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blue-mood-blue · 3 months

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I have been thinking about the blackening (as one does)…

…and it’s so interesting to me, the penalty Shen Qingqiu is faced with should he not decide to yeet his disciple into hell.

Account termination. Instant death. Sent directly home to his already-long-dead body, and that’s it for the villain of the piece who outright refuses his villainy. The protagonist needs a blackening for the story to continue, and Shen Qingqiu is going to provide it or get written out of the narrative. Either way, Luo Binghe is going to lose him. Either way, this is a turning point.

I wouldn’t claim that this is the intent of the penalty, but it fascinates me that the System has, potentially, backed the plotline into a corner - because Binghe still stands to be blackened even if Shen Qingqiu took the other choice.

Think about what that would look like, to him. He’s at the Immortal Alliance Conference, and everything is going wrong. He’s been outed as a demon, and not just a demon - the top tier of demon, as bad as it gets from the perspective of a righteous cultivator. His beloved teacher, the person who has been kindest to him and opened his home and heart to him, is standing there with his sword in hand, deciding what he’s going to do about what must look, to him, like a horrific betrayal. Binghe is apologizing. Binghe is begging for his life.

Shen Qingqiu hears him. Maybe it shows on his face, or in his voice, that he already knew; maybe there’s no hint at all, but Shen Qingqiu is suddenly talking quickly with an abrupt sense of urgency that Luo Binghe is having a hard time keeping up with. Telling him he’ll be wonderful - telling him he’s the best. Telling him the world will be his, with emotions cracking through that aloof mask that Binghe has never seen on Shizun’s face before, and it’s terrifying for reasons that Binghe cannot identify.

(He will, later. When he has time to think, he’ll realize it sounded like a goodbye.)

And then Shen Qingqiu is bleeding. And then Shen Qingqiu is on the ground. And then Shen Qingqiu is dead. There’s no countdown for Binghe - there’s no System, there’s no warning, there’s no answers.

Luo Binghe is a heavenly demon in the middle of a conference sabotaged by demons. Luo Binghe is alone. His fellow competing disciples are scattered, some dead or injured. The Peak Lord of Qing Jing Peak, the second in command of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, maybe the only person he loved and who loved him back, is dead at his feet. No one will believe him if he says it isn’t his fault.

(He can’t believe it isn’t his fault.)

What choice does he have but to run? The last heavenly demon the cultivation world went up against has been sealed under a mountain for years, and one of the people responsible for that is probably looking for Shen Qingqiu already. They’ll be looking for him, too. There isn’t anywhere to hide; there isn’t any time to mourn.

There isn’t even enough time to ask why. Why again.

There is no closure waiting for him, because there is nothing to explain what happened. It just is.

It would be a different kind of blackening, certainly - less intense, probably, less of a warping, desperate thing. But how many times can one person have all the love and safety in their world torn out from under them before it starts to show? Before they just don’t allow things like love and safety to touch them, because that’s the better option?

Interesting to consider that, simply by offering the choices it did, the System rigged the story to guarantee that Luo Binghe would end up in hell (deliberate or not).

Interesting to consider that, even if Shen Qingqiu made what might have seemed like a kinder choice, there was every chance it wouldn’t have been.

#scum villian self saving system #svsss #shen qingqiu #luo binghe #I have been thinking about Alternative Blackening Methods #(for reasons)#(don’t worry about it)#and while I don’t think it would be on the same level as the endless abyss #I think suddenly losing his Shizun would fuck Binghe up #especially like that with no explanation right in front of him??#like #he is not gonna be okay #and then he’s stuck in a realm filled to the BRIM with cultivators after his blood #maybe it’s not THE blackening but it is A blackening #and it gives me feelings #because even if sqq was willing to make that sacrifice I’m not convinced that would have… helped Binghe #(also au where sqq somehow has the mushroom body ready to go before the conference)#(and Binghe unexpectedly encounters his Shizun in the wild)#(and they run away together in the most ill-conceived escape plan known to man)

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femmeconomics · 1 year

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legitimately i think men underestimate how boring misogyny is in media. like yes it can be gross or uncomfortable or upsetting or whatever else but for the most part it’s just boring. like we know this stuff. it’s not sooo controversial and revolutionary and new to the scene and edgy. it’s violent sex and women not being treated as people. like we know. we’re already living in it babes. the fastest way to make a piece of media boring is to make it misogynistic. and this especially applies to fantasy for me, because you’re over here getting immersed in a different world with different types of people and places and societies and then it’s just oh, the author didn’t actually make anything new. they took what they know about the real world some hundred years ago and added magic powers. or this was all just a really long intro to a dnd themed porno. the male characters sacrifice complexity because their motivations are just.. misogyny. which is at its core very simple and unimaginative. rape or violence or degradation or abuse aren’t really all that shocking or complex to see on screen. they’re in loads of movies with varying levels of quality in handling and i’m not particularly upset by them. they’re in some of my favorite movies. this isn’t an issue of sensibilities or fear. it’s just so boring.

