#OTP: Where Armor Ends

[aylaaescar]

do u think Trevelyan is raking in marriage proposals from other nobles by like, the wagon-load if they're inquisitor? like they were already a bann's kid from Ostwick, so an arranged marriage was likely in their future already, but then you turn them into basically a modern prophet and head of a powerful organization, and they must be a real catch in the noble world.

Vanyla was firmly and deeply against an arranged marriage, fought her parents at every turn and refused to bend even a little. Ealisay, though, I think she probably would've been okay w the idea? it's not her dream by any means, but it's just what people of her lot in life do. not that her prospects were ever exciting since she was the youngest, but it was still expected to happen. so she's definitely thinking about some of them and talking about it with Josie every so often; she's not gonna rush into anything, but she won't say no to an advantageous alliance either.

then she ends up going "jk nvm lol" bc she caught feelings for a friggin ex-Ben Hassrath and the entirety of Ostwick is just like

👁👄👁

[cameliawrites]

Kanej Fic Recs: The "Figuring Out Intimacy" Trope

If you're anything like me, you're a glutton for very specific fic tropes applied to your very favorite OTPs (and we all know my OTP of OTPs is kanej). To this end, ao3 tags are your best friend. When you see that delicious combination of tags like "emotional hurt/comfort" and "healing" and "pining" with some sort of moody, vaguely poetic title, that's the good shit right there. That is a MEAL, and you are about to feast.

Anyways. I'm getting off track.

I come to you today with more than just an offering to the potluck; I am here to open up the doors to the whole damn buffet. That's right - FIC RECS. Specifically, fic recs that scratch the particular itch for "post-canon fics where Kaz and Inej figure out how to touch each other, but really the Physical Armor is always symbolic of the Emotional Armor that they have to learn to lower if they hope to ever really Be Together." Do you know what I'm talking about? If you know, you know. It's kanej figuring out intimacy. It's touch, but it's about the way they touch each other's souls. It's a fandom-classic fic trope. FEAST AWAY. (And feel free to reblog and add any of your own favorites! This is certainly not an exhaustive list, just some favorites of mine that fit the bill.)

They're all complete, they're all canon compliant (I had to set some limitations because my list was getting out of hand lol), and they're listed in order of rating (T, M, etc.), but otherwise they're in no particular order, and the summaries and/or most of the excerpts are those provided by the authors on ao3!

Can We Stop? by thegoldenkneazle (Rated G, 220 words, drabble)

Excerpt:

Kaz immediately drew back, rolling over onto his side of the creaky bed to create space between them. “Are you okay?” he asked, dark eyebrows drawing together.

Every Time We Touch by Pokemon67 (Rated G, 1k words, oneshot)

Summary: "Inej hadn't been exaggerating. It wasn’t easy for her either."

Excerpt:

She couldn’t quite recall how they’d ended up here, in Kaz’s room, on his bed. She was perched on his legs, right in front of him, and if she raised her head she could look into his eyes count the little flecks of gold the light always teased to her were there. 

Uncharted Waters by insignificant457 (Rated T, 5k words, oneshot)

Summary: "One step on the long and winding road to intimacy."

Excerpt:

Perhaps Inej should be insulted that she’s been penciled into Kaz’s schedule, fit snugly in between a Crow Club shareholders’ meeting and a parley with the Liddies, but when it comes to taking steps forward in their relationship, romantic spontaneity is not exactly something they can afford.

Council of the Tides by blacktag189 (Rated T, 15k words, multichap)

Excerpt:

With each tiny step forward they made, the urgency to be pulled out to sea still built. She couldn't ignore the brutal truth in that - that no matter how much he gave her here...one day everything would align just right and she would leave. But today wasn't that day.

Discover the Rest by Silver_89 (Rated T, 4k words, oneshot) (note: restricted to ao3 account holders)

Summary: "Post Crooked Kingdom fic where Kaz and Inej have made some progress with touch but touch is not the only progress Inej wants to see from him. She wants to know him too."

Excerpt:

Inej didn’t share much about her time at the Menagerie...And yet she had shared that she struggled with touch too. He understood why. But she didn’t know why he was the same. I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all. It was time he tried taking it off.

All Flowers in Time (Bend Towards the Sun) by laurie_ipsum (Rated M, 10k words, multichap)

Summary: "Does this fandom need yet another Kaz and Inej figure out intimacy fic? Probably not, but I did it anyway."

Excerpt:

Kaz wants all his firsts. It’s written in his eyes, on his face, in every line of his body. She can tell it terrifies him. It terrifies her, too.

One Thousand and One Nights by Trogdor19 (Rated M, 11k words, multichap)

Summary: "One new touch, every night…"

Excerpt:

He dips his head, his cheekbone brushing against hers so quietly it’s like the way she moves. So silkily between shadows no one’s ever quite sure it happened. 'Wait for me,' he breathes. The letters barely given enough air to shape them.

The Trouble With Wanting by A_nonnie_mouse (Rated M, 6k words, oneshot, part of a series)

Summary: "Inej begins to reckon with her own armor so she can have what, and who, she wants."

Excerpt:

“Kaz.” She was frustrated at his self-deprecation. “Please understand. My mind wants you. My heart longs for you. My body…” She struggled for words, the shame rising again, threatening her eyes with tears. “My body isn’t entirely convinced something horrible isn’t going to happen again. This wasn’t because of you. You understand that, don’t you?” 

show me where my armor ends (show me where my skin begins) by kingsandqueensofthebarrel (Rated M, 25k words, oneshot)

Excerpt:

“You’re something I want, Wraith,” he says, his tone all business like. “And I don’t stop until I have what I want.” “That could have sounded romantic.” “It’s a fact.” She hums and squeezes his hand.

collision course by cameliawrites (Rated M, 10k words, oneshot) (shameless self-promotion)

Excerpt:

Inej adjusts to Kaz the way that winter adjusts to spring: she thaws, and thaws, and thaws—and then she utterly melts.

you're a bandit like me, eyes full of stars by sarathedreamer (Rated M, 54k words, multichap, part of a series)

Summary: "Kaz and Inej learning to be with one another after Crooked Kingdom (events in Rule of Wolves might be mentioned in later chapters but you'll be warned!) Basically a slow burn filled with angst and fluff, and little plot :)"

Excerpt:

She blushed and felt a smile tug at her lips, so she looked down at his hand, held up in front of her like an invitation. His fingers were barely shaking. Inej looked back up at his eyes, asking a silent question once more, and Kaz nodded after a short hesitation. She gently cupped his hand in hers, fascinated by the softness of it, by the way two of hers were not quite enough to hold one of his. No one but she could know how graceful Dirtyhands’ weapons were under his gloves, and that was another one of his secrets she would gladly keep close to her chest.

