#I need to get back to scheming.

[ancha-aus]

Sending you a wholesome ask of silly side-ideas for New Age! Because I realized I've done about ner zero fluff since I started on this, haha!

Mostly thinking about when Horror, Dust, and Killer are the only ones really interacting with eachother. Because a lot like the normal/usual MTT, I think they're fairly isolated away from even the other folks on castle-grounds due to their ranks. They don't *quite* loosen up until after Night is tiny lol.

So, they're eachother's only normal company! I'm thinking moments where Dust is up late and can't sleep so he goes to the kitchen only to find Horror raiding the pantry for a midnight snack. They end up eating some dried fruits in quiet solidarity in the dark kitchen only illuminated by the candle Horror brought with him, and they only split off when Dust yawns and wanders off, shooting a nod of appreciation at Horror.

Moments when Killer has the zoomies and training isn't quite enough for him, and he's not on duty with Night so he goes to the other two. Horror agrees to go out to the courtyard with Killer and run laps together, because he needs the extra exercise anyways. Killer talks through the whole thing, jogging along and telling Horror about the cats or the latest news from out, or just making other general small-talk. Dust sits on a bench on the outskirts out of the sun and either naps or listens to them if he's not on-duty either.

Moments when Dust is free and goes out to the barns to work with the horses, only for Killer to follow behind and ask him questions. It was one of the few times Dust really spoke back then, and Killer recognized it. He's always very respectful and took it upon himself to remember the names of the horses. In contrast, Dust asks Killer about the barn cats, and knows the names of those who are mousers and stick around the stables. When they both have time off there's a good chance Killer will be holding cats in his arms and Dust will be saddling up a horse, and they're just making small-talk.

Moments where all three Knights join Nightmare to take a check-in with the guard, and join in on the training for a bit, just as a fun exercise. Killer and Horror taking on several guards in a spar at a time, and they get to have fun without any real pressure or worry about doing it wrong. Horror gets to see a lot of familiar faces from when he had his early training, and Killer gets to see a new side of Horror's tactics. Dust sits it out, because he almost fried some Newby once and doesn't want to do it again. He occasionally cheers them on from the sidelines.

On missions, the Knights staying at inns and only taking one room to save effort. Night insists they should get rooms each for themselves if they're on a mission of 2, but collectively they agree they feel more comfortable and/or safer staying in a single. Horror is a very solid pillow (he has no ecto but his sleepwear is padded and comfy) so if he's with Killer,,Killer ends up falling asleep laying on him. Dust is more reluctant but ends up doing so as well. When Dust and Killer roomed together on missions initially, Dust took the bed + Killer the floor, because Killer had slept in weirder spots, but eventually they got more tolerant of each other and now Dust often sleeps on the edge of the bed w/ his back to Killer but Killer taking up most of the bed.

Moments where Killer knows Horror likes to buy trinkets so if they're in-town he'll point things out to him. It's a 50/50 on whether Horror is actually interested, but it serves to get a conversation going either way, and Horror appreciates it.

Moments where Dust and Killer drink themselves drunk on the way back to the castle after a mission, spending some well-earned time relaxing and having fun. Dust is REALLY good at darts when he's drunk. Killer can down a lot more liquor than anyone ever expects him to, but he gets the WORST hang-overs. Dust always has something to ease it the next morning and they never bring up why because Dust doesn't really get any backlash.

^On this same note: Horror only likes to drink when he's at the castle, because he becomes a sappy drunk. He drapes himself over Dust and Killer and bear-hugs them until they wiggle free or he gets emotional over thinking about his family, or his friends, or Crap, just a lil too hard. The others love it when he does this-

And ofc when Cross is added to the squad? Killer taking Cross under his wing, of course for training, but also for all the social things he missed out on. Killer dragging Cross into the crowd at his first Winter Ball. Killer convincing Cross to have a drink (bad influence!! Also Cross is a sad drunk-). Killer teaching Cross the ropes of what he can and shouldn't do around Nightmare, Ccino, the court, etc.

Cross nervously coming to Horror about that crush of his, and that nice conversation letting them get a second of heart to heart. Cross realizing Horror is pretty well-adjusted, abd Horror realizing Cross was still learning about the world.

Cross talking with Dust about all the crazy old things Ink would get up to as they moved around, and Dust recounting a few stories from his own life. The two of them out on a mission, camping, talking about their strange pasts and just how much they miss them, but they're happy now. Dust wanting Cross to get out and explore and enjoy himself, now that he's been free from wherever he was before.

Horror teaching Cross about edible wild plants, and which animals (like snakes + bugs) have poison/venom, because Cross was curious about it. They spend a lot of their missions sleeping in the wild even if there are inns, because they both respect and enjoy nature + want it all around them.

