of his.

It says the part with the signature had been “burned off”. If Ganji was messing with candle fire while in the detention center, it’s possible he did something similar to this letter if he got ahold of it (unless it’s nothing important).

The mentioned “treasure” is likely the note from home that reads “Come home, child”. Considering it says “child”, there’s a chance this could’ve been written by his mother. We know Ganji’s written to her himself before, so him receiving correspondence from her would make sense.

Another treasure we know Ganji owns is his accessory Cozy Fleece, which is a sheep toy “given to Ganji when he was young” and said to be “one of the several treasures in his luggage”. This was likely another item given to Ganji by his mother, when he was still home, and thus why he treasures it. Another potential treasure could be Ganji’s bansuri accessory, which has the description that mentions its music helps to recall his hometown.

As for the medical records, it says that the patient is suffering “severe homesickness” and displays “impulsive behavior during times of extreme depression or anxiety”. This means that Ganji’s “mania” is caused by his “severe homesickness” in moments when he’s suffering from “extreme depression or anxiety”. That could mean, with Ganji already being homesick for years before the day the fire started, Ganji’s “last straw” when he received bad news about his hometown now makes sense why the fire likely started then. That “bad news” triggered his anxiety and severe homesickness, depressed him when he realized he was stuck at this manor with no quick way home, before then making him impulsive and “manic” in his desire to go home as soon as possible. Whether or not it was on purpose or an accident, it is possible one of his “impulses” resulted in the fire starting, or a confrontation that triggered his irritation causes it to accidentally begin. Maybe a bit of sanity returned to him afterwards, and that could be when he rescued the boy as we see him with the boy during the fire in Ganji’s trailer. But for now, information is scant on the specifics of this event.

Potentially after escaping detainment could be when we see him living by himself like in his other backstories. It’s possible he was in hiding from those that had captured him. We don’t know for sure whether he returned to them for his treasure (it’s possible with how important his note from his mom likely was). We know from Ganji’s backstory that it says he “lived in a cold room with little furniture for years” and “seldom stepped outside during the year”. He had no friends, always looked solemn, and people found it “difficult to get to know him”. Ganji is described as “peculiar and lonely”, and someone his neighbors “loved to gossip about”.

His backstory mentions “random loud noises coming from his room”, which could tie to the behavior he displayed at night in the detention center, when he’d hit his head against a wall.

Regarding Ganji hiding in his room all the time, this connects back to his deduction 9, the diagnosis that suggested “locking all windows and doors and staying at home alone”.

The part about “avoid looking at fire” implies, whether or not he did it and whether it was on purpose or accident, it implies he’d been deeply affected by the fire that burned down the manor. Maybe because of all the feelings (and irritation) he had from how long he spent there, being mistreated and never being allowed to train. Maybe because of the boy he’d formed a relationship too and how this fire took away his home and family, just like Ganji was without his home and family. Maybe any conflict he had if he was somewhat responsible, whether accidentally or on purpose, as his trailer does mention wanting those “gentlemen to repent for their sins” but also because this was a place he’d had such high hopes for regarding his future and now it’s turning to ashes, as well as was a place he’d suffered alone, away from his family, for a long time, but more conflict because Ganji was deep down still a “kind” person (and maybe regretted not saving more people, or regretted if he had a fit of anger and its consequences that day that causes all these events). Just another boy, like the son of the owner of the Queen’s Guard crying at the sight of his home on fire, that was crying out for his family and home as it was threatened or attacked but Ganji unable to do anything about it.

The backstory continues by saying he kept his appearance “hidden” whenever he went out, which could relate to if he was in hiding from the people who’ve been trying to capture him in his letters, or to the mistreatment he potentially receives if people knew where he was from, or to hide the scars on his face from people if he knew how they’d react upon seeing it (as they did describe his face as “horrifying”). It also fits with how his trailer said he needed a “new identity”.

Despite how they treated him, Ganji was said to give “softly spoken words of appreciation to the neighbors’ trivial kindness”, which seems to connect to Ganji’s original personality (as he was described as kind, friendly, and mild-mannered before he came to Britain).

Others debated the reason for Ganji’s behavior, suggesting “regret” (tied to the fire that ended his training with the Royal Team, as other people wouldn’t know the full truth about his feelings towards the Royal Team) or “cautiousness” (from living in a foreign country). Unfortunately for Ganji, everyone decided that Ganji had “a lot of secrets” and “might bring trouble to the town and decided to stay away from him”.

