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i'll use you as a focal point

so I don't lose sight of what I want.

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since they confirm there'll be an Elden Ring live action, & even though i genuinely wish it'd just be about the Tarnished exploring the Lands Between (with light-hearted vibe like the official manga) and leave the demigods as elusive, larger than life figures behind the scene, here is... not exactly my dream casting but my dream styling/vibe for Marika.

they've always been similar to me after all - the melancholy queen with permanently lowered eyes 🥲🥲

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Woah wait, what's that about the Guardian hunting the Abyssal Serpent? I feel blind compared to you and all the details you spot.

It’s implied in his character introduction & dialogue in the trailer!

“bereft of light” is the exact phasing Messmer used to describe the Tarnished in the DLC + the Abyssal Serpent was also described as lightless creature.

The Serpent-Hunter description alluded that the hunting of great Serpent had been carrying on since the distant past:

Nightreign is only canon-divergent after the Shattering, so im theorizing that all the lores it presents would be those before Marika shattered the Elden Ring, thus more on the historical side of the Lands Between. So far with all the characters intro I think that lines up well.

Imo that theory creates an interesting link of Pinionfolk being the ones to fall the first Abyssal Serpent, then Godfrey challenged their King and took Stormveil for the Golden Lineage, then the Abyssal Serpent manifested again in Messmer, Placi also rest in a storm (dragon / Godskin / Eiglay) etc…

But as always, please just take my words with a grain of salt. Fromsoft is really good at red herrings in trailers after all lol.

(There’s also the fact that Guardian gets Solaire skin - Solaire being someone who reveres the Sun & is on a quest to look for his own Sun, I don’t think they will randomly assign skins for these characters without any thematic significance to it)

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excited for fashion souls in nightreign 😚

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how are they already so fondly married and bitterly divorced at the same time ??? 😭😭

I love this so much !!! Thank you!! 🥹✨🙏

date night date night - AC6 Flatwell/O'Keeffe drabble

@drenched-in-sunlight "Sth for O’Keeffe/Flatwell from regretter’s friend verse ??? 🥹"

alright friend this one's for you ;) ough i miss these two...

-

It was little past eleven in the evening when Flatwell flopped face down onto his bed, utterly exhausted from yet another mentally draining day.

He was actually doing the job he was hired to do - that being, test piloting Nachtreiher for the upcoming weapons expo - but with such a time crunch on their schedule he was being spedrun through every single test scenario they could think of, and well-experienced in AC piloting or not...

...it was exhausting! Diabolically so! Not because they were making him do anything truly complicated or strenuous, but because everything was so tedious! Boost jump exactly one hundred metres, oh hmm, the left leg didn't compensate the landing adequetely, pause for adjustments, okay, do the jump again, alright, do it again a hundred more times for more accurate data-

Flatwell groaned at the mind-numblingly boring memories and rolled onto his side. It was back to the grind tomorrow, but for now... for now he can close his eyes and simply forget about piloting... just close his eyes and sleep...

RING! RING!

...he was going to blow up this planet.

Peeling himself off the bed, Flatwell grumpily snatched up his phone from where he'd tossed it onto his bedside table. There was only one person who called him, so he didn't bother looking at the caller ID as he answered and snarled: "what."

"Hello to you too, dove," O'Keeffe's bland tone replied, utterly unruffled by Flatwell's murderous vibes being telepathically sent down the phone line. "Guess you're not ready yet."

Flatwell closed his eyes, resigned.

"Ready for what?" he asked dully.

"The Arquebus dinner party shindig whatever. Got a plus one so I sent a taxi to your place. Should be outside soon."

Flatwell briefly entertained a very detailed daydream where he dropkicked O'Keeffe in the face and down a flight of stairs. He thought he'd be immune to O'Keeffe springing these random and inconvenient events on him out of nowhere by now, but no. It was as soul-destroying as the last, with Flatwell needing to grit his teeth and remind himself its for Rubicon to prevent himself from publicly strangling Arquesbus's head of intelligence in broad daylight and getting himself thrown into a gulag somewhere.