Killer teaching Cross how to hold the cats abd play with them. Turns out Cross can make the equivalent of a lazer-pointer, which the cats adore, but he's so nervous about them that he panics when they move too fast he makes the light go away. Eventually one of the cats does a bite then licks his hand and he decides that maybe they aren't so fragile + can be played with a bit. Killer and Cross bond over playing with the cats pretty often.

Cross joining Horror to visit Crop + other farms and coming across a cow for the first time? It nearly runs him over because he tried to say hello to a calf, and from then on out he was terrified to face them. Horror keeps the secret very willingly and it only leaks when Cross panics at the sight of a Cow in passing w/ Killer.

Okie I'm done now! Just some spft lil interactions between the sillies! Hope you enjoy! :D

AAAH!!! Dude!! I love this fluff and cute stuff!~ Let me get to it :3

I fully agree. Those three are isolated form the others. It isn't done on purpose or anything. It just kinda happens between training and special chambers. It isn't until later that Nightmare asks Killer if he minded being this alone before. Killer tells him he didn't mind. (mostly because this man used all his free time to daydream about Ccino and he is not admitting that.)

I like that they before were only relaxed neareahc other. brothers and brothers in arms. That it wasn't until Nightmare got younger that they also truly included him and were more relaxed around others ironically.

Okay Dust and Horror being snack buddies. Dust wakes up a lot because of the energy and electricity of the storm around his soul. Sometimes it is worse than other nights. so he tries to do stuff to calm himself down. mundane stuff. one of which is snacks. and he finds horror. who is cooking to calm his nerves and help get more energy for his body. Them just relaxing togehter and eating snacks. no need to talk. It is about not being alone together. It is about them both having someone to not feel alone wiht.

So after snack time they both silently return to bed.

I love the idea that Killer gets the zoomies and just goes to run laps. and Horror coming along to keep training his body. And dust just gravitates and watches them train as he sits near. His storm may power him but his body is still fragile and vulnerable (glass canon for life) Killer just yapping and talking the whole time. Probably talking about what he saw and the newest gossip he heard from other people. Hroror likes listening.

I love that Dust was even MORE quiet than now. He probbaly didn't speak unless spoken to and even then short messages (the first conversation between nightmare nad dust would probbaly not even count as a conversation. as Dust still spoke close to nothing) but Killer and him at the barn. Killer petting the barn cats and talking about the cats and their different personalities and how some of them are braver and some of them are clearly better hunters. but that people all treat them as if they are one and the same! and Dust just softly muttering about it being the same wiht horses. and Killer listens closely as Dust talks about how the different horses have their own rpeferences. How some prefer long tracks and others prefer short sprints. How some like to work on the castle farm because they like the full body workout to pull farm stuff. and others much prefer to let someone ride them to patrol.

Killer is probably the first to learn that the horses have differnet strengths not jsut because of their body types but because they like other stuff. Killer probably tells nightmare that dust knows a LOT about horses and Nightmare goes to watch dust relax nad work with them. And nightmare decides to just silently put dust in charge of the stables. Dust is shocked but very happy as he spends even more time wiht the horses.

The guards probably look forwards to Knight training! Like. the knights coming to join their training? It is awesome and so cool. They get to try out all kinds of strategies to defeat the knights and the king watches. Often times they get new ideas for new attacks and the guard gets extra motivated.

For the knights it is nice because it shows them. How much stronger they are. How much the training TRULY matters. How they are in their own league os skills and powers. It is honestly abit of an ego boost to them that Ngihtamre thinks they deserve to know and have.

The knights on missions!! The three of them ALWAYS sharing a room! Nightmar eis so confused. he gave them enough gold to cover the costs right? Do they need more?

the gang meanwhile at first do it to feel safe. and alter because they get anxiety if the others arent nearby when on missions. Dust and Killer sharing a bed as homies. them both using horror as living pillow. Which is so ncie for horror, as horror was used to his family being so gentle with them. These two just lean all of their weight on him and fall asleep. trusitn ghim to also protect them. It is nice.

Killer picking up that horror likes to get trinkets when in town adn trying to help him pick stuff!! That is so cute! horror aprpeciates it and they always get talking and relaxing.

Dust and Killer beign drinking buddies is so funny. Killer ebign able to drink more than SHOULD be possible but having the worst hangovers. Meanhwile Dust jsut doens't get hangovers but makes sure killer is okay after <3 so sweet.