#obviously if you do get upset with the misogyny that’s entirely legitimate #i’m personally kinda over it #i sympathize with the actresses above all #but media wise it’s honestly just such a drag and i’ll lose interest #and alternatively to the blatant misogyny they’ll just try to pretend women don’t exist #because you don’t have to own up to your male centric worldview if the men never encounter a woman!#and it’s like well now it’s kinda boring innit #where are the women

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malachitebeck · 2 months

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Was just conked on the head with the memory of Ecaf existing. A literal sentient mirror who was close with Fabian and (I think?) not a fan of Riz. ...Do you guys think that was one of the four ways Brennan mentioned that the Bad Kids could have gotten into that confrontation with Baron.

#like its a literal sentient mirror #unlike squeem ecaf literally followed them back to elmville #esaf and riz were never alone so we didn't get to see what would have happened #ecaf also never made it back to mordred manor #i just think it would be kind of hilarious if one of the random little npcs introduced was like. a huge problem.#but hey who knows i think im just obsessed with finding out the alternate paths to that encounter #dimension 20 #dimension 20 spoilers #d20 spoilers #baron from the baronies #fantasy high #fantasy high junior year #fhjy spoilers #riz gukgak #ecaf

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hogoflight · 8 months

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Maybe Apollo still keeps his journals from when he initially started discovering medicine and (depending on the way you look at it) they are either very worrying or the FUNNIEST thing ever.

#1:

Oh boy Artemis and I are gonna try out this technique I saw in the future where you cut a body and take out all the bad stuff then sew it back up and then they’re good as new!

#2:

WARNING: THE GOO NEEDS TO STAY IN

(don’t worry they gave them anaesthetic beforehand and they’re completely fine afterwards they fix them up and now they have special rapid healing powers and also their own lil religion thing going on!)

#Apollo #artemis #medicine #gore #That’d be so funny / terrifying if that was how Apollo met one of his exes #can you IMAGINE #Apollo recounting this to Asclepius n he’s like: 🙂… 😱#ALTERNATIVELY Asclepius reads his dad’s old medical books for his own research and encounters this . He labels them “MEDICAL MALPRACTICE”#And replaces Apollo’s name with “MR MALPRACTICE >:((((“#(Referencing this reminding me of a myth of him getting upset in the myth where Asclepius’s priests/doctors removed a tapeworm from a woman #by cutting her head off but Then went “oh no. Oh no. How do we put this back on and Asclepius got SO MAD)#fav

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marcmorrigan · 2 months

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According to the artist, when it was suggested that a smile might benefit the look of the finished portrait, Attaché Nohell reportedly replied, "I thought the purpose of this was to be honest."

Super fun commission of @waterloggedsoliloquy's OC Sicely Nohell (they/them) and their terrible, horrible, no good, very bad lusus figure Commanding Officer.

#star wars #grand admiral thrawn #thrawn #homestuck #fantroll #sicely nohell #my art #commission #digital painting #waterloggedsoliloquy #other peoples ocs #THIS ONE WAS SOOO FUN TO DO I LOVE CECILS CHARACTERS SO MUCH #AND YALL SHOULD ALL GO LOOK AT CECILS WORK. TRULY ONE OF MY BIGGEST CREATIVE INSPIRATIONS. CECILS WORK KNOCKS ME ON MY ASS!!!#oughhh. comicse... please all go read the guardians dilemma i CANNOT recommend it enough its a masterpiece #and!!! sicely is also in cecils nuzlocke per aspera ad astra!!! which is ongoing and SO PHENOMENAL #just like. wow. a remarkable storyteller who creates some of the most delightful characters ive ever encountered.#this comm was also super fun bc i got to badger one of my boyfriends about niche star wars lore which he was THRILLED ABOUT #between the three of us (rayce cecil and me) im pretty sure we know Literally Everything there is to know about SW & HS lol #really just the ultimate intersection of our various special interests on this one #ANYWAY. THANK YOU CECIL FOR LETTING ME DRAW THEMMM THIS WAS A DELIGHT AND TRUST. I WILL BE DOING IT AGAIN.#alternate sicely dialogue is the “nothing to smile about in my life” meme obvs