"O'Keeffe," Flatwell said, "it's almost midnight."

"Yeah, it's only for a few hours. You should be back before work starts, I think."

"I'm going to poison you."

"Wouldn't be the first time. Oh right, it's black-tie fancy, but wear whatever. I'll say you're a paid escort or something."

"Arsenic maybe," Flatwell mused, as he got off the bed properly and went to his closet. "Rat poison in that sludge you call coffee could only improve the flavour."

"I'm always open to trying new things."

"Actually, I've decided on laxatives," Flatwell said. He flung open his closet and picked out the first fancy looking thing he owned - a very simple suit that had been worn exactly twice in its lifetime. "I think you deserve to shit yourself in front of everyone."

"Eh, worst things have happened to me. Oh, the taxi's ETA is two minutes. They know where to go. See you soon."

"Die," Flatwell said sweetly and hung up.

-

The Arquebus dinner party shindig whatever was at an extremely fancy hotel that Flatwell, as a low-ranking Schneider employee, could only dream of attending. He despised every inch of its opulant decor, and he let his displeasure be known with his fearsome frown when he approached O'Keeffe waiting for him inside the hotel's entrance hall.

As always, Arquebus's infamous head of intelligence was dressed like a slob: rumpled suit that was buttoned unevenly, a collar folded upwards, his tie askew, and a faint dusting of ash on his lapels from his cigarette. His jaw was thick with dark stubble, and his heavy-lidded eyes conveyed nothing as he nodded at Flatwell's stormy approach.

"Looking gorgeous as always," O'Keeffe said with no emotion. "You wouldn't know you only had two minutes to get ready."

Flatwell smiled at him - all teeth. He wanted to bite him. "Thanks. It's a talent of mine."

O'Keeffe pulled a long drag of his cigarette, eyeing him up and down. His expression didn't change, his eyes maintained that heavy-lidded, apathetic stare - but he still looked. That was more than he did with anyone else, who he barely paid attention to unless he absolutely had to against his will.

Flatwell had no idea if he should be flattered or not that O'Keeffe liked him. It made his work so much easier in Schneider, as O'Keeffe covered for him (bewilderingly, and for reasons Flatwell didn't know or trust), but it also meant Flatwell got dragged into this kind of shit all the time. Kept him on his toes, sure, but he just couldn't catch a break with this guy.

"...right. Let's go meet the vultures," O'Keeffe said, tossing his cigarette down and grinding it into the plush, expensive carpet. "C'mon, dove."

O'Keeffe held out his arm expectantly, and Flatwell took it without protest. They walked arm-in-arm into the dining hall where the party was taking, and Flatwell expertly played the part of paid, professional escort the entire time: all smiles, all manners, and keeping an eye out for tasty, delicious intel and rumours that people let flow carelessly in these kind of settings.

Oh, it was a long night, don't get him wrong. He drank a little too much, ate too little, spoke to too many people he wanted to kill with his own hands, but it was, in its own way useful... and he had O'Keeffe to thank for it, damn him. As always, that man was helping Flatwell out while also being an absolute intriguing menace about it.

He really wouldn't have it any other way. Flatwell despite boredom, and boring dates? They were by far the worst. O'Keeffe was anything but.

(He still spiked his coffee later with laxative. This was considered a charm point from O'Keeffe's perspective. He hated boring dates too.)

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my rellarika agenda ❤️

(the game is Kitty’s kitchen diary btw ! It’s a newly released title 🥹)

crying I play this game for some silly fun (and to put Marika in cute costumes) why are they hitting me with this

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crying I play this game for some silly fun (and to put Marika in cute costumes) why are they hitting me with this

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it's insane going down a trip to memory lane of my O'Keeffe/Flatwell arc because you really can tell i designed them based on Radagon/Marika

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Been looking at all your awesome Armoured Core stuff again recently, and it reminded me of something.

