#(and if I’m being honest her revive ability makes her pretty op)

[quibbs126]

Dark Cacao is in desperate need of a buff; from what I understand he’s currently sitting at the worst of the Ancients meta wise and I want to use him in the game again and for him to be useful. They were able to give some to Hollyberry and Pure Vanilla back during City of Wizards, surely they can give him one too

Though also I do find it a bit ironic considering that when I started the game, Dark Cacao I think was considered the best of the Ancients to use, and now he sits as the worst

[littlemisssquiggles]

I don't think JNR will fight Neo because that fight doesn't seem balanced. Like Neo could probably handle two of them but not all 3, 4 considering Oscar is there.

…Uhm…you say that like the number ofpeople versus their opponent actually matters in a battle between heroes andvillains, anon-chan. Especially whenit involves the safety of one of their own.

I mean it wasn’t exactly a ‘balanced’ fight either when TyrianCallows challenged the RNJR team back in Mistral and Tyrian still managed tooverwhelm all four huntsmen despite being outnumbered.

That being said, I think seeing Neo face off against JNR would be aninteresting battle to see. It’ll be the first hero versus villain fight for JNRin a long time. Not to mention that it’ll also be our first fight with Neosince V3. I’m sorry anon but this squigglemeister is gonna have to disagree with you on this idea.

I’dactually LOVE to see this fight playout and given how today’s episode left off, with RWBY squaring off against theAce Ops, this leaves JNR as possibly ouronly hope at finding and saving Oscar before Neo gets far with him. As muchas I would’ve preferred to see Ruby Rose save Oscar, I wouldn’t mind if JNRsaves Oscar instead since #SQUAD! I’dlove me some more JNPR 2.0 moments.

Someone over onTwitter---@EDragonLink---even shared the idea of Neo donning Pyrhha’s form tofight JNR. I dig that idea. I think that would be pretty cool too.

But for me, I can more picture thematch playing out like Ren and Nora workingtogether as the power couple they are to stop Neo while Jaune tries to freeOscar who is off subdued somewhere. So to appeal to your theory, anon-chan,let’s say…it’s actually Flower Power versus Neo while Jaune rescuesOscar. Speaking off…

CrazyIdea Time

Since the allusion since V6 is that Neo will do something bad that’ll upset theFNDM, imagine if…the super badthing that Neo does is kill Nora?

Like let’s say…during their dual, Neo tricks Ren by disguising herselfas Nora and overpowers him. But just as Neo is about to deal a killing blow toRen, Nora jumps in front of Ren and shields him, with the tip of Neo’s bladepiercing Nora right in heart. Ifigured Nora being stabbed through the heart would be symbolic since she’s always been a character whose love and devotionto the people she cared about has endeared her throughout the series.

With JNPR 2.0 distracted by Nora,Neo makes her but still leaves empty-handed.

But unlike Weiss in V4, Jaune isunable to save Nora this time. Her injury was so damaging that not even Jaune boastingNora with his aura was enough since…there was no longer any aura for him toaccelerate to help heal her. Nora wasalready dead.

So Nora ends up dying in Ren’s armsas he starts crying over her dead body, finally professing his love for herrepeatedly in a desperate attempt to get her to come back to him.

Imagineif…in a similar moment to Jaune in V4, Oscar unlocks his semblance at that momentand his semblance turns out to be what saves Nora from death. And sincethis is an imagined scenario that I’mgoing with here, imagine if…by somestruck of a miracle, Oscar’s semblance turns out to be Revive.

 Like his true power is theequivalent of a Phoenix Down andthrough sacrificing some of his aura, Oscar is able to resuscitate Nora. Ifaura can be used to give life to a synthetic being like Penny then what’sstopping Oscar from being able to revive others from death by sacrificing partof his aura (which is mixed in with the magic of the God of Light that blessedOzma with reincarnation) with it actually making sense within the establishedcanon of RWBY?

I actually think that could’ve been aninteresting power to have. Revive your team members from death at the expenseof some of your aura---your own life force. It’s an interesting ability sinceit automatically gives Oscar a limit and his own life is his limit. That shot from V7CH7, where Pietro showed Weiss,Ruby and Maria his splintered aura that had missing portions as a result of thehim giving part of his life to create Penny got me thinking about this since itshowed me it was possible. As a matter of fact, it reminded me a bit ofFullmetal Alchemist with the equivalent exchange rule.  

