scrape_r_rational/data/cache/8qpg71.md

[RT][HF] A Practical Guide to Evil: Book 4: Chapter 20: Onset

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• u/Ardvarkeating101:

  DID ANYONE NOTICE THAT CAT, ARCHER, AND MASEGO WERE ALL SLEEPING IN THE SAME BED TOGETHER?!?!?!?!?
  
  The ship teasing is off the charts!
  

  • u/panchoadrenalina:

    What i believe it happened is that cat was sleeping next to zeze and archer threw herself over them because she is a brat, and we love her for that.
    

    • u/Ardvarkeating101:

      I believe Archer was annexing the bed space, but she was doing that literally in her sleep.
      
      Edit: double checked, Cat was worried about waking the other*s* when she got up.  OT3 confirmed
      

  • u/CeruleanTresses:

    If Archer can swing an nonsexual romance with Masego and a fuckbuddy relationship with Cat she'll have the best of both worlds. That's gotta be her endgame.
    

  • u/Cariyaga:

    I support platonic Indrani/Cat/Masego ship :D
    

• u/cyberdsaiyan:

  I love how these meetings which are usually boring af irl is made so tense with all the terminologies and microinsults.
  
  I also love how this coincided with the Trump-Kim meeting.
  

  • u/zhaomeng:

    If only the Trump\-Kim meeting was as exciting lol. I was following it live and that two\-hour block where nobody knew what was signed was hilarious. "They are going to sign...something" are actually words you hear on the news XDD
    

    • u/cyberdsaiyan:

      helps that we can hear the internal monologue here. I bet this meeting was just as boring to those who couldn't read the small signs.
      

  • u/18scsc:

    The quote at the beginning of the chapter in particular felt like pointed commentary.
    

• u/Esryok:

  Ah, the battles are always full of wonderful twisty excellence, but these diplomacy/politics chapters are what I love most. Here's to you, diplomacy week!
  
  I am definitely taking notes for the next time I have to negotiate in an RPG.
  

• u/RynnisOne:

  Fail to see how that comment by Pilgrim is a zinger.
  
  Cat: "To protect my nation, it's people, and their sovreignty from an invading force that wishes to occupy, conquer, and divide it.  I have made and still offer peaceful terms by which the Invaders can leave, which I will still honor, despite numerous attempts by both Named and un-Named to sabotage the peace process despite their claims to being on the side of Good.
  
  Tell the truth, what is YOUR intent, Pilgrim?"
  
  She can be 100 percent honest here.
  

  • u/CeruleanTresses:

    I don't think Cat's reaction was meant to indicate that Pilgrim's introductory line was a zinger in itself. I think she perceives that he's leading into something that is going to make her life hell. We're not gonna know what that is until the next update.
    

    • u/melmonella:

      Yeah he can ask, like, "what do you intend to do with Akua who totally controlled your body not a day ago"
      

      • u/RynnisOne:

        He doesn't know the details of that.
        
        But, let's assume he does.
        
        "I intend to keep her contained in the only place I can be absolutely sure she is unable to bring herself back--my cloak.  If, however, you want to go hunt down and eliminate the innocent baby she is using as her back up plan should this container be destroyed, feel free, though that doesn't seem too particularly heroic."
        

• u/ForgottenToupee:

  > negotiations were now being held between the Queen in Callow and the mandated expeditionary force of the First Prince.
  
  On the one hand, maybe Cat gets a name again. On the other, "Queen" by itself is rather bland. Anyhoo, it certainly seems like something has happened to the Winter mantle
  

  • u/notagiantdolphin:

    She is recognised as the queen "in" callow at least, rather than Of. Another point towards a name beyond Winter.  Semantics games, but they're pretty important so far.
    

    • u/TwoxMachina:

      Queen of All Creation in Callow
      

• u/Yes_This_Is_God:

  Damn, and here I was expecting a thousand more words on the negotiations.
  

• u/rumblestiltsken:

  Totally not part of the story narrative, but can someone explain this:
  
  Pilgrim thinks cat is a blight on creation by existing, because she is connected to the gods below.
  
  Cat isn't connected to the gods below, having no name.
  
  I just don't get it. She literally isn't a villain right now (by his standards, since heroic and villainous actions don't actually define good and evil apparently).
  

  • u/None:

    Cat is still Named, she just doesn't have much of Squire left. And Names are powerful Roles but it's not the only Roles that matter. The Gods Below can give weight to whom ever they choose, be they Villain, Hero or neither. Cat's story is tied to Evil and thus she is of the Below until she starts acting for the purpose of the Above. She's no longer as "marked" as a Villain with a Name but she's still Named in the general sense and fighting for Evil. Actions matter more than blessings.
    

    • u/aeschenkarnos:

      She seems much more Neutral. She's surrounded herself with Neutral allies: Adjutant, Heirophant, Archer and Thief all seem to be Neutral rather than villainous Names. Does she even *have* an outright villainous ally left?
      

  • u/RynnisOne:

    It's a "you're either with us or against us" thing with those Above.  If you aren't explicitly on their side then you must be villains, because they are the only Good.
    

  • u/None:

    Crackpot theory with (some) evidence: Pilgrim is going to 'unexpectedly' support her.  
    
    We know Pilgrim can sense intentions, he can tell Cat just doesn't want more war.  
    In the chapter where Cat returns she rags on Pilgrim a lot, mostly for existing. It seems unfair to her that she's getting shot at, but from his perspective Cat was just wrecking the heroes shit and they're in the middle of the battle.  
    He's the one who agrees to hear Cat first, she assumes the light blooming at the end of his staff is meant for her, but he doesn't call it until Saint starts to move.  
    This quote before he goes to fight 'her':
     > “There is no glory in this,” he warned them. “Bards may write songs, one day, and chronicles sing your praises, but this is earthly luster. We march in the spirit of sacrifice, to bring light into the dark. Do not look ahead or behind, only to each other. There is no salvation to be found save at the hands your comrades.”
    
    Added with his conversation to Saint the chapter or two earlier. He knows he's on the wrong side of the narrative.
    

    • u/rumblestiltsken:

      I still think it will go the other way. The oath from Malanza makes it seem more likely that he is the betrayer, and he forces the armies to battle.
      

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