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silentwalrus1 · 3 months

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in all my random tag/fandom hopping years i have never encountered the sheer incoherency of star wars fic. It’s amazing? Like, most top kudosed stories will have nice staid comprehensible paragraphs tracking perfectly well from sentence to sentence but once you’re like 700 words in you start to feel like you’re in some kind of funhouse mirror dimension. Nothing makes sense. It’s like the authors somehow built a story without any story in it. It’s the storytelling equivalent of hearing that one song where all the lyrics are in a fake language meant to sound like english in order to show native english speakers what their own language sounds like to those who can’t understand it. It’s the narrative equivalent of simlish. Is it all written by AI? Am i having a stroke? I have to understand how this is done

#i’ve literally never encountered this before. i’ve ready plenty of poorly written things and this is NOT that #maybe i need to be more widely read bc literally the only way i can describe this is incoherence #it’s not just a handful of authors! this is across dozens of fics and tags in the sw tag! maybe it’s a style thing??? somehow?#like i know when i’m reading a fic that’s referencing canon stuff that i don’t know. this ain’t that #this is like every third sentence is missing or taken from an alternate dimension version of the same fic #i’m fascinated beyond words #star war #this is not a request for recs. i am foraging blissfully with my safari hat on #yap yap

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anistarrose · 2 months

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what I mean when I say I'm tired of people making found families into nuclear families:

among other things, it's kind of annoying when people act like the romantic couple are automatically the "most obvious" candidates to adopt a kid; or act like a pair of people in a romantic relationship can't happily co-parent a kid with people outside of that romance

what I don't mean when I say I'm tired of people making found families into nuclear families:

people using "siblings" or "parent and child" as a shorthand (or even non-shorthand) for characters' relationships sometimes

#like yeah i've personally encountered instances of “these characters are siblings” that i feel are slight oversimplifications #but there's also not a great concise alternative word #and sometimes? characters CAN just be adopted siblings!#and also if i can be completely honest #sometimes i want a way to gently clarify that i'm interpreting the relationship of two characters in a non-shippy way #without having to put a big aggro “don't tag as ship!!!” disclaimer up #i actually we believe we need to decouple “i'd like to avoid mentions of this ship” from the implication of moral judgment #(or even like “i am judging you but only for your subjective taste and you don't deserve harassment”)#but in the meantime some people probably *will* interpret “don't tag as ship” as moral judgment #so i need a concise little way to bring up organically that i'm not into a ship!

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thornofthevale · 10 months

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things i thought i was prepared for: decoding the morse on the mandelatech website things i was not even fucking remotely prepared for:

#the mandela catalogue #i'm SOBBING #i couldn't slow the video down enough i had to pull frame by frame and count frames #it was misery and was rewarded with TEARS #WHO #if it's ruth i'm going to LOSE IT #we never had her body tbf and thatch survived his alternate encounter #if its dave i will ALSO LOSE IT #though it feels less likely

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iwantofall · 3 months

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artyom:

#metro 2033 #metro last light #metro exodus #artyom chyornyj #local man from a backwater station topples every corrupt infrastructure he encounters through the sheer power of narrative #alternatively artyom @ moskvin

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liminalhollow · 2 years

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I’ve seen some Twin AUs with Danny and Damian where they jump to the conclusion that Danny is likely to be another Damian clone.

What if they assumed that at first, but then they witness Danny pulling some freaky ghost nonsense like turning his head all the way around or speaking in ghost speak or something. And as they spend more time watching him they notice how Off and uncanny valley he is like something pretending to be a human and they start to think he’s some shapeshifting creature wearing Damian’s face.