Since Oscar represents theembodiment of rebirth, him possessinga semblance that enabled him to save lives at the expense of some of his owncould’ve been a compelling and surprisingly fitting power for Oscar’s characterto have. Because:

Firstly, like I said, he is theliving embodiment of life and reincarnation.

If Oscar is added to Amity Arenaafter V7, him having a Revive semblance would make him an Oscar-worthy asset in the game. I haven’t played Amity Arena as yet(waiting for my boy to be added, to be honest) but I can picture Oscar’ssemblance as a power up in the game. Y’know have “Best Boy Oscar revive you or one of the members of your party” typeof deal (seriously never played AA so forgive me if I’m very wrong about the in-gamemechanics).

Oscar possessing a resurrection typeof semblance could be seen as another nice little call-back to his VA: AaronDismuke who was Alphonse Elric from FMA.

Then again, this could mostly beseen as a crack concept. Like a crackPinehead headcanon, basically. Idoubt that any of my ideas shared here might become canon. Especially the partabout Oscars’ semblance being Revive.But still wanted to toss it out there since it could’ve been a little cool.

All in all, getting back ontrack---I dunno anon-chan; I don’twanna knock the JNPR 2.0 versus Neo potentialfight. Like I said I don’t think it’ll be unbalanced at all. As a matter offact, it would be pretty cool to see Neo take on three to four fighters at thesame time since we just saw Tyrian Callows fight three on one against Robyn,Qrow and Clover just this episode.

Wehaven’t seen JNR have a cool team fight since V3. I mean, sure we had FNKI thisseason but that wasn’t exactly a concentratedfight. It was spread out over four individual one and one fights. Havinganother 3 on 1 fight against a villain but with JNR would be awesome for them.I’m sorry but I personally want to see that especially if it leads into JNRsaving Oscar.

Itwouldn’t even mind if Oscar ends up sitting out this fight to let JNR shinesince I want to see these guys fight and work as a unit again. And if Oscarends up getting free and joining them in the end in cornering Neo just like howthey did with Neon in their FNKI battle, I’d love it even more.

LikeI’m picturing JNR fighting Neo and backing her into a corner where she thinksshe’s won only for a perfectly free Oscar Pine to blindside Neo and knock her downwith the Long Memory (payback for kidnapping him). I don’t expect Neo to bedefeated so easily. I’m definitely expecting her to escape but stillempty-handed since JNPR 2.0 managed to defeat her together. Yeah, I like thatidea. I like that idea a lot =) But that’s just me.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2020)

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Tagged

I was tagged by the lovely @moonshadow-memes! (tyvm!!!) 

Rules: Answer all 25 questions to the best of your ability, then tag 5 other blogs.

#1. Which Primal Source Do you identify most with? Why?

You know the meme about how you’re Slytherin if you hack Pottermore to make it say you’re not Slytherin? I took the TDP primal source quiz until I figured out all six of the primal answers. But somehow, I kept getting Stars in between them. My True Neutral side is showing!

#2. Elves or Humans?

Yes. And dragons. *is inclusive like that*

#3. If you had to choose, would you rather free Runaan from the coin or Aaravos from the mirror?

That’s not a choice for me. Runaan was forced into the coin, whereas I’m pretty convinced that Aaravos sauntered into the mirror on his own. You can’t free someone from a place they’re choosing to be. Set Runaan free, 100%.

#4. Best animal companion?

Oh geez. Uhhhhhh honestly, Bait. He seems to be the smartest. He’s a light source. He’s got offensive capabilities. Despite his tubby lump o’ grump shape, he can run as fast as the kids can. He doesn’t make annoying high-pitched noises. And he’s pillow shaped, and possibly very warm and squishy.

#5. Best humanoid companion?

Rayla! She’s fully grown (probably), and she’s super strong and flexible, and she’s trained enough that I’d feel really safe if she were the only person guarding me. She gets the importance of making hard calls because of her Moonshadow training, but she’s still got that soft heart that lets her smile and laugh. 10/10, best companion.

#6. You can revive one character, who is it and why them?

You know what? Thunder. Harrow and Pip, and Runaan’s other assassins, would all still be alive and in their bodies, and Runaan wouldn’t be trapped in a coin, if someone hadn’t killed Thunder. No one could have stolen Zym’s egg if Thunder were still alive, either. Suck it, Aaravos, find some other way to fulfill all your divinations.

#7. Otp?

Tinkaan! Dark stabby boy needs a light in his life. #8. Unpopular opinion?