I vaguely remember that there was some reason a lot of folks shipped Flatwell & O'Keefe, I think something about their callsigns or emblems, but I can't remember what specifically and It's bothering me a disproportionate amount.

Would you happen to know what that might be about?

(To be clear I don't disapprove of it at all, it's just been on my mind and my internet searches haven't turned anything up :/ ).

o-oh.... the reason ppl ship O'Keefe and Flatwell is because of me haha :sweat:

there are only 4 pilots that use the MA-J-200 RANSETSU-RF rifle in the game and it's Rusty, Flatewell, O'Keeffe and Dolmayan.

the description of MA-J-201 RANSETSU-AR (another Ransetsu rifle in-game) states that this line of rifle is mass-produced for Rubicon Liberation Front.

Given that 3 out of 4 people that use it are RLF members, it's not a stretch to say O'Keeffe could be one of them or at least a sympathizer, since there's text data stating Vespers don’t favour kinetic weapons (which Ransetsu rifle is).

There's also that thing about how Flatwell used to be a spy & having swayed over a significant contact in Schneider's HR department + his AC being an agile, lightweight AC with the same design concept as Schneider ACs + O'Keeffe being head hunted by Arquebus information dept + Schneider being a subsidiary of Arquebus

-> i believe Flatwell used to work as a double agent in Schneider & the important contact he managed to sway over is O'Keeffe, who went on to become V.III

Rusty being able to rise so quick through Arquebus rank is a joint effort between the two of them (or as i like to joke the nepo baby allegation)

there are other things like Flatwell and O'Keeffe being the only pilots to use the same line of Furlong missile launcher (BML-G1 line) with Furlong also giving out the technology to help build Rusty's Steel Haze ORTUS, Flatwell and O'Keeffe also rank next to each other in the arena lol.

what you mentioned about emblems is one of my talking points too (:head in hands:...), Vespers are named after famous individuals and O'Keeffe is an artist, whereas Flatwell's emblem is a cover art of a real book

(if you want another truth nuke, the photographer providing inside photos for that book is Russell Munson.

"Rusty" is shortened nickname version of Russell.)

(i swear the Japanese fandom also discussed that, im not insane)

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Not an ask but ur art style is so scrumptious i want to eat it

thank youuu! always try my best to draw the best meal 🫡🫡

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❝The Rune of Death goes by two names; the other is Destined Death.The forbidden shadow, plucked from the Golden Order upon its creation…❞ ❝Miquella the Kind spoke of the beginning. The seduction. And the betrayal. An affair from which Gold arose. And so too was Shadow born.❞ You said in your post that GEQ asked Marika to be her Consort to unite Life and Death when Marika was merely an Empyrean,but it says here that Death only became separated from the Elden Ring upon GO creation. Before it the Death and Life Rune were already together inside of the Elden Ring. GO was also created when Marika became a Goddess.

How do i explain this... to me, Order of Gold exists before Marika, she merely becomes its new God (from very line you quote: Gold arose, not born)

The Order of Gold (which is Primordial Life) has always been there, so is Order of Death & the Moon & Rot & Blood etc… they are broad concepts that are represented by different individuals throughout different ages

it’s the Order the Hornsent wants to inherit (notice how all of their curses are leveled at the Erdtree and Marika personally, not the Golden Order, and how the Minor Erdtree description put forth the concept of Gold without Order)

it’s likely what Placidusax’s Order is as well

(+1 parallel to Godwyn becoming Prince of Death when his mother is Primordial Gold of Life, GEQ is the same with her parents)

Different concepts battle for control of the world (different Two Fingers / Three Fingers)

-> but within those concepts there are also groups battling or replacing each other to represent them:

Hornsent vs Marika vs Ancient Dragon for Primordial Gold / Life

Ancient Death (Helphen) vs Destined Death (GEQ) vs Life in Death (Godwyn)

Black Moon (Nox) vs Full Moon (Rennala) vs Dark Moon (Ranni)

Malenia Rot vs Romina Rot / Messmer Abyssal Serpent vs Rykard Serpent of Blasphemy

Another point is that even within the game mechanic, Death and Life are represented as two separate factions with Death being an actual status effect and Life is what keeping it at bay: Vitality governs resistance to the effects of Death. (in the E3 trailer, the Elden Ring is said to command the Stars and gives Life its full brilliance).