#Danny Phantom #dp x dc #Twin AU #''LISTEN I KNOW I LIKE TO CALL YOU DEMON BRAT BUT I THINK THAT'S AN ACTUAL DEMON.''#my posts #I think at first they would think ''probably a meta.''#But they spend more time following him around town and he just. REALLY weird even by meta standards.#He has no heat signature and walks weightlessly and silently and almost never blinks.#He has FANGS.#He got caught in the crossfire of a firefight and they saw him take a bullet to the chest and then run off but he was fine the next day #The last straw is when they see him drinking straight Lazarus Water.#I don't know what the next part of this story would be I'm just throwing this to the void lol #Alternatively: none of this happens and Danny is so unsettling #that they just know upon their first encounter with him that something is seriously off.

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moonchild-in-blue · 5 days

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if you'll allow me some space to share my ✨thøught✨ for the day:

obviously we see the parallels between tyler & vessel. i think they're opposite sides of the same coin. vessel gave in willingly to his adversary (sleep) and tyler was captured by his (blurryface). while vessel remains under sleep's power, tyler is constantly trying to run away. they both made music used to garner support for their adversary, yet vessel did it willingly and tyler did not. as you said, vessel yearns to sleep because that's when he's at peace, but tyler hates to sleep because that's when the bad things happen. and there's so many more but let me get to my thøught:

(come to looney town with me and imagine that sleep and blurryface are the same. sleep is the deity connected to vialism.)

clancy and vessel are two sides of the same coin. they followed the same path into dema, yet vessel gave up. never tried to escape. he allowed himself to be overtaken by the bishops. he committed to the religion, dreaming of his neon gravestone. he spreads the message they give him (he wears black body paint. come on. smearing). clancy doesn't let himself follow that same path, so he runs. vessel only fights back when he hears of clancy's triumph.

(i'm sorry i hope you enjoy my word vomit. happy timezones lovely🫶🏼)

Em darling, respectfully, I'm kissing you on the mouth and taking a nap on the deep-ass wrinkles of your galaxy brian 🧠🌌

@fivewholeminutes Alex once you hear the album please come here, because we've had some Conversations™ about the ST x TØP parallels before and I know you'll love this.

(omg this is so long I'm so sorry)

Okay but this makes so much sense? Because in Vialism, in order to reach the status of glory and ascend to so-called Paradise, you must die and become a vessel (!!!!) to the bishops, who control your body through those antlers (!!!!!!!!!!!). VESSEL IS LITERALLY A VESSEL TO THE BISHOPS. HE IS DEAD AND IN "PARADISE".

The night comes down like heaven

Of course it does! That's what Sleep aka The Bishops want you to believe you silly boy 😭 Of course the night does not belong to God, it belongs to them. That's why Clancy can't fall asleep/dream - he must stay awake so the dark doesn't take over him (ODE TO SLEEP AAAAA).

What if Vessel was also trying to escape in that car with Clancy, before he surrendered aka Ascended?? What if Clancy made it out to Voldsøy alone, but Vessel was seized by Nico and therefore never met the Banditos? That's why he never references yellow. It's always red and blue.

Maybe the gold in Chokehold and Aqua Regia is him still holding on hope that the Banditos exist, that the myths are true. But he never made it out of the car with Clancy, so of course he wouldn't have known.

But in that case, just like Clancy is special and isn't affected by the powers, maybe Vessel also has a resistance? He surrenders to Vialism, to Sleep/Blurryface, gives up his name and identity in order to reach glory and fame and spread His word (omg how is this fitting so perfectly lmao), but a part of him is still aware of it all. He isn't really dead - he is asleep.

OH OKAY WAIT. SO! We know Keon is the most compassionate Bishop right? What if Sleep isn't specifically Nico/Blurryface, but a combination of the Nine? Or possibly the force behind them?

What if Keon was the one who had Vessel under control (possibly representing the romantic/affectionate nature of Vessel and Sleep's relationship), and since Clancy stabbed him, he severed that tie and allowed Vessel to regain some control of himself? Which leads us to Take Me Back To Eden aka Vessel fighting back. Maybe Euclid is what happens after Clancy reaches Nico's tower and have that final confrontation?

I don't think we know how Clancy initially reached Dema, but I'm assuming it has to do with his past - Dema offered an alternative/solution to all the pain he felt *if* he followed their twisted propaganda.

It took a while for Clancy to see what was wrong and gather up the courage to leave, so I'll assume it's the same for Vessel. They tried to escape but Clancy met the Banditos and the rebellion, which offered him a real alternative - hope. Vessel never did so of course he succumbed to Sleep/ the Bishop's brainwashing and accepted the deal - just like you said, he did it all willingly, while Clancy/Tyler didn't.