Elarion isn’t a city, a human child, or a human woman. It’s Aaravos’s polar opposite, a vast powerful force that devours magic. A black hole to Aaravos’s blazing star. Aaravos could neither save it nor kill it because it’s as powerful as he is.

#9. Favorite headcanon?

Aaravos sassed his starry ass into the realm beyond life and death on purpose, and he’ll come out when he’s good and ready. He knows what he’s waiting for, and until then, he’ll be supremely patient.

#10. Best siblings pair?

Callum and Ezran AND Amaya and Sarai

#11. Who’s your Queen?

Sarai! Great mom, great wife, great sister, great queen, great warrior, great woman.

#12. Lujanne offers you ice cream, how do you respond?

Oh, I’mma eat that up, yeah. I’m good with it.

#13. Be honest, do you have the guts to use dark magic?

It’s not a matter of guts so much as brains. I can absolutely logic my way into using dark magic under the right wrong circumstances. I mean, I’ll feel terrible. But I’ll still do it.

#14. Who’s best elf? Why?

Runaan is best elf. He’s such a delight to dive into. So. Many. Layers.

#15. Hot brown morning potion or leaf flavored water?

Leaf flavored water.

#16. Best use for magic?

Healing sounds pretty good to me.

#17. Who wins the best hair award?

Runaan. So much long white elf hair. It’s longer than Aaravos’s hair, and it’s more kempt. Yeah, I said kempt.

#18. Viren; misguided, evil, or actually the good guy?

Misguided. He thinks he’s doing good things, based on his own childhood feelings of inadequacy. But he pushes too hard. Manipulates his kids with love and promises into taking on horrible quests, thinks he’s being considerate by offering Runaan food but still keeping him kneeling, injured, and chained to the wall in a cold cell, and probably stuck his best friend’s soul into his pet bird’s body “for his own good.” So close, Viren, yet so far.

#19. Would you rather fly with Phoe-Phoe, hike with Corvus, sail with Villads, or stay home with Opeli?

Everything but sail. I get seasick. If I had to pick just one... fly. I like the big picture.

#20. Who’s your crush?

The great stupid Blueberry, same as everyone else. But I’m here for his vast mind, because brainy is the new sexy. (It’s also the old sexy.)

#21. You’re being chased by a cotton candy hippo; reaction?

Throw a bucket of water on it. Not very dramatic, I know. But I can’t sprint worth beans.

#22. Choose a champion.

Runaan. I feel like he wouldn’t take up a cause unless it was just. Or at least justifiable. Plus, I could watch him fight all day long. Stalk, stalk, slashin’ baby!

#23. Favorite scene? Why?

UGH. SO MANY. The parallels between Harrow, Callum, and Ezran telling someone about what it means to grow up. How Viren uses the images of the Moonshadow assassins he cremated to scare the Pentarchy (because foreshadowing). When the Moon Druids Lujanne summons have three illusions identical to three of Runaan’s assassins. How Runaan lets Rayla hit him when they’re fighting, but he won’t hit her back, and he’s the one who breaks off the attack when he sees she’s getting winded. How we get a glorious glimpse of Aaravos’s power and speed (and pretty pretty magic!) as he and Viren fight off the guards. 

Superbestfavorite though? Aaravos reaching toward the fire in his hearth without looking, summoning it into his hand, and quenching it in his fist. hngh

#24. Should Soren be a poet?

If he really wants to be, then yes. Let there be a warrior poet, and let him be Soren.

#25. Soggy Socks. (No more context)

I think it’s some kind of metaphor for the show. Not sure if it’s just a reference to disaster, like Callum says, or if it’s more of a rite of passage, literally “getting your feet wet,” that everyone has to go through if they want to, uhh, level up. But Villads got himself waterproof socks to prevent it, and Callum literally had a mental disaster involving drowning. So it kinda seems like a bad thing. I’m still not sure why Soren and Claudia let Runaan keep his boots on in the dungeon, but I’m actually kinda comforted because that means Runaan can’t get wet socks and should hopefully turn out okay somehow. *crosses my fingers*

I tag: @tdp-sun-dragon, @skyfireflight, @seabloods, @kuno-chan, @kingbrickisinariver

[gascon-en-exil]

Octopath Traveler Liveblogging

Chapter 2 for Primrose, Therion, and Tressa. As everyone except Olberic is slightly underleveled I’m doing these in order of recommended levels.

Also note that since this deals with story content past the opening chapters there will be spoilers.

Primrose

...Are all of her stories going to involve prostitution in some way? Not that I think that’s necessarily a bad thing since sex work is rarely addressed in gaming - and by this point they’re not even playing coy by trying to pass them off as dancers - but it would be kind of funny if her remaining two chapters found a way to work that in somehow too.