Things We Can Never Do by rainstormdragon (Rated E, 3k words, oneshot, part of a series)

Excerpt:

They had done this before more than once. First words, then their hands on their own bodies. Gasped encouragement and shared fantasies. “Tell me what you’d want to do,” he urged her, not moving even a hair’s breadth toward her, giving her the safety of the space between them. “Tell me what you’d want me to do.”

Closer by lilieswho (Rated E, 7k words, oneshot)

Excerpt:

There is a deep desire crawling under Inej’s skin. It’s a feeling she’s begun to grow used to by now — the feeling of wanting someone, wishing for their touch and hoping they wish for hers back. Not someone’s, no. Kaz’s.

If you've made it all the way to the end of this rec list (hi!! thanks!), you should absolutely reply to or reblog this post with your favorite "kanej figure out intimacy" fic, whether it's on this list or something else! :) Support your local organic pasture-raised fic authors, etc. etc.

[dramioneasks]

hogwarts fics where all of draco’s friends know he likes hermione but draco doesn’t realize it yet

A Little Something New - GreenInk_RedLetters - T, 14 chapters - “Oh? You taking a pledge for my protection, Malfoy?” She teased. He was smirking and hell but it did something to her. “I believe… They call that a knight in shining armor.” He fingered his chin. “Got an opening, Granger?” After a string of bad dates and unexpected work issues, Hermione Granger doesn’t have time for her best friend’s request to set her up on a blind date. She’s done with men wasting her time and bleh having a total lack of ambition. Draco Malfoy doesn’t expect much out of life, and he certainly doesn’t expect the Golden Girl of all people to come barging into his life again. She hates him, doesn’t she? Or is it simply his best friend playing matchmaker again? Dramione story with a myriad of misunderstandings, a matchmaking Theo Nott, alcohol-induced dinner parties, and light-hearted banter.

Friendly Interference By: cleotheo - T, 5 Chapters - When Draco refuses to ask Hermione out his best friend, Blaise Zabini steps in and vows to bring the pair together. Will Blaise be successful in getting the couple together or will he ruin any chance they have of happiness with his interference? Short five part story.

Big Dick Energy by louiseob - E, 9 chapters - After months of successfully keeping Ginny Weasley away from happy hours with her coworkers, Hermione finally relents and allows her to tag along. Unfortunately, her crassest friend wants nothing more than to embarrass Hermione and (hopefully) get her and Draco sodding Malfoy into bed together one and for all.

mischief-makers (up to no good) - riddikulus_puff - T, one-shot - Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy had been a couple since the beginning of their eighth year at Hogwarts but spilt up pretty quickly after leaving school because of pathetic arguments between the two of them. But their group of friends had enough of their constant complaining about missing the other person. So, that was how Hermione and Draco ended up forced to go on a road trip to the beaches of Cornwall with Blaise Zabini, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter and Theodore Nott, with Pansy Parkinson and Neville Longbottom also joining them. It was like the plot from a crappy romantic comedy that Hermione had absorbed in the early weeks of her breakup. But, their friends had a plan. Project get Dramione back together! A one-shot for the 2023 Year of the OTP Fic Fest

Blind Date by zarahjoyce - G, one-shot - Harry, Ron, and Pansy - three people stupid enough to set-up Draco Malfoy on a blind date with Hermione Granger. What could possibly go wrong?   

Blue Blouse - Shanxnoir - E, 2 chapters - For fucks sake why did she have to wear that colour? Every week day was a different colour blouse, but Friday’s were different. Something about seeing her in that perfect periwinkle shirt had him coming undone.

Two Desks Apart -  msmerlin - T, 6 chapters - Draco used routine to work through his emotional baggage post-war, using a strict set of rules to regulate his once out of control life. His parents and friends express concern over his stagnant life in the form of setting him up on blind dates in hopes of helping Draco find ‘the one’. Little did they all know, the witch who captured his heart had been just two desk apart from him for the past two years.

-Lisa

[wishingly-mesh]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves Reiko/Rain, I feel so happy everytime when I see your arts 🙏💖💖💖 you're amazing I love you 😭💞💞

(Do you have some cute headcanons about them??)

(And and do you play the game??)

HIII YEEESSSS, so funny you where the one who got me into it :] looking up rain and seeing your reiko rain stuff and suddenly it was my OTP lmao but yeeessss I DOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! so many

childhood friends since the General brought him in. Reiko as a kid basically attached to Zeffeero like a magnet and Zeffeero became a safe space while he grew up.

they where around like, 18 (or the outworld equivilant) when they first kissed. during some holiday or festival and they left all the crowds to steal some food from the kitchen or something in the palace and it was like a "I wonder what it would be like to kiss." kinda situation

Reiko is a massive softie to zeffeero, and to zeffeero specifically. bro grew up with him bro knows every dumb and embarrassing thing he's done.

vise versa, Reiko still pokes fun at Zeffeero for things hes done when they where kids

Reiko calls Zeffeero "Zeff", if hes upset he'll call him Rain in the most "Fuck you" voice.

Zeffeero fell first but has the ability to tell if he likes someone equal to a goldfish.

Reiko fell second and he couldnt sleep for weeks.

(kinda sad) the last time the two talked before the events of the story, Reiko came to Zeffeero asking for help when polishing his armor. They chatted about the tournament and ended up spending the entire day together. they didnt talk again after that until they ran into each other post story. "why are you following me?" "the general still needs your skill" (not exact quote but yknow)

Zeffeero used to go to Reiko first every time he got injured cause Reiko said he needed to get better at fixing injuries. Zeffeero wanted to help. he ended up with a lot of ugly scars.

Reiko was a troublemaker as a kid, Zeffero had to get him out of a lot of trouble.

the roles switched when they became teenagers. Zeffeeros growing ambition caused him to do stupid things.

Reiko is bisexual, Zeffero is Asexual and Demiromantic.