Also - Clancy was never alone since he had the support of the Banditos, of the Torchbearer, and of Ned. Vessel had to fight all by himself 🥲. Boy's got no friends 😔 (they are as brainwashed as he is).

AND THAT'S WHY!!! That's why TMBTE ends with Euclid, a song about hope and breaking the cycle - renewal - while still mourning for the life he lead up until now in Dema/ under Sleep's influence, while Paladin Strait is all about sacrifice, about the last effort to finally reach some peace.

I have a feeling the Paladin Strait mv will end with him dying - maybe his death will bring forth the liberation of the citizens of Dema and by consequence, of Vessel.

Also! Things I find interesting but can't really fit here but please latch on them (mostly typing this so I don't forget):

Trench has a lot of snow and trees, which could fit into the "diamonds in the trees / ancient canopies" imagery. Vessel spent more time there under Sleep/Blurryface's influence

The beach!! The water!! Both of them make a lot of references to water and That Beach aka sacred shores aka where Clancy and Torchbearer emerge from aka the only way out of Trench

CHLORINE IS A NEUTRAL CHEMICAL. NOT ACID NOR ALKALINE. The one used in pools (aka Ned's pool in Chlorine) is slightly alkaline according to Google. Coincidence???? I think not.

Also in Chlorine - Tyler makes a reference to the taste of lead. Hmmmmmm there's a connection there with Granite kinda? I'm reaching BUT!!

"And I'm done dancing to alarm bells" maybe it's a reference to him being done with SAI's propaganda/distraction?

The burning car / car crash references from both.

"I'm a waking hell and the gods grow tired" -> Vessel never fully ascended as the Bishops intended which causes a lot of friction between them

Josh and ii are the same person too. ii is Vessel's Torchbearer 🥹

Look. It's late (as I type this) and you come here with that amazing brain of yours connecting dots, and I can't help but latch on to them. I feel insane just typing this all out but!!! It makes SO MUCH SENSE OMG.

I wonder how Ned and Thrash fit into the narrative 🤔

#something something this is what could've happened to Tyler if he had never encountered the Banditos #ORRRRR WAIT. another flash thought #what if Vessel *isn't* an alternative version of Clancy. but of one of the bishops????#!!!!!#okay i'll stop for now but omg??????#i need a big ass coarkboard and some wool skeins #darya answers #sleep token #twenty one pilots #how do i even tag this 😭#sleep token lore #twenty one pilots lore #i guess???#clancy

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voidthesquished · 11 months

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Another thing I noticed in a recent rewatch of tmc is that Evelin has had 2 back to back alternate encounters after finding out about Adam’s results on the toddler stress assessment review

Like right after finding out she first had to deal with this shit and had to get the fuck out of there

And this is most likely an alternate of her just in there because it’s definitely not exactly her, why the hell would she be just be standing in a door way all creepy and shit

THEN she goes home and after talking to Sarah a bit (this could be a few hours/days after the fact I’m not really sure honestly) but then she has to deal with PREACHER IN HOUSE MIMICKING HER EX THATS ACTUALLY BUSY SCREAMING IN AGONY, THEN JUST STANDS IN THE DOORWAY TO HER ROOM (?) AND THEN VANISHES

She cannot catch a break pray for her

Although it does make me wonder, what exactly are these alternates trying to do? Like the thing with Preacher definitely seemed to be an attempt to lure Evelin away and give her MAD but it’s unclear weither or not they actually succeeded, they definitely didn’t in luring her away but it seems an attempt was made to give her MAD from the weird noises they made but they weren’t like the ones in vol. 2. Could it be that what preacher “says” changes depending on who they’re going after or was it just an unsuccessful attempt for whatever reason?

And it’s a weird situation for the one of her in the police station, where it didn’t seem like it was trying to give her the weird knowledge to make her kill herself or even try to lure her away, it simply stood ominously in the police station and if anything seemed to be trying to get Evelin out of there after seemingly turning on the alarms (although weither it was the alternate or thatcher is unclear, but it definitely wasn’t Evelin as she’s surprised by them suddenly turning on) .Could they be trying to freak her out in order to get her to stay away from Adam and preventing her from learning more about him, further basically stranding him, or could it be unplanned attempts to give her MAD that just weren’t successful for some reason? Or maybe I’m just reading too far into this WHO KNOWS !!