Okay but you know those carnaval games where you like... throw darts to win prices? Killer and dust totally went to one drunk. and dust won so many prices. Killer has so many cat plushies now. He is so proud. And aAAAAAWWWW!!! Horror being a sappy drunk!! He is gonna hold his brothers and hug them and NEITHER gets a choice on it! and horror drunk holding his brothers as he speaks about Crop and how much he misses him and how he still wants to introduce dust and killer to him and the two others just nod along as they drink their own stuff.

and cross!! Cross would feel like such an outcast in the beginning. He was a spy and was send here AGAINST nightmare. and he can SEE how close those three are and how is he suposed to make up for what he did AND cathc up to that?! He can't! and- Killer is alreayd pulling him along to help him get started. Killer pulls him along to go running with horror adn him. Killer pulls cross along to hang wiht dust when dust is working on the horses to pet the cats in the meantime. Killer may be asleep but horror gentle guides cross to the kitchenin the middle of the night when cross is just sitting in the hall with empty sockets. Cross gets a glass of chocolate milk as he watches dust and horror just silently eat their snack. cross relaxes when he realises this moment doesn't require him to explain why he was awake or sitting there. it is jsut to relax.

Killer pulling him along to have fun with the winter ball, and only going after ccino when he knows that cross is a bit more relaxed and content. Killer making sure to pull cross into the drinking night, only to feel bad because sad cross is so sad :(

Cross so nervous when he confesses his crush. and Horror jsut gently sitting him down adn they talka nd speak and horror realising that cross just needs more time to get to know the world a bit more. that cross was very sheltered for a long time and forced into one direction with his life. Horror helps him see the easier and nicer things. A nice garden adn all the little insects hard at work. The way to prepare a nice homecooked meal. the crush disappears over time and cross just loves his older brother so much instead.

Dust being a listening ear for cross. For when cross feels ready to talk. and cross can tell dust ANYTHING and dust won't judge. Cross admits he assisted a serial killer and dust just nods as he continues to wait. Cross knows he can tell dust anything and dust will not judge him. Dust will only judge him for what he does now and will do in the future. the past is in the past.

It is dust who one day on their day off drags cross into town. but the back alleys. and shows there is so much more than the things he was taught before. That the best street food you get some the small stalls away from the main roads. that the most fun with a night out is to hang out wiht the people working in the bars. That the ladies and gentleman of the night know the craziest stories and gossip and are very chill and cool once it is obvious you have no interest in them for what they offer with their bodies.

Cross learns from dust that there is no shame in those things. that people will always do stuff that is needed to survive. And that doesn't make them bad people.

Cross learning about food and the planet form Horror. Learning how to see what is poisonous and dangerous and where to find food if you need to. meeting crop and cross was so nervous and just wanted to make a good impression only to half the cow situation happen. and crop is so nice to him afterwards. Crop helps him relax afterwards and is so nice to talk to.

Killer showing that the cats are really nice and affectionate. Teaching cross how to see when a cat wants to be pet and when a cat has enough. How to play wiht them and how to give them treats. Cross so scared he will hurt one only to have a cat bite and groom him contently (it was totally Bite. Killer is not surprised. she always bites. he can know. he has the scars to prove it.)

Just... Killer teaching Cross about the castle and how to learn to be himself. Horror teaching him about the planet and nature. and Dust teaching him about people and the cityliving.

The three of them help this sheltered and manipulated boy grow into who he could always be.

(on that note. Nightmare taught him about forgiveness, second chances, trust and loyalty. and Cross learned that from just watching Nightmare and seeing how the king treats others.)

[weekdaysend]

My SentOpLita 1AM relationship chart I did not think I'd be psycho-analyzing this dynamic as much as I thought I would..

[ruvviks]

CYBERPUNK 2077 ➤ [9/?]

[maddieandangel]

Vee and Glisten are very much The Besties Ever in my mind, so what if,, matching themed skins for them?

Vee's design is based on a rosy maple moth, and Glisten's is based on a malachite butterfly!

[sunlight-shunlight]

i'm incorporating it into my worldview that: during solas' brief Depression Quest in dai after having to kill wisdom (the last remaining entity in thedas who had remembered him in arlathan), he also took a detour to to wherever he killed felassan (the second last remaining entity in thedas who had remembered him in arlathan). just to round out visiting all the Dead Friends He Had Killed Quest Markers.

[alistair-blackwood]

for my money, labru is head and shoulders above other ships involving them simply due to the unmatched yap potential, i imagine them feeding off each other's energy like they're slipstreaming in mario kart until they start going fast enough to break the sound barrier

[luck-of-the-drawings]

OOH YEAH BABY ITS THE SURGERY EPISODE BABY!!! ME AND THE HOMIES NEED SOME NEW FACES FOR OUR NEW PLAN, AND WHO BETTER TO GET THE JOB DONE THAN THE TWO MOST EVIL PEOPLE WE'VE EVER HAD THE MISFORTUNE OF HAVING OUR LIVES VIOLATED BY? I MEAN IT WOULD BE FUNNY. IT WOULD BE FUNNY.