Stillsnow is pretty and chilly and not really the sort of place one would associate with brothel work, but I guess that might be the point. We can only assume Primrose found something thicker to wear off-screen like she said she would, lest this be a rehash of Silvia in Silesse in FE4. At least resident prostitute Arianna is dressed for the weather. The church of the Holy Flame also has a presence in the town, though that largely manifests in a bizarre interlude between the chapter boss and a priest who lost his daughter (gah, pseudo-Catholic priests with legitimate children again!) to suicide and is given one of the boss’s girls as a...replacement? That’s got to be some kind of milestone for weird and tangential incest subtext.

The theme of this chapter seems to be steering Primrose’s story toward a contemplation of revenge and the satisfaction it may or may not bring, but as far as JRPG philosophizing goes it works well in context. 

As for the boss fight, it was long but not very difficult. I was grateful to have everyone with their secondary classes if only for the added damage variety, and my overleveled cleric!Olberic was indeed incredibly useful for both tanking and healing. I wished I’d brought someone who could cure status, because the boss has an annoying move that stuns characters for several turns.

Party banter highlights: Cyrus likes the idea of dancing but is bad at it, Tressa is the party’s designated little kid (even though the wiki says she’s 18 so she’s not that young), and Alfyn gets a no homo moment that’s probably more about showcasing how unworldly he is. The broader discussion of House Azelhart’s motto gets commented upon not by Ophilia but by Olberic, likely because it’s referencing faith in oneself and one’s convictions instead of any religious faith. H’annit has mementos of her deceased parents, which is notable as it indicates that she doesn’t see her master as a father figure. Fathers already feature fairly prominently in the stories of all three other female characters, so that’s good for variety.

Therion

Meanwhile the overarching theme of Therion’s chapters will be convenient eavesdropping. Also propositioning random people in taverns for information, in what we must assume is a totally heterosexual way.

I don’t recall it ever being mentioned what exactly Orlock was researching the dragonstone for, although reading spoilers online suggests that it has to do with blood magic or something like that. It doesn’t come across at all in his boss fight apart from perhaps his ability to summon a golem after his lackeys have been killed. He’s got an interesting mechanic where said lackeys can guard his weaknesses, meaning he can take damage but can’t be broken.

Oh, and Orlick and his former colleague were totally gay for each other, and all the “like a brother to me” denials in the world isn’t going to clean up that subtext. Interesting how we seem to be building up to Darius betraying Therion at some point in the past - another tale of jilted gay lovers?

Party banter highlights: First of all I have to point out that getting these conversations is an utter pain in the ass, and constantly switching out your party at every plot marker to check for one drags down the pace of the pre-dungeon segments of the chapters. Even doing that I managed to miss H’annit’s, and it doesn’t seem like there’s a way to go back and see them apart from YouTube...which I naturally did because there was no way I was redoing that long boss fight.

Anyway, most of the banter for this chapter centers around Therion’s profession and how the other characters react to that. Tressa doesn’t like that he chases rumors, H’annit doesn’t like that he steals, and Primrose would like him to add some more flair but he won’t because no homo (probably). Olberic surprises Therion by revealing that he actually has a mind for tactics and isn’t the dumb meatshield he first appears to be. Therion flirts with Ophilia either genuinely or to fluster her - I’m going with the second one - and on the other hand Alfyn wants to take the guy out for drinks. Given something I read recently on a sidequest involving Zeph, this is less homewrecking than it sounds; I think the overall intention is to clear the playable cast of their NPC connections and leave them free to be shipped with each other in whatever arrangement one prefers.

Tressa

This doesn’t really feel like it’s shaping up to be Tressa’s story, to be honest. Between the unidentified author of the journal she’s following and new rival merchant Ali it’s a little hard to see where Tressa herself fits in not counting her role as obligatory player surrogate. Ali is interesting, sure, but the problem is that he’s too interesting and too directly involved in the conflict of this chapter, both in how he introduces Tressa to her latest money-making scheme and then one-ups her and later in his attempted opposition to Morlock. Meh, from the sound of it he won’t be making a reappearance until her last chapter, but then there’s still the journal author hanging over her otherwise aimless travels in the name of doggedly ethical mercantilism. As to how this chapter works as a treatise on fair business practices, it...sort of does? Obviously monopolies and price gouging are bad and get personified in the form of an obese rich guy who won’t fight his own battles (like Oliver from FE9 only less delusional), but then we’re also supposed to be questioning the smooth-talking sales pitches of Ali and his father because it’s sort of lying? I have no idea, and at this point I’m more confused than anything by Tressa’s personal moral code.