#mandela catalogue #tmc #EVELIN GIRL GET OUT OF THEREEEEE #regardless of what those alternates are trying to do she needs to get the fuck away from there #I really wonder if she’s gonna have a sort of encounter with Adam or not #I’m slightly insane #evelin miller #the mandela catalogue

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khaotunq · 2 years

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Seduction 101, according to Ayan: Step 1/?: Accidentally-on-purpose flash your tattoo.

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fluffypotatey · 2 years

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The Shrine of Emrys: An Additional factor for Merlin's Migraines

The day began like any other which is what Merlin blames for why he felt so relaxed and not as vigilant. Maybe if he was, the warlock could have been able to convince his friends that he spied deer in the opposite direction of what will now be the reason for Merlin’s anxiety. Unfortunately, hindsight always works better after an incident occurs never before, the little fucker.

“At least it’s not a well this time,” Gwaine chimes in, interrupting the tense silence that enveloped their party the moment the shrine came into their sights.

“How does that make this one better?” Leon sighed.

“Well, none of us will feel compelled to drink it!”

In Merlin’s periphery, he saw Elyan wince, the memory of when he was possessed still haunting him. No one blames the knight though. After that whole mess, Percival and Leon made sure to keep their group’s supplies always stocked with the right amount for missions or hunting parties. They even made sure to teach their own squires how to properly ration food and water, the best places to find drinkable water, and what berries were considered safe to eat.

Arthur moved closer to the little shrine that sat near an old oak tree. He squatted and examined how the thin rocks were piled on top of one another, how the inside of it seemed to glow (was it from magic? A trick of the light? Or maybe there were diamonds inside, Merlin couldn’t tell and Arthur didn’t say.) and how the curved roof of the shrine sprouted thick branches, harvesting some kind of fruit. Merlin watched carefully as his king looked the shrine up and down, as his lips curved into a pensive frown, as he brought his fingers to his lips, contemplating.

“What do you suppose this one’s for?” he finally asked. “This one seems…less somber.”

And it is, unless, a shrine that held sweetmeats and honeycomb inside it was one of malevolent intent. But what a strange shrine that would be. Merlin couldn’t help but ponder what kind of evil sweetmeats and honeycomb could cause. The evil of too much sugar? The evil of glorious temptation? Frankly, Merlin wouldn’t mind if he were to fall for such a temptation. In fact, these offerings almost seem to…call to him. Like they were there for him.

“Because it is less somber, sire.”

Everyone turns to Percival. The knight lets out a cough like he surprised himself with that answer, or maybe he didn’t expect everyone’s immediate attention on him. Eyes curious and surprised that he held such knowledge.

“How so, Percival?” their king asks him.

And Percival answers his king, but it’s an answer Merlin was not expecting. Honestly, he never expected such an answer to even be one Percival had previous knowledge of.

“Because this shrine is to Emrys,” the knight says with no hesitation, “and the Druids wish to keep him pleased.”

“Emrys?”

“Who is he?”

“Will he be a threat to us?”

And so, there went Merlin’s peaceful day with nothing magic related. He wished the earth could just consume him, take him away from what’s about to transpire, but the earth stays quiet.

“No, no, Emrys is not a threat,” Percival answers, quick to reassure his friends. “Well…” the knight makes a face. “He isn’t…meant to be a threat.”

Merlin tries his best to not feel offended by such a description. It’s not like Percival knows he’s talking about the knights’ beloved manservant. Merlin shouldn’t feel the slight of betrayal as his dear friend describes him as some cryptid Fae folk. Merlin is not a part of the Fae! As far as he’s aware, anyway.

“Explain,” Arthur ordered.

So, Percival did. Percival explained to his friends all he knew about the infamous Emrys. He explained why the Druids revered him.

(“Are we even sure this Emrys is a him?” Merlin couldn’t help but ask. Maybe if he did, then it would derail the topic and Merlin would be safe.

“I mean, that’s how the Druids refer to Emrys, but,” Percival hesitates as he considers how to answer it, “they could be wrong. Sometimes their prophecies are very vague to the point that any person could fit them, and sometimes they’re not. But Emrys has not struck them down yet, so maybe?”

And so Percival continued his tales about Emrys, with Merlin’s plan foiled.)

Merlin did note how the knight made sure to steer clear of ever explicitly mentioning the cause of the Druids’ reverence for Emrys (Uther’s Purge), but that didn’t stop Arthur from picking up on it. Percival also explained certain details Merlin wasn’t even aware of. Details like Emrys being immortal for one.