Zeffeero has a stuffed goldfish (the one mk11 rain gets in his friendship) Reiko called it "Gibby" and the name stuck.

And no i don't play T_T I own MK11 and X but I dont own anything that can run MK1 but the switch (and its not worth $70 for those graphics) that and I'm really bad at fighting games (I like bullet-hell's and platformer's)

I have so many headcannons for them its crazy. I think about them so much :3

mk11 rain is my favorite character in the entire franchise though so im not complaining :3

[loosesodamarble]

Hi Erika? 💕

What about 1, 20 and 26 for that fandom ask game you just posted?

Hi Lola? (I'm trying to match your energy with the question mark, though I wonder if that was an accidental punctuation...)

Thanks for the questions. Now let's get the salt pouring, folks~!/lh+j

1. What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?

So I will lead this answer with the following statement: 99% of the time, I can objectively get why people have the OTP that they do. The logic and reasoning for the ship can be written out for me and I can understand that. It's just that I would have little to no emotional investment in it. In a way, the ships I list are only ships that I don't emotionally get.

With that said...

(puts on a suit of armor)

A necessary precaution for the hornet's nest I'm about to strike.

Black Clover: Dorothy x Nozel. Mereoleona x Yami. Secre x Asta. Jack x Yami. Ichika x Ryuuya. Vanessa x Nozel.

Demon Slayer: Douma x Shinobu. Akaza x Kyoujurou.

Hero Aca: Katsuki x Shouto x Izuku (that whole triangle in any combination).

A:tLA: Zutara. Toph x Satoru (that one dude in the comics with the factory).

Again, I can see where these ships are coming from objectively (like thematically or logic of character bonds). My heart is just apparently made of stone when faced with these OTPs. I'm sorry. And that's where the discussion is ending.

(Also I have a lot more BC ships that I don't get because it's the fandom I'm actually invested in.)

20. What is the purest ship in the fandom?

Lolopechka x Gadjah.

Both in-universe and on a meta fandom level, this ship is very pure.

Gadjah is the loyal guard to the queen who sees Lolo for everything she is: a regal queen, an unsure woman still coming into her own, a clumsy sweetheart, and a soul dedicated to her kingdom and her friends. Lolopechka is the benevolent queen who puts more trust in Gadjah than anyone else, even the other Spirit Guardians. It's clear she thinks highly of him too since his confession got her so worked up. Maybe it's just her being awkward but I'm pretty sure the intended understand is that she's thrown off by the man she loves saying he loves her too.

And in the fandom, I've never encountered anything negative about the ship. Most people support the couple. And even when shipping them (mostly Lolo) with other characters, there's never any dissing of the other character. It's smaller ship with side characters and so that make it easier for the fandom to treat the ship respectfully.

26. Most shippable character?

Finral Roulacase.

Ship him with Yami or Finesse or Vanessa or Gauche (I've heard in passing in once) or Kirsch or just anyone.

My obvious favorite option is Finesse. But one of my mutuals (@/sailor-muno [currently inactive for reasons]) has an oc (Mallory) she ships with Finral and FinMal has a permanent corner of my mind for itself. Legit, I had to shake my hands to get all my jitters out because I got to chance to bring Mallory up! BUT ALSO! Nacht x Finral. I... this pair has something to it that I just need to have. They're both big brother and failures in the eyes of somebody and they're both tired of the BB's antics and Yami causes them stress and-! AASJHFLJKAHETHAEIUTHUIAEHKBJRHLGIU!

Finral has an energy that works well with a lot of characters because he is so often playing the straight man to the wildness of others. And even when he's the weirder one in the couple (see Finral x Finesse), he's still a grounded person whose moments of wildness can bring excitement into a "quiet" relationship.

[psychewritesbs]

When Opposites Attract, part 1... maybe perhaps

The devil finds work for idle hands... and what with only having one client at the moment and finally reaching Gundam Seed’s episode 23, what is it with episode 23 being my fave in JJK and GS? well...

It’s time to brainrot about one of my favorite relational dynamics in animanga...

So.... basically don’t mind me while I ramble about asucaga... one of my og OTPs.

Also, if anybody does read this and is wondering...

Yes, I did watch episode 23 three times... and counting. I had to do research and take screencaps ok?!

Yes, I squealed internally several times... probably still am.

Yes, we’re going to ignore the extensive amounts of plot armor that is just as thick as Gundanium Alloy.

And yes, I loved every. single. fucking. minute of Athrun and Cagalli’s interaction.

This isn’t mental gymnastics... this is nit picking... obsessing about what it means for two characters to come together and how that changes them. 

In the end, shipping is at its core about seeing a relational dynamic (ship) in fiction and being inspired by it. And one of my favorite things about Gundam Seed was seeing how two separate wholes came together in the way that Athrun and Cagalli came together.

Athrun as Yin--the passive principle

Athrun, is both “not just another Quiet and Aloof Deuteragonist-kun”, and at the same time “your typical expression of his trope”. 

Dark hair, green eyes, introverted, kind, superior intelligence... the whole 9 yards.

Athrun is his trope to a T. And yet, there’s also something ethereal and dreamy about him.

In melodrama, characters are typically clichéd stereotypes. But I have to say that the characters in Gundam Seed are fleshed out beyond their character trope.

What makes the characters in Gundam Seed unique are the details in the way their individual personalities are expressed. 

For Athrun, he looks to me like he’s very much written as an expression of water sign traits--he is a Scorpio by birth after all. He is ethereal, dreamy, mysterious, highly emotional and yet simultaneously emotionally closed off to most people or aloof. 

And yet, despite his Introverted and introspective personality as defined by his water sign, Athrun navigates his world with cold logic. To me, his ease and interest in mechanical objects like the Haros and Torii speak to his mastery of logic and mechanics.

Athrun is also a kid whose mother’s death scarred him and who has let his father control his fate. From what I remember, he’s also been a soldier most of his life. So at the core of his character arc there is a need to tap into his (most irrational) emotions, and to learn to think for himself in a way that takes into consideration not just logic, but also what his heart wants.

Another aspect that defines Athrun is how his personality has also been shaped by the war because of what he has seen and the horrors he has probably lived through. Something that is hinted at in episode 23.