Oh, and this is the third dungeon to be somebody’s house. H’annit’s first dungeon is a forest, can there maybe be another of those? Or anything else? I have nothing to say about the Omar fight, and overall I’m still finding these bosses to be fairly easy even when they hit hard. Having an overleveled tank who can also do group heals and revives is OP.

Party banter highlights: Not much this time. I know I’m biased since I don’t find Tressa all that engaging on her own, but the other characters don’t contribute all that much here either. Primrose gets a motivational speech, Ophilia might have a crush on Ali, Tressa and Therion continue to not get along (and not really in a UST way), and H’annit disapproves of Tressa’s love of money which is amusing from a gameplay mechanic perspective: a Rogue path character doesn’t care for the motives of a Noble path character. Alfyn gives her some advice on friendships re: Ali that will sound a lot gayer in hindsight if the game decides to start shipping Tressa/Ali

[thesummerstorms]

What kind of relationships do you think Etain has with the various nulls?

Ordo: 

Ordo & Etain’s relationship starts out really rough, to say the least, but you can see some turn around by the beginning of  Order 66 and definitely by the not-canon-ending where he tries to revive her and then sobs at her funeral. I want to say that they eventually actually end up pretty close friends. Gena has said before that she thinks Ordo actually ends up closer to Etain than Darman, and I kinda love that (especially the irony). 

I do think they squabble. They root for opposite sports teams, and Ordo’s type A while Etain’s definitely not so they drive each other crazy sometimes. Sometimes they inadvertently offend one another or are a little too honest. But It’s a good friendship. They’re supportive and honest and unreasonably loyal and gossipy. Etain has probably threatened to beat someone up for Ordo as if he wasn’t a super soldier twice her size. Etain also probably kept sending him letters when he went incommunicado for mental health reasons, not to pressure him, but just because she still loved and was thinking of him.

I like to think that, even though they aren’t living in the same place, Ordo and Etain try to raise their daughters to be at least somewhat close? Mirja and Koa are only two years apart, the same age difference as between me and my cousin, who I was super close to growing up, but I haven’t really discussed it with Gena.

Anyway, tl:dr Ordo and Etain go from “constantly in disagreement” to “probably still in disagreement, but in a loving sibling kind of way, absolutely have each other’s backs”.

A’den: 

So I feel like Etain has a decent respect for A’den long before she meets him just because she and Dar write letters constantly and Darman respects A’den. (She may or may not ask after him while Dar is stationed on Gaftikar, out of principle, after she asks after Dar and the rest of the squad.) 

I don’t feel like they probably meet until after Order 66, and Etain is not exactly at her best just then- but there’s still probably mutual respect there. A’den is, by all accounts, a man who smiles a lot, loves food, and has a sense of humor, and I think Etain would appreciate that about him when they interact, and A’den has likely heard good things from Mereel and Ordo- but Etain is at a place where it’s hard for her to bond very deeply with him. Then it’s more or less one thing after the other until Mereel dies and she and Dar flee.

More than likely, I think they become actual friends more after Mereel comes back from the dead. Mereel shows up at the safehouse he left Dar and Etain in pretty miserable shape, and of course as soon as the Nulls know, they immediately converge. Since Ordo’s travelling with an infant, A’den might actually be the first to show up? (Probably startling the hell out of poor, sleep-deprived Darman who sees him in the kitchen at 1 am and just blinks a few times before…. “Sarge?”) He and Etain start talking a little more after Dar and he bond over foodie stuff, and they stay friendly, even if she’s not as close to him as Mereel or Ordo.

At some point much later they probably have to haul Mereel out of some situation (or Mereel hauls them into a situation idk), and find they actually work well as a team for short durations.

Jaing

Everyone makes a point of “don’t tell Etain about the gloves”, but let’s be real guys. She knows. The emotions in the Force don’t lie, and she knew Ko Sai as well, which makes the impression stronger.

Jaing is easily the Null Etain is weariest of. It’s hard because she’s instinctively someone who reads emotional undercurrents, and while she feels threads of violence and anger in all the Nulls, Jaing wears his against his skin as trophies.

I don’t think she ever confronts him about it, even when it unsettles her.