“So you mean…” Merlin bit his lip. “This Emrys can’t die?”

“Not by a mortal’s hand.”

“Ah.” He could feel his throat closing in on itself, flashes of past moments flooded his head. Past moments where Merlin felt himself cose to death or moments where others gazed at him with unbridled terror because some poison didn’t work. Merlin’s head pounds, this is too much for him to process.

Something flickered across Percival’s face. Confusion, curiosity, then something else, but his face switched to neutral before Merlin could decipher it. The knight looked back to the rest of their party as he wrapped an arm around Merlin. It almost felt like comfort. Like a reassurance. Merlin had a brief moment of panic. Did he know? Will he tell? Is this just because Percival is a very tactile person? Did he notice that Merlin was no longer feeling well?

“You said he’s born to heal the wounds of the Old Religion,” Arthur says, snapping Merlin from the downward spiral. “That he was born as the Druids’ protector and healer.”

“Not just the Druids, sire. There are more than just the Druids who practice the Old Religion.”

Arthur nodded, his eyes looking back at the shrine, but, strangely, it was like he was looking at something further away. Something only he could see. A past memory? Or maybe old words he once ignored that have new meaning to them with this context.

“If he’s here to be their avenger, why do they have to keep him pleased?”

It was Gwaine who asked, mouth full of food. Somehow, the handsome man had found an apple whilst their friend told them all about this revered sorcerer. Probably one of the items Leon had packed for them.

(“So he’s a god?” Gwaine had asked.

“No?”

“Wait, why’d you answer that like a question?”

“It’s really complicated–”

“So they worship him.”

“Yes but—”

“They hold a festival for when his power was first felt by everyone.” This one was Elyan. Both he and Gwaine exchange a look of understanding.

“Look–”

“And they say he is the chosen champion of the Triple Goddess.”

Percival sighed at his friends as they continued on with their, admittedly well-thought out, theory. It was times like these where he missed Lancelot, who he knew would have also brought up some interesting points that would have most likely fueled the flames to his friends’ assumptions. Although, Lancelot always seemed to know more than Percival despite him being the one raised by the Druids.

“Ok, fine, he’s a new god for them”

“But what is he the god of then? Say, Elyan do you still have those scrolls on that pantheon in the Mediterra—”)

Percival winces as he prepares himself to answer Gwaine’s question. Merlin couldn’t help but frown at that reaction. The Druids don’t see him as unpredictable do they? They view him as benevolent, right? Maybe they believe him to be wrathful like Morgana? He’ll need to meet with Taliesin soon just to make sure.

“About eight years ago, someone decided to challenge Emrys. She even went as far as to harm the Once and Future King–”

“The who?”

“There’s a prophesied king?!”

“Yes, he’s called the Once and Future King, their destinies are intertwined, he is said to bring in an age of peace and unity between those with magic and without—will you let me finish!”

The knights kept their mouths shut as Percival unveiled more about this sorceress. How she was the previous Priestess of Avalon (Merlin felt himself freeze, and he silently prayed that maybe Percival meant someone else), and that after attempting to force Emrys into joining her revenge plot against Camelot, he struck her with a lightning bolt.

“–So you see, the Druids felt that they needed to make sure Emrys knew they weren’t seeking to go against him. And while he is said to be their savior, there are Seers who have cautioned that Emrys can very well be their end if pushed too far. Nimueh’s demise was proof of that.”

Their circle of knights was quiet after that. Neither spoke nor asked Percival for more clarification, everyone too deep in their thoughts. Merlin, however, was an internal screeching mess. He had no idea that his battle with Nimueh caused such a reaction from the Druids. Honestly, with how much people continued to harm Arthur and the kingdom, he didn’t think anyone would have buckled down and built him shrines because of what he did. It was both strange and comforting, like his actions were truly being seen and appreciated, but also he felt something ugly curl into his gut. They didn’t build the shrine until he hurt one of their own.

They feared him.

Merlin wanted to sigh. He’s so tired of them solely viewing him like he was the Triple Goddess incarnate. He looked back at the shrine and how its offerings laid there to appease him. To keep him on their good side. Well, Merlin always was partial to some honeycomb. It wouldn’t hurt if he just…took the offerings, show them that he does want to see a future of peace between magic users and regular humans.