The last thing we hear about Ganji is he still dreamt of returning home, and eventually received an invitation from the manor, offering a “huge reward”, enough for Ganji to use to go home, and he “decided to take the risk”.

Side note regarding Duke Elgin.

I couldn’t find any “Duke” Elgin, but I did find an “Earl” of Elgin. The 9th Earl of Elgin, Victor Bruce, was the Viceroy of India.

I don’t think this is the exact same “Duke Elgin” but it could be a basis for the character (for Netease when designing this).

These were individuals appointed by the British monarch. They represented the British government in India and exercised authority over British India on behalf of the British crown. Victor Bruce served as Viceroy during 1894-1899m which was a particularly troubled period in Indi’s history, and his tenure was not seen as a successful one. During his administration, there was economic and social unrest, a famine, bubonic plague, and the Tirah campaign (Afridi Frontier Rising). This campaign took place in Northwest India and involved the British seeking to restore control over the area after an uprising occurred (with 1 of the challenges they faced being the mountainous terrain).

I don’t think this is exactly where Ganji is from, but this event, as well as all the other issues occurring at the time, could relate to or be a sort of basis (to Netease) for whatever did actually happen to Ganji’s hometown.

Apparently the “bansuri” is a flute connected to north Indian music (with the venu being connected to the south), which could mean (with how the Tirah Campaign happened in the Northwest) Ganji could be from somewhere in the North part of India.

#idv #identity v #ganji gupta #batter #idv ganji #identity v ganji #idv batter #identity v batter #sirenjose analyses and theories

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sarucane · 4 months

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Fragile Stories, Strong Stories in "We Gull Way Back": OFMD Meta Analysis

By episode 8 of S1, the stories on the Revenge have nearly fallen apart again and again. The crew plotted mutiny in the first episode; Ed planned to kill Stede in ep 4, changed his mind in ep 6--but still stood by while Izzy tried to go through with the plan--and was considering leaving in ep 7; Stede's actual skills as a pirate captain haven't exactly improved; Jim left in ep 7, leaving the Revenge without its most skilled fighter. And all this begs the question: how strong are the stories that bind these characters, anyway?

Calico Jack sets out to test exactly this. Jack uses stories as a weapons. He manipulates people's emotions,

he sidles in and tricks people into wanting to tell a certain story with him

and uses stories to separate people from each other.

And Jack's good at it. He's charming and fun. He fits into the pirate world in a way that Stede never will. Everyone wants to play his games with them, and no one wants to tell him "no."

Since Stede is the pillar at the center of the Revenge's story, it makes sense that just about everything Jack does is designed to undermine him. He immediately senses Stede's weak spot--he's not 'masculine' enough for the pirate world--and attacks it, calling Stede "the big gal." He repeatedly gets Stede's name wrong on purpose, he pretends fragility when called out on his bullshit, he wraps people up in games and booze so they don't notice just how toxic he is until it's too late.

And he does all this indirectly, by building a story around Stede and manipulating others to fill in the gaps.

Jack has actual conversations with Stede only twice. Both of those conversations have the same goal: drive a wedge between Stede and Ed by showing just how fragile the story Ed's told Stede--and by extension, the story Ed and Stede are telling together--really is.

When Jack tells the story of Ed setting the ship on fire, even he doesn't realize what he's exposing.

Ed's story to Stede about not having killed a man since is father? It's just a story. It's semantics, a split hair that lets Ed tell himself a certain story about himself. Ed's constantly telling stories about himself or acting out stories told by others about him, and even he doesn't really know which of these stories are true and which are false. He barely understands who he is, let alone what stories he wants to be telling. So, extending that logic, is the story he told Stede about not killing anyone as fragile as the story he and Stede have been telling together?

For Stede, the answer to this is actually no. Stede trusts Ed and Ed's 'strength,' rather more than he should sometimes. And Stede's opinion of Ed doesn't actually change after the story of the burned ship.

Jack's ideal outcome would probably have been for Stede to be the one who broke up with Ed. But although he does hone in on a failure of communication between Stede and Ed (one of MANY...and for that manner, a failure of Ed's self-awareness), he doesn't actually succeed in disrupting their relationship over breakfast.