He;s still family. She’s tortured people before and there’s no one in the family (except maybe the children) who aren’t capable of some terrible things. She appreciates the way he looked after Fi, or what she saw of it for those few days on Mandalore before she went into labor. He’s capable, and she respects that the same way she does for all of them. 

But at the same time, I think Jaing will always be the one she holds herself the most emotionally distant from. She would absolutely go after him on a rescue op if needed, out of shared bonds to other family and loyalty and duty, but they’re never gonna be close buddies.

Prudii

The mun forgot Prudii existed again, whoops.

Coughs, and links you to this post. And this post. Which have Etain: !!!!!!!!!!

I honestly don’t as many particular headcanons for Prudii at the moment. Etain pretty much auto-extends the same loyalty to him before she even meets him by virtue of his being first Dar and then Ordo and Mereel’s brother. I very much feel like she has hung over a staircase banister throwing pebbles at him at some point, but I can’t justify that?

Someone with a more developed sense of Prudii as a character is free to propose things, but I was rereading his scenes and nothing ..really..stuck?

I’m so sorry Prudii; I am failing you.

Komr’k

So I feel like initially Etain starts out a little off balance around Kom’rk. They’re the Null who, other than Prudii sorry Prudii, she probably knows the least about, and they don’t meet until after Etain’s death experience. Kom’rk has this weird balance of weary aloofness and bluntness going on, and I think that keeps Etain a little distant at first. She can match them for bluntness at least some of the time, but aloofness is harder for her to deal with. 

She grew up in the Temple, she has a mask she built for distancing herself from attachment to the people around her, and she retreats back into it at first, her emotional state at the time not helping matters any. (Possibly Kom’rk thinks her either cold or in shock at first.) But at her core she’s someone who wants desperately to be emotive and touchy-feely and reach out to everyone.

Eventually when they’re less weary of each other and Kom’rk’s more social side comes out a little, things relax between the two of them. I feel like while Etain is still in recovery, Kom’rk would be one who would pick up on her ambiguous feelings re: Kal, especially given their similar (if for different reasons) feelings and absolute willingness to call a spade a spade, and perhaps that ends up being an eventual basis of support for the two of them?

I want to say they end up having occasional lunches when their different travels have them in the same side of the galaxy, and since Kom’rk seems to be into some of the same social scenes as Mereel, maybe some occasional sight-seeing? But idk.

Mereel

Oh gosh. This is gonna be long, isn’t it? I tried to bookend with the most developed relationships, but… Listen, Etain loves Mereel. 

I think she probably wanted to try and steal the CipQuad from him on Trip Zip, but they don’t really get to know each other well until she’s pregnant and isolated and terrified on Mandalore. At which point Mereel shows her both massive kindness and genuine respect for her ability and competence, both of which Etain is practically starving for at that point. There are very few people who genuinely give a damn about her, not as a Jedi or because she’s carrying a clone’s baby but as herself.

She’s not used to being cared for. 

 He sees her when she’s incredibly vulnerable and gives her both some compassion and a sense of control/purpose back, and it pretty much cements a friendship from her end. We don’t know what all went on during their two months together, but obviously Mereel also felt close to Etain because he lets himself show an incredible amount of vulnerability back to her rather than laughing or playing it off as a joke like he does literally anywhere else.

I think they stay really close. When Etain needs reassurance post-death and Dar is still stranded on Coruscant, Mereel’s the one she trusts enough to be open with. I think they’re pretty casually affectionate with one another, and she worries about him, particularly after Kal destroys the cure and he goes off alone. (For good reason, as it turns out.) Mereel, of all people, actually gives her spiritual guidance that results in her seeking out Tarre and Ranah, pretty much instantly lands on her “unbelievably lengthy letters” sending list with out even any surprise from Ordo, is a fabulous Uncle to her kids. She trusts him in a way she doesn’t trust many people other than Dar. Perhaps goes to him for advice on occasion, though she also tries to give him advice she knows he’ll never follow.

(I also… I really ship Etain/Mereel? It started as a crack ship and then I started thinking about it too much and… oh no. It’s definitely a poly arrangement, though idk about actual Mereel/Etain/Darman. I’m not even sure how canon this is to me now bc it got all invested in my feelings and my brain betrayed me. But in whatever verse or AU it does happen it starts with a mix of closeness/vulnerability and guilty ust, and then after years of a strong friendship between them, develops into something open, less a demand or formal arrangement than their trust/care finding another avenue of expression. Possibly after Mereel dies bc the timing would be sketchy otherwise. Or ,again, in a different verse? Idk. Stupid overly invested crack ship.)