It’s not like Merlin wants to go against the Druids, but if these offerings will make them believe he is pleased with them, Merlin might as well. He wonders if someone overheard him admit to liking honey. Did they ask his mother about the sweetmeats?

“Merlin!” It’s Elyan who grabs his wrist as it was closing in on one of the berry tarts (he hoped it was raspberry). “Do you want to get smited by Emrys?!”

It took every fiber in Merlin's body to keep a straight face. It took even more to not reply with a quip outing himself.

By the Goddess, how should he answer that question?

“No,” he said, eyes wide like a stunned deer.

“Then why did you reach for the offerings!”

What a silly question! These offerings are for Merlin, thereby he should have them, yes?

“I was hungry.”

“Merlin, we have plenty of food packed in our supplies,” Leon placated. It seemed he was trying to calm down Elyan, who became quite panicked when Merlin reached for the desired tart. Understandable though, Merlin knows Elyan meant well, but how can he explain why him taking the sweets won’t place Emrys’s wrath upon him without revealing that he is said wrathful Emrys (although he wouldn’t be very wrathful if they just let him take the tart).

“My bag is too far away though,” he said, like he was that six year old boy who followed his mother around the castle while she worked. He never wished to leave his mother’s side, so he would always complain if she asked him to fetch something a few feet away. Leon even gave Merlin the same look the boy’s mother gave him. This felt unfair. Merlin wasn’t some six year old with attachment issues. He was Emrys and this was his shrine, but he can’t tell Leon that.

“I’ll go fetch it for you, Merls!”

Bless Gwaine. Always after his own heart, that man. Not to mention, he also brought the knights’ attention to himself, granting Merlin the opportunity to swipe the tart from the shrine and shove it into his mouth. It tasted heavenly.

Yes, this shrine thing was a great idea on the Druids part.

“What’s in your mouth, Merlin?”

Shit, he forgot to count Arthur. Arthur who only glanced over at Gwaine for a couple of seconds, and most likely saw Merlin shove the tart in his mouth. Merlin swallowed the rest of the tart.

“Nothing, sire.”

Yes, good start, Merlin. He can play this game.

“Nothing?”

“Yep.”

“So I didn't see you eat one of the offerings to Emrys.”

“That’s correct, sire.”

“And was it good?”

“Very, like a taste from–” shit!

“Do you have a death wish!” Elyan hissed at him. Merlin refrained from answering that question. It seemed rhetorical, and his friend probably wasn’t seeking for Merlin’s honesty right then. “Emrys killed a priestess, what do you think he’ll do to you?”

“Well, she was being rude. I just ate a tart.”

“A tart not meant for you!”

Typically, in moments like these, the party is interrupted by either bandits or rogue sorcerers. This is mostly because moments like these escalate and people get loud, alerting enemies to their location. Then, when the dust settles, they are able to end disputes more amicably (this is because all the frustration is let out during the fighting, leaving the gang tired with no need nor desire to fight their friends right after). Unfortunately for Merlin, there is no spontaneous appearance from rogue sorcerers or bandits that aid Merlin in avoiding this conversation. What there is, however, is a well placed beehive hanging just above their camp. Maybe if Merlin faked a cough he could—

A distant roar is heard, coming from the west. It pauses everyone’s movement for a quick moment until Arthur makes the order to seek out the roar, claiming that such a beast is too close to Camelot for his own comfort. Elyan gives Merlin a stern look to mean that this conversation wasn't over as he made his way to the horses. Merlin breathes out a sigh in relief before joining the knights with their preparations. Whatever creature they find, Merlin will find a way to spare it as thanks (not that it’d know what the thanks is for, but that’s not important).

---

my contribution to this post here and a special thank you to @bellamyblakru for beta-ing this ilysm <3 and read this fic by @0hheytherebigbadwolf that's inspired by the same post (it's very good btw)

#*jazz hands*#hope y'all enjoy #bbc merlin #merlin emrys #merlin the eldritch horror/diety in the magic community #knights of the round table #sir percival #arthur pendragon #sir elyan #sir leon #sir gwaine #slight cameo of me SotRT (very slight)#*in a deep voice* rated T for language #headcanon: percival is an observant little fucker but he keeps that to himself #alternate title was: in which Camelot's finest encounter a druid shrine and Percival gives them a crash course lesson #fanfic #fanfiction #my work #my fic post

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