But the second time Jack has a conversation with Stede, he does succeed. He rattles Stede with his talk of "dalliances," of careless sexual relationships, directly implying that any bond Stede thinks he's developed with Ed is fleeting. And then he says the quiet part out loud: Ed isn't who you think he is.

Stede doesn't really get what's going on here, but he knows he doesn't like it. So, he retreats. He tries to go back to the ship without talking to Ed at all. When he does try to explain why he's leaving, he plays into Ed's narrative that Stede and he don't belong in each other's lives.

Stede does well telling Ed how he feels, but he makes a mistake when he tells Ed he doesn't like who Ed is right now. He's openly doing the same thing Jack's been subtly doing: telling Ed "this is who you are." Stede means it as "this is who you are in this situation," but Ed isn't aware of the fragility of his own identity. Or of how much he's changed since his time with Jack.

So here Ed is again, with the idea that he's "a certain kind of person," and there's nothing to be done about it.

And then, everyone gets tested. A point of fragility is exposed, a vulnerability is attacked and destroyed.

And then everyone has to decide how they'll react. Whether they'll tell Jack's story, or their own.

Most of the crew gets through the test. Buttons holds to his truth, keeping glaring at Jack until he's off the ship. Stede gives Jack the boot, to the protest of absolutely no one. The crew don't even think about taking Jack's bait of mutiny when he asks them to come along.

Not so long ago, Stede wouldn't have been able to be this assertive. He would have bullshitted and made a speech, he would have wavered under Jack's glare. And the crew who first got on the Revenge wouldn't have been upset by the killing of a bird. They've changed. Their stories are strong enough to get them through this test.

But Ed fails.

For Ed, Jack's stories have given him a simple, easy, and narrative to regress into: he's a certain kind of person, who doesn't belong on the Revenge. His and Stede's relationship was always fragile and doomed. After all, it was based on pretense and lies.

And at the same time, another fragile story is being exposed. Back at Jackie's, Jim is facing the fact that the monsters of their childhood weren't exactly 'monsters.' those men were dumbass bastards, and if they keep chasing each murderer down they'll wind up as worn down as Jackie. And Jim doesn't really even want to be telling this story, either.

Back at Blind Man's Cover, Ed is faced with a bit of whiplash. He thinks he's here because this is the 'strong' story, this is who he really is. But he only went with Jack after an emotional appeal!

The next morning, Ed's clearly unhappy with what's happened. Because like Jim, Ed doesn't want to tell this story. And after an episode of yes-anding Jack, of protesting an then complying, he finally finds his limit when Jack suggests killing Lucius to steal his stuff.

Ed doesn't want to drink his breakfast, engage in careless murder, or treat his relationship with Stede as just another 'dalliance.' So it's not all that big of a surprise when Ed turns against Jack. Because the most important thing turns out not to be whether a story is strong or fragile. It's whether the tellers want to keep telling it.

And Ed finds that he wants to keep telling his story with Stede. That makes their story strong--and it makes Ed strong. Strong enough to face the biggest risk of his life, and go back to the ship without a clue what'll happen next.

And Ed's not the only one with an unexpectedly strong story. Button's madness turns out to have been truth. And his hex is stronger than anyone expected.

It's Jack's stories that turned out to be fragile. The ones that were true were shallow, and the ones that seemed 'strong' were lies that fell quickly away.

The episode ends with the crew captured, the English triumphant. But for now, at least, the chain isn't broken. And that means the stories are still being told.

#ofmd #our flag means death #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd s2 #ofmd spoilers #ofmd meta #ed teach #stede bonnet #blackbonnet #gentlebeard #calico jack #we gull way back #i guess the frenchie wee john plot kinda fits “design our sanctum”?

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maddiesbookshelves · 2 years

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After 6 years of being bothered by the fact that my copy of Manners and Mutiny is hardcover while the rest is paperback, I have finally decided to order a new one and resell the other.

Except, I didn't check when I ordered it and it's the UK edition.... my other books are US edition..........

So now I have two copies in the wrong edition and I want to cry 😭

I hope the little bookshop I go to takes it back so I can order the US edition myself...

#i feel so stupid #why do they have to be different sizes sjdneoxneidneksj #books #booklr #booklr community #manners and mutiny #finishing school #gail carriger

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epicthemusicalstuff · 8 months

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Wanna analyze the very sparse use of Odysseus name in epic?