[age-of-moonknight]

Blood Hunt (Vol. 1/2024), #4.

Writer: Jed MacKay; Penciler and Inker: Pepe Larraz; Colorist: Marte Garcia; Letterer: Cory Petit

[moongothic]

WAIT WAIT WAIT HOLD THE FUCKING PHONE

So normally we only get fullblown, extended and dedicated flashbacks for heroic characters in One Piece, the characters who we're meant to root for. The literal only TRUE exception we've had to this rule was Big Mom's flashback. Even fucking Doflamingo's flashback was tied to Law and Rosinante's

So the fact that we haven't gotten a single fucking GLIMPSE at Crocodile's backstory is?!?

Like sure, we haven't gotten like a Moria flashback, but you know, he literally told us all we needed to know himself, AND we got to see glimpses of him in the Wano flashbacks. Arlong didn't get a flashback of his own, but he did get to cameo in Fisher Tiger's flashback. And Rob Fucking Lucci got a flashback that was 6 whooping panels long

BUT CROCODILE?? Not only do we know almost Fuck All about his story, but also have never gotten as much as a glimpse at it? But his backstory has been HINTED and TEASED at multiple times??

GUYS. FELLAS

Like. I am SURE the "Full Backstories for Heroes Only" rule is going to get broken again, but with Imu and Blackbeard already there just BEGGING to have their beans spilled, can we even be sure Sir Fucking Crocodile is somehow going to become A Villain So Dangerous To The Narrative that he ALSO should also recieve a Full Fucking Backstory?? For his Nefarious Schemes?? AT THIS POINT??

Y'all

I think it's more likely Oda's been saving up Croc's backstory because it might just completely recontextualize his entire character

[batsplat]

do you know why vale seems to have a soft spot for pedrosa?

there's not any single one reason, I don't think, but here's are a few contributing factors that come to mind:

history! in large part because of the honda link, dani's the alien he's known the longest... valentino was the number one honda rider at a time at which dani was honda's rising star. photo on the right is from the 2001 honda celebrations at the last race of the season (when dani was sixteen); from oxley's valentino rossi: all his races: "that night vale celebrated in style at a raucous honda victory party, where he taught honda youngsters daijiro kato and dani pedrosa how to drink". they've known each other forever! valentino was getting teenage dani drunk! quite natural to be fond of someone you've seen grow up like that, even if they are being moulded to be your next big rival

circumstance! the way it basically works with valentino is that if you want to have a feud with him, you generally need to have a title fight with him when you’re already ‘established’ rivals (ignore marc, that’s its own thing, 2015 is a freaky season). biaggi and valentino were enemies headed into 2001 and then were worse enemies, he was cool with sete in year one but not year two, mostly *wiggles hand* the same with casey and jorge… feuds aren't build overnight. valentino and dani weren’t ever really direct title rivals - closest they got was 2006 and 2008, but in both cases valentino probably didn’t see dani as his main problem that year. there wasn't really any competitive necessity for valentino to get nasty... also with one or two notable exceptions, valentino did kinda have dani handled in their actual wheel-to-wheel fights, which let’s face it probably didn’t hurt

yapping! so this is just a theory but it’s one I believe strongly in. you know how valentino loves to talk, right? the thing about pressers and podiums is that you're always going to have a few regular attendees, if you will, corresponding to the front runners in any given year. now, unfortunately for valentino, there were periods of time where almost every other regular attendee was someone he had pretty active beef with. that doesn’t mean he always avoided yapping at them, but relatively speaking you want a guy you can build up some good repartee with to pass the time. dani was his guy… less complicated than casey and jorge, plus dani is polite enough to go along with it and maybe even enjoy chatting to valentino (it’s been known to happen). pressers can be boring and at podiums you're still full of adrenaline, valentino wants to share a joke with someone! my completely unscientific sense is that valentino does this a lot with dani around 2008-ish to 2012, then for two years marc is the number one yap victim, then for a while it’s a bit…? oddly valentino does seem to chat quite a lot with jorge in 2015... he likes to throw in a quirky behavioural pattern sometimes to keep you guessing. anyway then in 2016 he is Actively Ignoring two of these men so vale goes!! hi there dani!! and takes it from there (though the field is more mixed up post-2015 so he becomes more of an opportunistic yapper). in general, valentino will chat to pretty much anyone with A Few Exceptions, but he does usually have a bit of an order of preference