Finally, Athrun is an elite soldier and he knows that about himself. Up to episode 23 in Gundam Seed, he had used his genetically engineered superior abilities to fight for Zaft’s sake. 

Zaft no Tameni.

But that’s only because he had not stopped to think like the opposing camp.

Cagalli as Yang--the active principle

And then there’s Cagalli.

Oh God. Where do I even start with Cagalli?

Stereotypically, Cagalli is first and foremost a tomboy. She is rough around the edges, strong-willed and edgy. Unlike the other females in the series, Cagalli is perfectly happy as someone who prefers guns over make up.

She also appears to be more outgoing, boisterous and extroverted than Athrun. 

But I think that one of the things that define Cagalli even more than the “tomboy” trope is the fact that she is, literally, a Princess. However, Cagalli is not your average Disney Princess waiting to be rescued. Instead she uses her power, privilege and influence for the benefit of causes she believes in, hence earning herself the title “Goddess of Victory”.

As a Princess, however, she’s also entitled, bossy, and unaware of her privilege to a certain extent.

Like this little girl basically forced herself onto a military ship even though the captain was totally against it. Total #Gundanium Alloy moment.

One of the things I love about Cagalli is that she has this overconfidence about herself that is also very Princess-like. How to explain... I headcanon Cagalli probably lived a very sheltered life as a Princess, and so she doesn’t truly understand the despair of a war-thorn world and how that shapes people. This only makes her choice to fight for those in less privileged positions than hers all the more impressive. 

But unlike Athrun and real soldiers who have seen the horrors of war, even if Cagalli has seen terrible things, Cagalli has a body guard with her at all times whose job is to risk his life to protect her. She is sheltered.

Also, as a side note, he doesn’t do a very good job of it lol. I would fire him if I was Cagalli’s dad. But I get the sense the bodyguard guy kind of gave up on trying to convince Cagalli not to get into crazy situations because Cagalli is going to do what Cagalli wants to do because she’s a fucking Princess.

Other than that, I think it’s very important to Cagalli’s character that she’s free to be herself and choose her own destiny. In the end, Cagalli chooses to fight for what she thinks is right and chooses what causes she espouses.

And I think this is where Cagalli and Athrun meet in the middle--fighting for what they believe is right.

Fighting for what is right--two opposing perspectives

One of the things that I loved about episode 23 the most is that this is when the idea “that conflict is the result of a lack of communication” gets presented--this is when the two opposing sides finally decide to sit down and talk.

These two kids met each other under #Gundam Alloy type circumstances that plot armor is thick but wtv because I love asucaga and I am glad they met and kept blaming each other until they both came to the realization that this blaming game was taking them nowhere. 

Just back and forth...

Well I did this because you did that.

Well I did that because you did this.

Two opposing perspectives at war with each other.

Theirs is a conversation about opposing versions of the “truth” and how when the two opposites come together a new truth can be unveiled if both parties are able and willing to meet in the middle.

Literally. Athrun and Cagalli introduce into GS the idea that senseless war is simply the result of two opposing sides unwilling to listen to the other and meet in the middle. 

Athrun and Cagalli represent the movement in this new direction for the plot where characters start to question more openly what it is they fight for.

But before Athrun and Cagalli get to this point where they get to explore their opposing perspectives, chemistry had already worked its magic. Without this chemistry, there would be no impetus that would bind two opposites together.

Let’s ship it!

Mwahaha. Ok, time to ship it.

When Athrun and Cagalli first encounter each other its under the threat of attack. Cagalli is pointing a gun at him and all he has is a knife. 

The moment that changes everything is when Athrun turns the tables on her and discovers that Cagalli is a girl.

I think in this scene there is a combination of Athrun’s reluctance to get a civilian involved in a war conflict and his own humanity taking precedence over how she is physically weak compared to him, not just for being a woman, but also because she’s a Natural.

In the end, Athrun is shown to be a very kind and considerate person time and time again and this is an example of it.

Also Cagalli getting annoyed because she gets confused for a boy is so funny.

It is after this moment when the walls start come down for both of them. 

On the one hand, I imagine Athrun realized just how defenseless Cagalli is despite her bravado, hardly a threat; while on the other hand, Cagalli realized this Zaft soldier is just as human as she is.

And I just adore this moment so much because despite the large amounts of Gundanium Alloy present in Gundam Seed, this moment and the way Athrun and Cagalli relate to one another is so... real?

Athrun telling Cagalli to tone it down with her Princess attitude is so... amazing? Up until now no one has really stood up to her and she typically gets what she wants--again, as an example, she boarded the Archangel against the Captain’s wishes.

And then... the crabs happen.

With crab #1 we have a moment of comic relief that invited them to relax, to lay down their defenses once and for all so that they could see the human in front of them more clearly.

It’s really lovely to be able to see how they are both more at ease around each other because of this seemingly insignificant moment.

I have to wonder what is going through Athrun’s mind as he sees Cagalli continue to do as she pleases, completely at ease with herself even though they are “enemies” and she should be weary of him.

This is one of those moments where the writers showed both Athrun’s and Cagalli’s personalities beautifully. 

On the one hand you have Athrun as he looks on from a distance in typical Scorpio fashion. His introspective nature speaking a thousand words without saying a single one of them. What we do know is that he is so moved by what he sees to the point that he removes the ties around her hands and feet--a completely irrational choice.

Symbolically, Athrun gives Cagalli back her freedom because even if she’s tied down, Cagalli’s will is untamable, something Athrun notices about her.

As for Cagalli, she is just enjoying herself. She too is at ease with Athrun around and is able to be her usual carefree self. Another thing about Cagalli I didn’t mention earlier is that she’s a Taurus. So there’s a sense of her sensuality being expressed in this moment as she enjoys the feeling of rain washing over her.

Then, with crab #2 we have a glimpse at a couple more details. 

For one, I think its easy to think of Athrun as Quiet and Aloof Deuteragonist-kun, but his mischievous and playful side shines through in this brief interaction when he teases Cagalli (thanks to this article for pointing out this fun detail).

As for Cagalli, it shows how care free and oblivious she is about the feminine beauty and sensuality that lies beneath the surface--which Athrun clearly very much liked.

Even though I feel like it’s more realistic for a teenager to continue to stare, I like what this scene says about Athrun being a respectful young man.