Who am I kidding of course you do (but please?)

Absolutely I do!!!!! (Warning this is about to be a long post)

So as some other people have mentioned, the first use of Odysseus’ name is at the end of Remember Them, when Odysseus is basically showing Polyphemus his location on ye old google maps..

Now why is that? (This is the point where I don’t have answers I just ask a lot of questions.) Could it be because Jorge forgot to put his name in there? Was it intentional? Well, I don’t know that, so let’s focus on the context it adds if it was intentional.

We could take away from this that it was to establish him as a character before we learn who he is, that he is a king, or any of that other good stuff. It could also be to show that his crew doesn’t need to use his name, and that he is more then his name? He is a friend, a captain, a leader?

On a similar vein, it could also be that Odysseus in a manner of speaking wears a lot of different hats. Again, the Captain. Brother. Friend. Husband. Odysseus is him at his core, what is left if you strip everything else away. It is used in the powerful moments, when it’s just him and his humanity. No masks. No roles to fill.

I made a list of all the places in the musical where his name is said (let me know if I missed some)

At the end of Remember Them. Then it is not until Mutiny when his name is chanted in the background. In Thunder Bringer Zeus says his name. Aphrodite uses it in God Games. So far, that’s all I think.

Now, all of these seem to be used in times when it comes down to Odysseus as a character. When he is truly himself. When he is forced in difficult situations. When he is being analyzed on said character.

Now, I personally choose to believe that the sparse use of his name is to reflect the fact that he changes as a person throughout the musical.(hang with me here-)

When someone has a name, you tend to think of a constant. They are one person who can be clearly defined. With the sparse use of his name, you are free to see his journey, both who he was and who he can become. I might be grasping at straws here, but it makes sense to some part of me :)

#Odysseus #epic the musical #i think you so much for this ask #I could talk all day about it #Epic the Troy saga #the odyssey #epic the cyclops saga #epic the ocean saga #epic the circe saga #epic the underworld saga #epic the thunder saga #odyssey #Epic the Ithaca saga #Epic the wisdom saga

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kpop-stories-21 · 1 month

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Stains of Crimson | Part 2

Group: ATEEZ

Pairing: Jongho x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3.1k

Rating: 18-21+

Genres, Tropes, & AUs: Non-Idol AU, Dark Fae AU, Fantasy AU, Angst, Smut, Dark Content

Content & Trigger Warnings: Daoine Sidhe!Jongho, Pirate Captain!Reader, dark content, graphic descriptions of fighting, graphic descriptions of death, graphic descriptions of gore, blood, injuries, brief & graphic mention of torture, experimenting on humans, blood magic

Summary: A nearly successful escape brings you in contact with the mysterious Fae who has been watching you for a while now

General tags: @kpop---scenarios @stardragongalaxy @jeonrose @skittlez-area512 @mybiasisexo @biaswreckingfics @anyamaris @trashlord-007 @liliesofdreamsskz @pyeonghongrie-main @naturalogre @bxffietheblxxdy @sanjoongie ATEEZ tags: @lovelyhange @spicyseonghwas @firefox79 @alex-tinyy

If you want to be added to my taglist, click here

Network pings: @kdiarynet | @cultofdionysusnet

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“Rise and shine, little fly!”

A loud banging woke you, and you cursed whichever one of your crew members dared to wake you in such a manner. Then your sleep-blurred vision cleared and you took in walls of stone with no windows. Oh, right. Your crew had mutinied and tied you up in a fairy circle approximately two weeks ago, leaving you to be found by two Fae who were undoubtedly the most obnoxious beings you had ever encountered.

Speak of the devil…

“All right, all right, I’m up!” You growled, sitting up and glaring at Astario.

He chuckled, unbothered by your anger. “Ooo, so scary.” He mocked. “I’m positively quivering.”

If I had my cutlass I’d cut him to ribbons. You grumbled silently. See who’s quivering then!

With one last glare you stood to your feet, the chains around your wrists and ankles clanking heavily.

Astario unlocked your cell, grabbing hold of your arm as he led you to a now-familiar area. It was almost like a coliseum, except underground and full of cordoned off smaller areas for testing and experimenting on humans.