So i view Death as its own equal faction, and not something that only popped up because of Marika. What she did is outright rejecting its existence in her new Age, whereas i imagine under Placidusax's and possibly the Hornsent's envisioned Order, Life & Death will co-exist as a cycle under a same guidance.

Tbh, the thing about love and Consort is mostly shipper talk (that was also based on my interpretation of the lore, but it already diverges far into I-made-this-up-for-yuri). If you want a non-ship version, they are rivals for Godhood & everything else could still happen exactly as any of my other points.

But again, all these are just my personal interpretation.

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idk if this has been asked before but i would LOVE to see how you would draw the lady, the mystery, the gloam-eyed queeeeen

i love your style so freaking much

I have been sitting on this for a while because I haven’t finished drawing more art to expand on my theory yet 💔 but since I saw this ask… what the hell sure 😭

(I interpret her as being so lovelorn it made her cruel, so if you don’t like that kind of take on her no need to read that wall of text 😭 like this is real toxic yuri)

(imo Marika was endeared by some of her antics when it was still innocent courtship, that a princess of the great Dragons would have eyes for her. but alas tragedies don’t spare Marika, & GEQ’s love festered & rotted into such bitterness that she stood aside & watched Marika got dragged down into the cesspool of misery just like her, then took away something of Marika to remember her by.

They’re like… messed up Hades & Persephone to me 😭

Btw my interpretation is also based on how DS1 Priscilla is a dragon-hybrid with Lifehunt ability (Death) that scared the Gods 🐉)

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when the game comes out if im way off the mark pretend i never post this 💔💔💔💔

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there’s beautiful yuri in Elden Ring NightReign trust me bro 🦋🔮

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loveless blue.

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her babies grow up so fast 🥺💚🌱

ok but i’ll never get over the fact that Gideon said “Perhaps the Queen's sorrow was justified” after Malenia was defeated & we inform him of the state of the Haligtree. the implication that everyone knows Marika was heartbroken over the twins. the way Miquella’s favourite lilies are still found in the inner part of Leyndell (in planters instead of growing wild), the way the twins plant jasmine (which is called “Marika” in Japanese) at Haligtree roots, the way they still keep Marika’s Soreseal, the way Miq had to get rid of his Love in order to go through with his ascension, how Trina also rest among a sea of jasmine… how there’re still Erdtree avatars guarding the Haligtree (“the avatars, emerging in the wake of the Elden Ring's shattering, were determined to protect the withering Erdtree's offspring”)

they make me ILL

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in DS2, if you trade Demon of Song's soul you'll get the Spotted Whip, which deals slash and poison damage. now look at the whip wounds on the Milfanito sister right in front the boss arena:

"We are here to sing to those bound by death and Dark. We will sing here, forever, as we always have, from long, long ago."

When the demon developed a taste for human flesh, it was contained within the Shrine of Amana, but the line of priestesses who looked after the shrine and appeased the creature have died off.

A group of priestesses with blond and red hair chained to their duty to appease the dead / keep Dark at bay and think of themselves as one entity? One looks like she was tortured & whipped to keep her watch over the demon?

in Elden Ring, the Tooth Whip that was used on Marika's sisters also deals poison damage, & Marika's wrist as seen in the trailer also bear scars.

lately there's a leaked image of a new class in NightReign, they are a harp player and possibly a spirit summoner (Marika and her family are implied to be spirit tuners as well).

combine that with how integral music is to ER world beyond just soundtrack (bat lady’s song, page playing their flute in Leyndell, wandering merchant’s mournful tune, tibia & envoy’s horn, harp bow description…), and how the Milfanito use the power of songs to comfort the dead and appease a demon... Elden Ring is truly Dark Souls 2 2.