Then, when they move into the cave the issue of “ease” comes up. Cagalli taunts Athrun, telling him that she could take his gun from him and that he should be warier of her and take her more seriously.

Athrun, however, is highly aware that he’s an elite soldier with superior physical abilities and is completely unphased by her threat.

I think, if anything, Athrun is also aware that he’d be saddened if the situation escalated in such a way to where he would have to hurt her.

Athrun then falls asleep, showing once again how at ease he feels around her.

But this is Cagalli we’re talking about and if she had another middle name it would be “impulsive”. So she goes for the gun and then after an emotional exchange throws it on the ground in a bit of a temper tantrum.

And of course, because of the Gundanium Alloy, the gun fires when it hits the ground and the bullet barely hurts Athrun. The writers just really wanted a shirtless Athrun.

I love Athrun’s reaction in all of this because he’s not afraid to tell Cagalli to drop the Princess attitude. Seriously, who throws a loaded gun like that?

But... the best part in all of this is that Cagalli wants to meets him in the middle. 

And despite his reluctance, for the first time the audience gets to see Athrun take his armor completely off and open up. Both in the figurative way and in the fanservicey way.

This isn’t just physical proximity, but rather Athrun allowing someone else to not only meet him in the middle in his pain, but also to tend to that pain. 

And as they say their respective goodbyes and exchange names, so do they acknowledge each other’s humanity despite being in opposite camps.

I love them your honor...

[dalliansss]

either Mairon/Finrod: complimenting them with every single outfit change of the trip

or -(second ask)

love paradise - summer vacation scenarios for your otp

Context: takes place in this fucked up verse.

Mairon walks down the hallways and Angband trembles around him. In the úmaia's chest is a chaotic storm; just moments earlier, Melkor had given him orders to evacuate from Angband, that the fortress has been lost, and he had best now go east, as they had long planned -- east, far east, to the land of Mordor which awaits, and where the foundations of Barad-dûr already await to support further construction.

Mairon wants to stay and help fight the war, but Melkor would have none of it.

He turns to the direction of his quarters with purpose. The double-doors leading thereat open without need of physical touch; only Mairon's thoughts. The úmaia walks into the ornate but pristinely-kept room, and finds his maksima still sitting by the dresser, as if the Host of the West is not yet upon their doors, as if Angband does not tremble, in anticipation of the Wrath of the Valar.

Maksima, Finrod, his prize -- his precious -- sitting there clad in black silk, riddled with oxidized gold chains and dangling earrings, brushing his hair.

"The world is ending yet here you are, insisting to be pretty," Mairon says as he stands behind the former elf. He cards armored fingers through that platinum hair. Finrod regards him through the mirror.

"You like me pretty," Finrod states plaintively.

"I like mine creations always pretty," Mairon purrs just beside a pointed ear. "Now arise, maksima, precious. We leave Angband in all haste."

The former elf picks up a burlap satchel and dumps all his jewelry boxes in it. Jewelry -- all of which were crafted by Mairon, where the úmaia had not created jewelry in Ages.

They flee then, even before Eönwë's trumpets could be heard.

--

The first time Finrod wears Mairon's armor, the úmaia purrs so loudly the very room vibrates. Black has always been Finrod's color, and how he owned that color as the years rolled by, as he sank deeper and deeper into the tar-pit Mairon dropped him in, kicking and screaming, all his spittle about righteous anger and needless cruelty forgot and ground into the dust, drowned in the mire of blood that ever sustains his unnatural existence.

Mairon stands from his throne-like chair, and he closes the distance between them, crushing their lips together and blood seeps between, dark, scarlet blood mingled with Ainu copper.

His own. His precious.

"As beautiful as the world under an eclipse," Mairon snarls lowly against those lips. "Beautiful," he repeats, and he digs his talons into Finrod's nape, forcing him to tip his head back, to offer his pearl neck, where Mairon sinks his teeth.

--

The ship creaks around them, and Mairon nervously holds Finrod upon his lap. He hates the sea; always has. It was not Melkor who has hated and loathed the sea; it had been Mairon. The elven loremasters could never get their own lore right. Melkor would swim in the Sea and face Ulmo unafraid, while Mairon...Mairon would never.

He runs his hand through Finrod's platinum hair. Snarls. They are bound for Númenor, and he has seen how that dúnadan Ar-Pharazôn had eyed his maksima.

Mairon's fingers twist the fabric of Finrod's clothing, but then he hesitates and does not tear asunder the seemingly-fragile cloth.

"Stay close to me, once we dock in that accursed land," Mairon snarls, the words in Black Speech pressed against Finrod's bare shoulder. "I will not let this scum touch thee. Do you understand?"

"On the contrary," says Finrod. "I would let him touch me, and when he least expects it, I shall bite him and turn him into my thrall."

"You will do no such thing," Mairon says. "Not yet. Yet I shall give you the dúnadan once our plans come to fruition. You will tear him limb from limb for me."

Around them, the ship creaks again.

"When we get to Númenor," Mairon continues. "Choose plain clothing, once it shall be given. Leave all ornamentations to me. You will be as plain as dirt, if need be."

Finrod gives a disdainful snort. "Me, plain?"

"Do this for me, precious. I will not let that scum touch you. Do you understand me?"

Their bond lashes with hurt that makes Finrod flinch.

"You have very strange ways to say I am pretty. But very well. If you insist."

@skaelds

[letstrywritingmaybe]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let's spread the self-love🫶🏻

I’m curious to know your personal favorites! I’ll treat it as a fic-rec hehe

You are so cute! I love you! 🩵

Hm… this is a tough question cause I guess it depends on the day and what I’m feeling. I mean all my stories are honestly the same in terms of my ship being together and it ending happily, but the journey and the way I choose to tell it can differ. What exactly are quintessential lots of love fics? I guess currently I will go with these (I’m only doing Det Co ones cause I know you’re in this fandom, plus I don’t write enough for my actual otps in other fandoms)

In no particular order cause I don’t really have a true top five:

I Can Make Your Heart Race: They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so then what’s the way to a woman’s? Obviously you have to get her heart racing. In which scare tactics does little to impress a scientist, instead it backfires on the detective. Well, maybe not completely. Rated G (ShinShi)

It’s really short, but I find myself thinking about this fic some days. Maybe cause it is a fix it fic of sorts since my heart will never keep the canon ship in tact, and it’s fluffy with the potential for more. They’re my most slowburn ship and it kills me

I Hate Accidents, Except When We Went From Friends To This: Post Black Org and Permanent Antidote. A month-long look into the relationship of Shiho and Shinichi. Written with prompts from flufftober on tumblr. Rated T (ShinShi)

I was actually proud of how I was able to follow not one, not two, but 31 whole prompts! Even though every chapter is super short, but still. I’m the worst at following prompts, so I got excited I was able to get through this and keep my brand of fluff

Lo Lo Love Me: The change from fighting to be Shinichi again, to being her Edogawa. Or the fic where Shiho becomes a little delusional.

