#please let this boy age

[why-be-normal]

DC refused to acknowledge Tim’s birthday yesterday so they can keep him perpetually 17

[vaguely-concerned]

thinking about how deeply lucanis' life has been defined by a lack of control of that life -- as he himself points out, even before the ossuary went and carved the headline out again with big bloody letters. of course he reacts badly to losing what little control he did manage to construct for himself even within those circumstances.

(namely: experience has taught him that things (caterina, loss, pain, love, all horribly and indelibly intermingled) will happen to him whether he wants them to or not and there's nothing he can do about that... but he gets to decide what's let in or out of his soul as it happens, even if he has to close it all down and deaden and numb himself out in the process. (even if that means he drifts further and further away from illario, who's been desperately reaching out and trying to keep hold of him until he finally gives up completely and tries to cut the bond all at once when lucanis doesn't seem to reach back anymore.) it's such rare well-observed freeze logic solidly constructed from the bottom up, I'm still so impressed with it.

the way illario seeks constant external means to cope with caterina's abuse and importance in his life -- he can't win her admiration or acceptance or warmth (or like. acknowledgement even, at times :') ), no matter what, so he goes out and finds those things in others and then disdains and dismisses it for how easily and falsely it's won from them. he plots, he conspires, he tries to beat her at her own game however clumsily, he tries. lucanis doesn't try things that way. he's not about 'how do I improve my situation' by nature, he's 'how can I stop this from getting worse'. he avoids, he internalizes, he hunkers down and makes himself nothing until the pain maybe ends. he's fundamentally not a plotter, he's a reacter. an expert assassin pantser, if you will, to illario's clear and stated exasperation fhsak. man I love them. illario says 'get us out of here!!! if you loved me as I love you you'd help me get us out of here before it kills us both', lucanis says 'there is no other place, there's nowhere to go, all we can do is endure. and if it kills us... well, that's just family. that's what love is (the way things are headed I'll die first anyway so it's fine I won't have to face losing you)', and they're equally baffled and hurt by each other's POV. but they're both right, and they're both wrong. there's no 'right' way to deal with caterina's treatment of them, or their situation. the house always wins, if you pardon the expression. house dellamorte still stands and that is what matters to caterina in the end more than anything.

it also fits so well b/c like... their core wounds are that illario is the least favourite and is constantly dismissed, so he has to prove to caterina again and again that he matters. not even that he's worth love or respect or warm regard, but that he's here at all and as such should be considered. he has to shout 'in case u forgot I EXIST!!' at the top of his lungs or else be rendered nothing within the family structure (and himself, because it's all about family, that's all that really matters. in some weird twisted way I think caterina openly declaring him before all the other crows to still be of house dellamorte -- and no one from house dellamorte kneels -- is kind of a victory for him, as much as it's also a furthering of a prison sentence and public humiliation. house dellamorte brainfuckery goes hard.). lucanis is the favourite, and it's the double-edged sword that he gets all the affection and attention but also all the control and impossible expectations. drowning under all of that constant stress and close evaluation, his brain whispers 'I don't exist' to try to escape, to hide and hold on to the deep parts of himself that are crucial to life but not part of the perfect grandson caterina demands of him as the price of her love.)

I think a lot about how what seems to disquiet lucanis the most post-ossuary (as it would anyone with that psychological makeup) is the dissolving of internal boundaries and control he's been relying on, which is part of what spite symbolizes. his anger and reactivity has seceded from the union to the point of personification as a little guy (a little guy he resents and fears for his unpredictability and invasions into regions of his psyche he wishes to stay frozen and barren, and yet cares about deeply, loves! and also constantly dismisses and frequently helplessly lets down unless he's helped to learn to do otherwise. does this remind you of another relationship in his life, perhaps. it makes me feel nuts to think about the illario/spite parallels thanks for asking), and now that little guy is out there running the show freely the moment he glances away or closes his eyes. literal nightmare scenario I feel for him so deeply. so much of his coping is predicated on being able to Not do or feel or want certain things, and that's out the window now, Spite has Opinions. Spite refuses to stay wisely in place even if that place is hell on the logic that if you move you could find yourself in a place that's even worse, somehow. Spite actually wants to experience the world, however fucked up and scarring the way he arrived here, not just endure it. Spite means he has to face that maybe illario wasn't wrong all those years, at the same time as having to admit and face what illario has done to him, and figure out what to do about any of it.

anyway. mary kirby ma'am that's some good fucking metaphor work. thank you, and sorry about all the shit that happened

[medicalunprofessional]

never change, man !