As you were led to an empty area, you scanned your surroundings for a particular Fae who’d been watching you from day one. Sure enough, there he was again: tanned skin, bright red hair, vivid green eyes and blood-red clothes. The intensity of his gaze sent chills down your spine, but you weren’t sure exactly what kind of chills they were; whether they were born of unease, or excitement; and you weren’t sure if you wanted to find out.

Astario strapped you to the chair in the middle of the area and stepped back, grinning wickedly. “The Doctor will be with you shortly.”

A few minutes later two figures approached you, ones you recognized immediately. The taller figure was the one most of the Fae around here referred to as the Doctor, though you had once overheard someone calling him Vraelys and assumed that was his actual name.

You made sure never to call him by that name if, for some wild reason, you needed to talk to him; one of the lessons your parents had drummed into you was the power of a name in the hands of another being and thus to never give a Fae your birth name, nor call them by theirs, unless permission was given.

The second figure belonged to a younger-looking Fae with glowing teal eyes who told you to call her Dunrí. She was the Doctor’s bodyguard, a silent presence that followed him everywhere and would have been intimidating to any other human. You were not intimidated in the least, and admired privately how similar she was to you in temperament and viciousness. You once saw her cut down a human seeking revenge in mere seconds, her lithe form coated in gore and a mad smile on her face that you yourself had sported many times.

As the Doctor began to set things up for whatever he'd be doing to you today, he struck up a conversation with his usually silent bodyguard.

“I hear you'll be leaving me in a few weeks, after you come of age.” He commented casually.

Dunrí nodded. “I’ll be going to Oidhche, as I feel my temperament and moral leanings would fit better there.”

“Well, you’ll certainly be missed around here.” The Doctor declared as he filled a syringe with a strange, viscous pink fluid and walked towards you. “You were the best bodyguard I’ve had in a while.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, I hear they’re sending Jjong to replace me.”

“Oh really?”

The Doctor looked surprised as he jabbed the syringe into your arm and emptied it. You sat silently, not caring what the result was unless it horribly disfigured you in some way. You were far more interested in the conversation occurring around you.

“That must be why he’s been hanging around here more. I thought he was intrigued by the new human, but he must’ve just been getting the lay of the land.”

It occurred to you then that this “Jjong” had to be the Fae who’d been watching you every day. Another odd chill raked down your spine at the thought of being in such close proximity to him on a regular basis. It was so strange, the effect he had on you. You had no idea why you reacted in such a way whenever you saw him, and again you weren’t sure if you really wanted to know the reason.

You were no stranger to darkness and depravity, being the most vicious pirate to sail the seas in many a year. The sight of all these humans being experimented on would turn most stomachs, but you didn’t really care. Your own survival was top priority, everything else came second and most other people were just in the way. There was a part of you that wanted to see this mysterious Jjong up close and personal. From the way Dunrí spoke of him, he was even more vicious and skilled than she; mayhaps he was as dark and twisted as you were. Not that you planned on hanging around this place any longer than you had to.

Silence greeted you upon returning to the present moment. More than a little surprised, you looked around as far as you could from your position, but Dunrí and the Doctor were nowhere to be seen. Not even the green-eyed Jjong was watching you, an unusual move on his part if he was truly getting a feel for his surroundings as the Doctor surmised.

Taking advantage of this rare moment without supervision, you scanned all the implements on the tables around you to see if there was anything you could use to free yourself. To your delight, there was a pair of very sharp-looking scissors just within reach. Stretching out, you were able to grab hold of them and set about cutting through the straps that bound you.

It was not easy work, and by the time the last of the straps across your torso fell away, you felt there would be several new scars on your hands. Sure enough, when you brought your hands around to examine them, several small cuts in your palms were bleeding and somehow the tip of your left middle finger was missing. You shrugged, not minding the severed bit as you were focused solely on getting back to your own world. After all, your former crew had yet to face judgement for trying to get rid of you.

Peering around the corner revealed that the rest of the experimentation was proceeding as normal. If the place had been empty, you'd have suspected a trap or test of some kind. Even so, you hadn't ruled that possibility out entirely. Having long ago learned how to make absolutely no noise when sneaking up on an enemy or trying to pass quietly through an area, it took you mere seconds to make your way out of the coliseum and up the stairs to the floor your cell was on.