“You’re not him.”

“I am.”

“No, you’re not Edogawa Conan. You’re Kudo Shinichi.”

Rated T (CoAi but technically it’s ShinShi)

Truthfully my ending for this verse is just the first chapter, this idea wouldn’t die and I still find myself thinking about it some days. I think I ended it too soon but also don’t think I should’ve added to it beyond the first chapter. So yes I still think about revisiting it all the time

You Belong With Me?: It’s a matter of principle. She was here first and they grew up together for goodness sake! Of course people can change their minds, but she waited patiently for two years with the title as his girlfriend, so how can it be over just like that? It’s not fair. Rated T (ShinShi told from Ran’s pov)

Who would I be if I didn’t include a song fic? And yes while I love that this love affair with this fandom began with Folklore Twist, but I really do have some strong feelings for Ran. And it’s all because of projection, so yes I want better for her and I want her to be her own knight in shining armor and let my queen be the one who gets the romance story book ending for once

A Day Out With The Kids: An impromptu date holds no weight against an already established play date with the Detective Boys. It doesn’t stop Kaito from wooing Shiho anyway, even with the children’s attempts at sabotage. Converting these CoAi shippers to board the kaishi ship may not be as difficult as one might think. It’s a good thing Kaito’s great with kids. Rated G (KaiShi)

I couldn’t resist okay, yes I know my most popular fic is probably one that’s rated E or even my fuck the childhood friends to lover fic. And yeah I do sometimes go back to those verses, but some days kaishi owns my entire heart. So yeah, I had to include one even though I know it’s a crack ship

(A bonus/ honorable mention would be the Fleeting Feelings verse. I would be unstoppable as a multishipper, but alas I’m not.)

[smowkie]

Tag people you want to get to know better or catch up with

Thank you @novemberhush for the tag ❤️

Three ships you like - McShep, Wincest, Stony (ack, hard to limit it to three when the ships start to fight for attention x'D)

First ship ever - first ship where i knew that i was shipping was Sterek. idk what my actual first was because i never really used to think about these things until tumblr and Sterek happened to me x'D

Last song you heard - Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs performing Fast Car at the Grammys

Favourite childhood book - Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian (i've apparently always loved the Bad Things Happen trope)

Currently reading - McShep fics. i just finished watching the Stargate shows and i fell head over heels in fucking love with Rodney McKay, so i wanted to read fics about him and ao3/the fandom was like "we have McShep fics, those have McKay" and since i did like that ship it felt easier to find Rodney heavy fics in the ship tag than to try and find them through the character tag. i did find lots of Rodney feels there, but i also found lots of John Sheppard feels, as well as a brand new OTP... x'D but it's nice. i like it.

Currently watching - catching up on Halo. i am very weak for that big boy in his fancy armor. (the decision to add a gif here was a painful one, because how do i choose between a gif like this one and one with the helmet on? oof. in the end Pablo Schreiber's face won because it's very expressive, but christ i love that armor)

Currently consuming - tea, though "consuming" is a stretch as i've only drank half the cup and the tea has long since cold xD

Currently craving - i'm getting hungry and i have food planned (and mostly prepared) that i'm gonna fix soon and tbh i'm just thinking about that, so wraps with pulled pork i guess.

I tag @rieraclaelin @veltana @kiefjerky @ladydrace @niwolah @thor-ohdamnsonn @lena221bee @ravingrevolution and anyone else who wants to do this, feel free to claim a tag from me. And as always, no pressure to anyone tagged, feel free to ignore this, these are supposed to be fun ❤️

[sprooknooky]

Irene and Wall for the character ask?

Thank you for the ask!! Two of my favorite guys ever!! This ended up being really long...

Irene:

favorite thing about them:

Just her <33 She’s like my favorite person. Sorry real life friends, Irene is my best friend and has been since I was twelve years old.

Really though, I actually enjoy her part of the story (ignoring the sequel). I love that she’s a weird old lady who invented dragon slayers and lives in a castle across the ocean from her daughter that she just assumes is dead. Fuckin amazing. She’s flirty. She’s really hot and she knows it. She’s traumatized as hell. Good for her.

least favorite thing about them:

This kinda goes for every woman in Fairy Tail, but I hate that she’s used for fanservice, especially in the sequel, but also how they changed some scenes in the anime to showcase her massive tits. Like really?? She’s better than this. Let her wear clothes. Please.

Also, I really love super overpowered characters, but for a lot of Irene’s attacks, pure plot armor was used to beat her. Like why is she able to summon a meteor? That part is so dumb. Just let her be an enchantress. It just feels weirdly inconsistent to show that she’s powerful. We already know she’s powerful. Whatever. I’m salty.

favorite line:

Irene says some absolutely batshit stuff but I may have to go with this one. I like how sarcastic it is. She’s such an asshole (affectionate).