[hikarry]

I honestly can't wait to see some absolutely unhinged angel boy 😌💅

[walkingbomb]

"When he rises, everyone will see"

he wasn't talking about Corypheus he was talking aboUT SOLAS

"every one will be just like they were"

dwarves with magic!! immortal elves!!!

[dollarstoreartsupplies]

something I think we as a fandom don't talk about enough is the fact that during his first guide mission grover was 14. And satyrs age half the rate of humans.

grover was emotionally and mentally seven years old. seven. of course he couldn't save everyone he was seven years old!!!!

[librarydilf]

this is one of those 'he would not fucking say that' moments for Alec, which is tragic because this is one of my FAVORITE possible solrook interactions. zero denial. apologizes and then keeps doing the same fucking thing. DELICIOUS!!

[deadkraker]

I wont fall for the overworked-and-done-with-life man stereotype. i wont like him. i know nothing about him. I WONT MAKE A DESIGN FOR HIM.

[h3artxyou]

I know it’s not march 3rd yet, spare me 😭😭. Anyway! A little birthday post for Miiya, I might reload it later if I change something about the drawing.

[non-un-topo]

*chef's kiss*

[rhinestone-dogtrainer]

I really love Bron^2 purpose within the company/storyline right now. Like they are the perfect Cartoon Villains, thus make the perfect foils for Cartoon Hero Jey Uso.

It's so obvious that they are there to have Fun™️ and be Entertaining™️.

At the very beginning of their match, it was obvious that they deliberately rolled out of the ring when Jey and Roman went after them and it was to give Jey the space to do his encore because the crowds love Jey.

Then they got to go full force after Roman so Jey could have another Big Damn Moment with his first splash on the three of them.

Bron and Bronson yelling taunts the whole time is so cartoonish, but it had me laughing. They could be serious powerhouses if they wanted to between the strength and skill of both of them, but they're not doing that because it's not Fun.

It also feels so good that all of their taunts were at Roman. It made it feel like Jey was the one they respect more, even though they were beating the hell out of him; it gave him room for his come back.

Like, the two of them really do feel like The Future of The Company. They make matches fun and entertaining and give you moments to talk about.

I'll admit that I've become a Bron Breakker stan in my time watching, but I do feel like every bit of him is there to make people talk. Like I'm starting to think the excessive tanning is part of his character because people keep Talking about it. It also adds to the "rookie who is still learning" thing along with his mid match push ups. His very deliberate moves with his singlet straps that are starting to feel signature and his twitchy movements. They read as feral and silly, but people keep mentioning them so if course he's gonna keep doing it and hamming it up. Then there's the "using opponent's crowd pleasing against them" like him and Bronson using the "yeet move" as a distraction against Sami and Jey in Mexico and now here with the singing of Roman's name and the chanting for him.

People were upset about Bron cutting Roman's old promo back at him, but that's also deliberate, too, that got People Talking. I've heard people talking about Roman's shoes all week and they Still talking after Bronson showed up with them.

I'm just saying that word of mouth is a powerful thing.

[vaguely-concerned]

For you. And Harding. And everyone we've lost.

*sob sob sob sob sob* it's fine I'm fine I just have to I just need a moment and then I'll be -- *sob sob sob sob sob sob sob sob*

rye 'I want varric back you son of a bitch' ingellvar showing up to the narrative stricken to the core with grief and digging two graves. one for the dread wolf. and another one also for the dread wolf because by the time rye is done with him that fucker is hopefully going to be in several pieces. lucanis hold my shovel for a moment would you I need to commit some acts of grim violence and deep poetic irony (*supportive lucanis voice as rook grabs the fake dagger* go get him rook I've got your shovel). solas I'm sorry I love you but if you were going to pull that shit you probably should have done it to someone a little less like, well. you

[21fallouts-atmychemicaldisco]

As you can't see, I am Clancy

[maagisterpavus]

finished Arden's playthrough earlier and I already miss them </3 i must say it was wildly satisfying to punch Solas in the face

anyway have this pic of Rowan looking like a scrawny short king next to them

[eeriemothz]

the veilguard trailer did a dick move and came out while I was at d&d so I'm just getting around to and I do not have the words. Holy shit. I genuinely can't form the words. My boy Solas looks fucking amazing oh my God.

I NEED Solas and The rook to have beef

[3416]

all i know is we can't go to game 7 because i have a wedding to attend and it's gonna be bad for me if i'm watching a game 7 in public. KLFJKLDSJFKLS