As you rounded a corner you nearly ran into a guard standing watch. Luckily, his back was to you and so you were able to slip down another hallway without being noticed. A large stone door stood at the end of the hallway and you approached it cautiously, scanning the surrounding area constantly. When no one appeared to defend the door, you pushed it slowly open.

The sun was almost blinding as you stepped out into the fresh air, a welcome change after so long stuck inside. Once your eyes had adjusted you took in your surroundings once more, planning an escape route in your head. Your gaze landed on a fair-sized river winding away into the distance, and the faint shimmer of what might be the ocean. Perhaps you could sail your way out of this realm and back into your own. Your parents had made you learn about all different kinds of Fae back then, you were pretty sure there were some who lived in the water. Surely there were places in the water where one could cross between worlds.

Your plan made, you set off at a brisk jog. The first step was to cross the river and follow its course from the woods, where there would hopefully be less eyes on you. You prayed you could make it to cover before anyone discovered you were missing. The river was deeper than you expected, water swirling just above your knees as you waded through it. The rocks along the bottom were smooth and slippery as you walked across them, and you had to slow down a bit in order to prevent taking an unplanned swim. Once on the other side you plunge back into the woods before stopping to catch your breath for a moment and assess where to go next.

In the distance you could see what looked to be the ruins of a castle in the midst of this stretch of woods. You figured it was probably best not to try and take refuge in those ruins, it’d be just your luck to come across some species of Fae that likes to live in ruins. You couldn’t see the immediate area around the ruins, so you decided to venture a little closer in order to better ascertain the lay of the land and figure out how to get around the ruins without alerting anyone to your presence.

About halfway through your trek an unexpected wave of dizziness washed over you and you stumbled, tripping over a root and tumbling to the leaf-covered ground. You caught yourself just before hitting your head on a much larger root and laid where you fell, eyes wide as you clutched the grass. Your body trembled violently as the sensations of nausea and dizziness battled within you, and for the first time in your life you felt utterly helpless.

It was well past sunset by the time you reached the point where you couldn’t take much more, and with the last shreds of consciousness you managed to drag yourself under a huge bush, curling into a ball as your weary body gave in and you passed out.

When you finally returned to your senses you were still under the bush, but now with the sun overhead, pouring light directly into your eyes. You winced at the brightness as you rose shakily into a sitting position, the size of the bush still keeping you fully hidden. You took stock of your body, assessing your condition in the aftermath of whatever the hell had happened the night before. It was utterly confounding, nothing like that had ever happened to you before and if you were being perfectly honest, you were a little scared. Fear was an odd and unfamiliar feeling to you. Generally you were the one causing the fear, not falling victim to it.

A faint rustling came from behind you, your weariness instantly forgotten as you remembered what you were doing before the dizziness hit you. The soreness fled your muscles and you crouched within your hiding place, ready to spring from the bush at a moment's notice. Not for the first time, you wished for your cutlass, cursing the predicament your former crew put you in that had robbed you of your favourite weapon.

After a few tense moments the rustling stopped and a small but strange-looking creature popped out of a nearby bush. It sniffed the air for a moment, then froze and jerked its head towards your hiding place. Shit, it caught my scent. You thought, glancing around to see if you could find an escape route. The Fae must’ve sent it ahead to keep track of me.

Your wandering eyes caught sight of a break in the trees and you paused, fully taking in the scene. Just a few feet ahead there was a break in the woods where a path ran up to the ruins. After that was another patch of woods, beyond which you could just make out another break which you assumed was for a second road. There was a fair-sized stretch on either side of the road to the ruins that had absolutely no cover. Seeing no other option you moved into a crouch, readied yourself, and sprang from the bush, sprinting across the road and back into the woods with the creature hot on your heels.

Just as you had guessed, this patch of woods was small and soon gave way to another road, after which you saw more forest with no visible breaks in the distance. As you plunged into the trees once more, a gentle breeze blew past you, carrying with it the faint scent of saltwater. Hope surged within you and your pace quickened. You were so close, just a bit further and-

Wham! Something invisible suddenly blocked your path and you crashed into it, falling flat on your ass almost before you realised what happened. Before you could recover your footing, a figure loomed over you and your heart sank. You tried to scoot away and get back onto your feet, but your back hit the invisible thing, trapping you in place.