Also fun fact: they forgot to color the collar of her top in this panel!

brOTP:

Irene and Bloodman!! I know they don’t interact at all in canon but I love that they’re on the same team during the war. It sparked something within me. They’re both super old and have to put up with Zeref’s bullshit and would bond over that. <3

OTP:

Irene x Anna! They’re old and traumatized and totally knew each other 400 years ago. Also, Irene is a lesbian so I like it a lot better than Irene x Zeref or Irene x Acnologia.

nOTP:

Ehhhh Irene x Acnologia gives me bad vibes… I understand the appeal I guess? She created dragon slayers to help the dragons and he became a dragon slayer and killed all of them. But MAN is it toxic. They both deserve better.

random headcanon:

I think I’ve said this one before but she watches so much shitty reality TV. Like the dating shows where people are on an island and have sex and there’s drama for no reason. She loves that stuff. She makes fun of it daily.

unpopular opinion:

She shouldn’t have been back in the sequel…. I love Irene. So much. But she really didn’t add anything meaningful and didn’t need the ending they gave her. It was just really dissatisfying in my opinion. I feel like a lot of people didn’t mind her being back, but it really doesn’t make sense.

song i associate with them:

Never Love an Anchor by the Crane Wives thanks to @pencilofawesomeness ‘s post here (it’s so cool!! I hope you don’t mind the tag)

favorite picture of them:

She is SO PRETTY but also so silly and I’m struggling to pick just one…

But probably this one :)

-

Wall:

favorite thing about them:

I love their silly little personality. I enjoy deranged little guys in general but I like that he has a weird lawyer thing going on. He says “indeed” a lot and stuff like “case dismissed” and it’s so funny. Their title is the adjudicator. Why is he a lawyer??? And the best part is he can rewrite his own personality. So he wrote himself to be this way. That’s amazing. Go little funky robot guy go!!

least favorite thing about them:

I feel like Wall was really doomed by the narrative. He should have had so much more screen time. He just has so much potential. Why introduce a species of robot people as well as alchemy just to kill the guy off? It just makes me sad because they’re so fun.

favorite line:

This is just so badass

brOTP:

Wall and Dimaria are menaces <3 I love that they tease each other in canon and they definitely spar in their free time. Everyone hates it when they’re together because they’ll just gang up on people and make fun of them. It’s great.

OTP:

I don’t think I ship Wall with anyone… they give me aroace vibes.

nOTp:

I think some people ship him with Neinhart? That’s kinda weird in my opinion. Don’t they hate each other? I dunno, it just feels wrong. Besides, Neinhart is too stupid to get any bitches. (Full offense to Neinhart.)

random headcanon:

He was broken out of jail by the empire and that’s why his outfit kinda looks like a prison jumpsuit.

unpopular opinion:

I don’t think I’ve seen enough people complaining about red lightning but it should not have killed Wall. Lightning is lightning regardless of color or strength or whatever. I would have much preferred Wall die by being outsmarted. I also really hate Laxus fighting Wall at all… I think it would have been so much cooler to give the Thunder Legion a better fight against them! Anyway, I don’t know how unpopular that is, but it’s all I have right now.

song i associate with them:

Hmm… I can’t really think of one right now. I’ll update this if I remember anything though.

favorite picture of them:

This one’s pretty rad :D (Or the one I used for his quote)

[mareenavee]

3, 5, 10, 22, 30, 39, 50, 51, 57 because why not throw a long list at you. For both pairings, because I'm evil. Chop and change as you like.

Hello. Yep this was asked over a month ago. I do apologize it's taken hell to freeze over for me to put down the fic and come wandering back over here <3 Ask game is here. So this is OTP asks iirc? Well it is now.

I cannot find a list that has numbers past 40 otherwise so. Here we go.

For Nyenna, Teldryn and Athis from my fic, The World on Our Shoulders. Below the cut coz it'll be a long one, bet. LOL Also there's some snippets toward the end!

3. Do they wear the other’s clothes? (sweatshirt, bandana, necklace, etc.) Nyenna is a very small bean by comparison. She can get away with stealing other's clothes. Athis is shorter, around 5'7-8 or so; his shirts fit her better. Teldryn has borrowed her cloak before.

5. Describe their cozy night in. READING. Nyenna definitely wants to catch up on reading. She's definitely going through it in the place we're at in the WIP and if she had her way, she'd be home with Athis by the fire pit with cozy blankets reading. If we're talking future timeline, rest is still mildly hard to come by. She and Teldryn might instead spend it at Orgnar's inn, listening to Sven make a fool of himself trying to be a bard and enjoying the company of their new neighbors. That's not really "a night in" but it kind of counts when your new hometown is as small as Riverwood.

10. Describe their first date. Nyenna and Athis... <3 They were a bit of a whirlwind. They skipped steps. Back before the nonsense, he would often take her out to dinner at the Bannered Mare, even after they were married. They had a few camping dates where he'd bring along a stash of some homemade mead on the way to some dungeon or another while they were working. He isn't much of a storyteller, but Nyenna definitely was and she'd also sing to him in Bosmeris until he fell asleep while she was on first watch. Nyenna and Teldryn did things glacially slow and in reverse order, lol. They didn't skip steps so much as do things completely backwards. They fell in love first. Then they...made mistakes. Then eventually they would have had a moment to spend with just each other and not the weight of destiny. Teldryn would have taken her to pretty places he'd found while he was wandering on his way home from one job or another. They love the Rift for picnics.

22. What reminds each of their partner? At this point in the fic, Nyenna is still very much always turning her thoughts toward Athis. They're still married and she still wears her wedding ring. They still write to each other constantly and she does try to return home as often as she can. Later on, after a few close calls, Teldryn has a dragonbone dagger each made for Nyenna and himself. This is before they admit any sort of love for each other. He thought it was symbolic, and also good back up if she ever ran out of magicka again. So you know, lethal weapons they hold on to for the rest of the fic. Suits, really. LOL

30. Your OTP gets to pick out each other's outfits; what is each wearing? Nyenna has picked out Athis's outfits since they were dating. He has terrible fashion sense. Have you seen his summer armor? Ugh. A mess. She had him in blue clothes and the Companions got him some Ebony Plate mail for their wedding. Speaking of, she also picked out his wedding outfit. Athis would look for any excuse for Nyenna to wear that dress again, speaking of. It's featured in one of his best memories, and the little embroidered tundra cotton flowers suited her. Teldryn always wears grey shirts when he's out of his armor. All his spare sets are gray, except his white shirts he wears as the first layer under the armor. Nyenna would insist on blue; it might be her favorite color, and it looks good on him. Teldryn has seen Nyenna dressed for a Thalmor party, but even then would still say she looks best in her grey and teal mage's robes.

39. Who would rescue an injured animal and nurse it back to health? What would the other think? Nyenna absolutely would rescue animals. Neither Athis nor Teldryn would not have the heart to dissuade her, even if there was no time or safety for such things.

50. Who's more likely to do something out of spite? Of the three, Teldryn. He's persisted this long out of spite, so it would track that he'd probably take on some activity or another and/or stick with it out of spite. He might not be spiteful necessarily, though. None of them really are.