dani’s personality! now, obviously dani is very much capable of feuds, but he’s not that naturally combative a character. valentino generally needs a competitive justification for beef, though some personal animosity can help too… but he never really hated any of that trio of young riders to come through. valentino's known dani forever, he’s been around dani a fair bit because of their respective statuses in the sport, dani isn’t going out of his way to pick fights with valentino, so no reason not to get on! he does clearly quite like chatting to dani and seems pretty fond of him even towards the start of the alien era, at a time in which it was broadly expected that dani not casey would emerge as vale's primary challenger... god knows if the relationship would have soured if dani had assumed that mantle (probably at least a little lol) but failing that, valentino does just seem to quite like him. y’know, sometimes it’s like that

They Have Also Had Their Disagreements, But There Hasn’t Been Much Cause For It To Escalate Further. these disagreements have tended to be over racing standards, where dani is generally in the ‘you people are all insane’ camp and valentino is generally in the ‘ah it’s fine’ camp (though, obviously, there is nuance here… cf vale also criticising sic over the le mans 2011 incident that left dani with the broken collarbone). generally, they don't get into direct conflict over it, more of an underlying difference in positions (hey, aragon 2013 is an example)... but there’s been dani’s suggestion that valentino’s sepang 2015 stance is inconsistent with his generally laissez faire approach, and also some other isolated little scuffles over the years like say 2017 aragon (see below). pretty small scale stuff in the grand scheme of things and if you've been on-track rivals for that long it's kinda inevitable you'll eventually disagree about some stuff, but perhaps worth bringing up

went through all of the alien combos in my head and these two slot in just behind dani/casey as probably the two most consistently beef-free inter-alien relationships? dani/casey gets extra credit for surviving The Teammate Test. but, y'know, the thing about valentino is that he's a sociable, outgoing guy... he likes talking to people... he's actually interested in them... he's a decent conversationalist, easy to get on with, all that stuff. so if you expose valentino to this nice fella who at most was like... perhaps a bit more reserved towards the start of his time in the premier class (partly due to his mentor's approach), but really was generally pretty chill... well, if valentino isn't given any reason to hate dani, then default state is that he won't. good on them etc

[sunlight-shunlight]

like not to be a bitch. but i cannot imagine having the capacity to directly deliver a message into the brains of - to be frank - one of the most easily right wing radicalized groups out there, which is Gamers™️. having a budget and a team to make something. and actively CHOOSING to make it sanitized and centrist. and with nothing whatsoever to say about systematic oppression, corrupt governments, imperialism, war, class structures, etc.

and! it's also wildly misogynistic, and somehow even more (!) islamophobic and orientalist than the decade+ old previous games in the series. and has an overall message of "preserve the status quo at all costs". and making this, in our current era, is allegedly Progressive Behaviour ;-;

[novelconcepts]

I would love to feel fulfilled and capable, but alas, I can’t shake the feeling I am completely wasting my one precious life. I’m sure a nap will solve that. Or a pizza. Or watching a movie. Don’t even worry about it, I’ll report back with my findings.

[whitegownsandflowercrowns]

I do think all of the adults had some part to play in creating the Dance but if I had to break it down to who had the most power to prevent it it would be Jaehaerys up to and including the Great Council, Viserys up until the moment Aegon is born and Otto from then on.

[ziracona]

HAH I said Rebecca was evil since day 1!!! It was so obvious! She’s not that sneaky!!!

But fuck Neal is in the trenches. Life ruined. Heart broken. Sarah moved and he let her go, Kate is dead and he couldn’t save her, Rebecca was playing him all along, and Peter is treating him like shit.

Peter needs to quit being god’s worst partner and friend. Like stg Elizabeth is carrying the 8% chance of this not ending in the most catastrophic tragedy of all kind on her BACK. Every single scene she’s like “Honey aren’t you being really unfair to Neal?” and she’s the only voice in that corner Elizabeth it’s just you. Bases loaded 2 outs last inning we’re all praying for you babe

[luv-again]

*skipping like a lunatic around my room*

JUST figured out how i can incorporate another of amy’s idle dialogue into my cryptic castle ficccc <3

[bunnyburrowsys]

i despise those who say taco is an abuser and then don't listen to those who try to say their point of view

"im not reading that" go fuck yourself then.

(this is about a certain microphone fan that i will not name but if you know, you know)

(and NOT targeted at any of my moots i will love and cherish you till the end of my days istg)

Fronting: Lollipop ~ She/He | Julius [He/They/Mew]

(lolli is the one who's typing she's uh filled with hatred and anger)