Looking up, you finally got a good look at the Fae who caught you and your heart skipped a beat. It was none other than Jjong, his familiar form filling your vision. The only odd thing you noticed was that his eyes were now a glowing blood-red instead of their usual intense green. He reached down, hand closing around your arm as he yanked you to your feet.

“Let go of me!” You growled, eyes narrowing. In this moment you didn’t care that he was an otherworldly Fae and you were only a human. You weren’t about to let freedom slip through your fingers when it was this close. You twisted around, lifting your feet off the ground. Using his grip on your arm as leverage, you planted your feet on his chest and pushed him away from you with all your might. You did actually seem to catch him off guard, creating a distance of at least three feet between the two of you.

A sting of pain shot through the hand you’d injured while escaping and you looked down at it, surprised to see that the previously scabbed-over wound was now slowly bleeding. A faint sort of rippling sound reached your ears and you looked up to see Jjong using magic to swirl a bubble of something around between his hands. Upon closer inspection you saw that it was blood floating within the bubble, most likely the reason why you were bleeding again. He looked up at you, smirked, and crushed the bubble in one palm.

A familiar wave of dizziness and nausea crashed over you and you crumpled to the ground, rendered helpless once more and unable to defend yourself against the Fae responsible for your current anguish. Just before passing out yet again, you heard the sound of other voices approaching. Several of the voices rose in anger, clearly arguing about something, until Jjong let out a yell that silenced all of them.

“I caught her, so I have the right to claim her! Tell the Doctor to…”

Everything faded to black as unconsciousness embraced you once more.

As you slowly came back to wakefulness, you expected to be back in your cell awaiting more experimentation. Instead, however, you found yourself in a small room with a dirt ceiling, dirt walls and floors, as well as the simple bed upon which you rested. Confused and curious, you stood to your feet and walked towards the room’s entrance. Trying your best to go unnoticed, you stuck your head out and slowly looked around.

Dirt. Everything was made of it, save for a few sparse pieces of furniture. You wondered who lived here, and why you had been brought here instead of back to your cell. Then you vaguely recalled Jjong saying something about catching you and having a right to claim you, so you decided this was probably where he lived. You wondered what his motives were for this sudden change. Would he perform his own experiments on you, or would you still be taken to the Doctor everyday? You supposed you were about to find out, considering the voices you heard just ahead.

As you got closer you were able to distinguish what was being said, recognizing Astario’s familiar voice alongside Jjong’s deeper tone.

“You can’t just claim her and not allow things to continue as they were!” Astario complained. “The Doctor was just beginning to make progress with her experiments.”

“I understand that.” Jjong replied calmly. “But I have my own reasons for claiming her, and the Doctor will just have to deal with it.”

“Now look here-”

“You can trust that if I ever change my mind, you’ll be the first to know.”

Astario grumbled under his breath before grudgingly accepting Jjong’s words. There was some shuffling, then there was silence. After a moment, Jjong’s voice rang out once more.

“You can come out now.” It wasn’t said mockingly or angrily, as if he was upset by your eavesdropping. With the tone he used, he could’ve been discussing the weather or something similarly mundane. Curiosity winning you over once more, you rounded the corner and stopped, caught up in the intensity of those brilliant green eyes.

Shaking yourself free after a moment, you put voice to the questions you’d been longing to ask.

“Why am I here?” You kept your expression hard and free of emotion. Vernon once called the look your ‘pirate mask’, and the phrase had stuck ever since.

Jjong returned your look with one of his own as he replied “I have my reasons.”

You scoffed. “You know, the last person who brushed me off like that wound up dead in some forgotten back alley.”

Jjong eyed you darkly. “You’re not in the best position to be making threats, human. You are in my house after all.”

You met his gaze without backing down, the barest hint of a smile ghosting across your lips. “Are you aware you’ve allowed a bloodthirsty pirate into your home?”

Jjong merely smirked. “I am, actually. I saw some of your memories when I was using your blood to track you.”

You froze, staring at him for a moment as the pieces connected in your head. “That was the first time I felt sick, wasn’t it? You were using my blood to find where I was.”

Jjong nodded but said nothing. There was silence for a few moments, then he stood to his feet.

“I’m going to visit a friend, but I shouldn’t be away too long.” He fixed you with another intense stare. “I’d advise against going out when I’m not around, there are quite a few Fae who would love to get their hands on you, and at least half of them are more violent than me.”

And just like that he was gone, and you were alone once more.

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