hi . loads gun. what was tom and aviditus' relationship like Before the gilded city . how did it change .
this ended up being Long so im. putting a read more cut
they j. they were really close friends ! they spent a Lot of time together doing shit and engaging in shenanigans and enjoying each other's company. tom had feelings for avi that avi was oblivious to and didnt return, but tom was fine with things staying the same, staying friends.
and then one day aviditus was like "hm. things suck in the kingdom. the other kingdoms probably suck too. let's make our Own place where things Don't suck actually" and tom was like okay yeah that sounds like a great idea. and they found some open uninhabited land and started building the city, and eventually finished it and started getting people to come over and live there.
the gilded city was supposed to be a place where everyone was promised a roof over their head and a stable, decent-paying job to do. and thats what it was at first! things were fine, the city was fine. tom was happy to be aviditus' right hand man in leading the city. he was proud to wear the collar aviditus had given him. a symbol of his status.
but then aviditus started to get greedy.
he started making changes and things started to crack. tom tried to discourage avi from doing things that clearly Only benefitted him and were. detrimental to the average citizen to say the least. but aviditus brushed it off and assured tom that it would be fine.
he also promised to share the wealth with tom, but that was. the Least of his worries.
aviditus expanded the city, built walls around it, and made leaving the city's walls for any reason strictly forbidden. one of the best paying jobs is guarding the city's entrance, and it's given only to residents aviditus fully trusts. of course, he can't have his workers leaving, and he especially can't have them telling anyone outside about what living conditions in the city are really like. he has an image to uphold to keep people coming!
avi only got worse despite tom trying to steer him back in the right direction. when aviditus started claiming to be a god, tom fully gave up hope of getting his friend back. now he just goes along with whatever decisions aviditus makes for the city, only because he doesn't know what else to do. he can't leave, and its pointless to object, aviditus won't listen.
seeing the person aviditus became over time, tom's feelings faded. of course, he still cares about aviditus, he couldn't not, but he misses the person aviditus used to be.
aviditus still sees tom as a dear friend, but tom just sees him like a stranger.
gender affirming healthcare is the only thing in the gilded city that's 100% free with no catch. aviditus may be a bastard capitalist motherfucker but he respects trans people