51. What’s a non verbal way they say I love you? There's a lot of this in the fic for everyone involved. I'll pick two and share mini snippets. For Nyenna toward Athis, she'd run her fingers through his hair.

“Mornin’,” he said, voice still heavy with sleep. He yawned widely and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He got up out of bed and cracked the stiffness from his neck. She approached him and ran her fingers through his hair. He had no idea why she did this, always admiring something about him he thought so little about. It was charming. When he tried to return the favor, his fingers got tangled in the silvery curls, same as every day, really. She let out a surprised laugh and helped him untangle. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. Her hands were warm against his face as she kissed him back gently.

For Teldryn toward Nyenna, he will always heal her first before himself as best as he can.

He held her close, Healing spells active in both hands. “You’re okay?” he asked, worry written across all his features. She coughed weakly, but managed a nod. “What on Nirn…?” she whispered hoarsely, wincing. Her hand flew to her neck. He pressed his gauntleted hand over hers and concentrated his spell there. Her shoulders slumped as the overwhelming pain slowly started to subside.

57. Whose the serious one when grocery shopping and who likes to toss random things in the cart? LOL insofar as Tamriel has 'grocery' shopping...let's just call it a normal day at Belethor's shop. Nyenna is the responsible one and keeps household ledgers and has a list of needful things to retrieve. Athis and Teldryn are the "I'm not really saving up for anything" kind of people and would buy yet another cool knife if the opportunity presented itself.

[aylaaescar]

just little Ealisay/Bull things that also amuse me: the sweet and cute 5'2" Ealisay is the indestructible tank and her enormous qunari bf is the glass cannon DPS

[bokatan]

34. What’s their favorite nonsexual activity together?

25. Are they sentimental about gifts they’ve received from each other?

46. How do they make each other laugh?

For Reed/Danse and Reed/Deacon? 👀

[ asks about your otp ]

Reed & Danse

25: Are they sentimental about gifts they’ve received from each other? Very. It's bad. Reed doesn't even like energy weapons that much, but the laser rifle Danse gave him? You're gonna have to pry that out of his cold, dead hands. They swapped holotags at one point and that became a very sentimental thing for both of them- Danse keeps his tags post-BB, and Reed ends up wearing three tags. 34: What’s their favorite nonsexual activity together? They both enjoy working on weapon & armor mods together, and just doing their own things near each other. Their relationship is very much a slow burn, friends-to-lovers type of thing and it shows- they just like being around each other. 46: How do they make each other laugh? The way Danse words things, y’know where he’s rambling and using all these big words just to say “it’s dark in here” or “this place smells bad”, just straight up kills Reed. Danse thinks the way that Reed questions higher-ups and makes subtle sarcastic remarks when he doesn’t like something is entertaining, even though he doesn’t openly laugh at it most of it.

Reed & Deacon:

25: Are they sentimental about gifts they’ve received from each other? Oh yeah. Reed tends to give his favorite people little gifts all the time like a cat does, and Deacon ends up with a collection of little trinkets and books and things from Reed. 34: What’s their favorite nonsexual activity together? They love working together on missions and basically anything where they’re pretty much doing improv together. Reed also loves traveling & exploring places with Deacon because he likes listening to him ramble, and Deacon’s pretty much guaranteed to ramble if they’re just out and not in a hostile situation. 46: How do they make each other laugh? They have basically the same sense of humor so that’s not hard at all. Reed usually gets Deacon’s little prewar references and quips and thinks those are entertaining, and Deacon’s a big fan of Reed’s sarcastic remarks and dry humor.

[paris-rokin]

Character ask: Indrid :3c

Wooo Ingrid! Possibly one of my favorite characters

Favorite thing about her

Much like Jeritza, she's a deep character with a messy relationship to her queerness. Her story's themes are so intrinsically tied to the goals of Dimitri & Edelgard that she feels like a very personal battleground for their ideologies, and that's a great example of why I love this game's writing

Least favorite thing about her

If you recruit her for CF, I think some of her supports should change/she should unlock new ones. She really feels like she's suffering under compulsive heterosexuality, and if she's going to war alongside a bunch of queer people openly defying the church and societal norms, it seems a bit unrealistic that she still doesn't come to terms with liking girls by the end. This game would be even better with a character arc about coming out, and Ingrid is the perfect character for it

Favorite line

"Hey... Dorothea. This is probably more than a little awkward, considering where it came from, but...here."

ah yes, the straight girl. The straight girl who offered a ring to the woman who flirted with her while saving her from a bad suitor. That straight girl.

brOTP

Seteth. Their supports are what made me start warming up to Seteth, and their ending is sweet. He managed to save one mortal from Rhea's society, at least

OTP

Dorothea!! Ingrid gets to leave her familial responsibilities to be a knight in shining armor. Dorothea gets to marry a noble who leaves her position & power for her, unlike Edie or Petra (though I adore both those ships). And Rumored Nuptials is the best paralogue

Edelgrid has taken over my thoughts of late, but, that's only if Dimitri is the dual Crested weapon of Thales & El is a time traveler. It just doesn't make sense in the canon timeline

nOTP

Any noble man, tbh. Even if they get along it's just... icky. A husband & pregnancy are her greatest fear.

Random headcanon

Ingrid gets a bit suicidal during the war, as death would be an honorable way out of her responsibilities (and the king she's sworn herself to is an insane slaughterer, so. She gets a little less hinged). I've got a fic stewing in my brain about her staying with Dimitri during CF, and Dorogrid mirroring Bylitza.

Unpopular opinion

I have no idea what the broader fandom thinks of Ingrid, but, let's try. I assume there's a lot of fic out there that has her be gay & happy even during White Clouds, and I say that's completely missing the point of her character. Ingrid has angst baked into her design just as much as Jeritza, and it's what makes her interesting and unique as a character.

Song I associate with her

This specifically makes think of Eagle Among Lions, after Ingrid learns the truth and leaves Garreg Mach. I spent awhile and couldn't find anything I listen to with canon Ingrid vibes

Favorite picture of her

By @pathetic-gamer

by Einzbern

[alethiometry]

oooooh kass + a song that reminds you of her + a popular headcanon that you disagree with 👀

fuck it i'll do both 😈

kassandra:

a song that reminds me of them: the only two kass moods are horny and angsty, so... janelle monae make me feel + fleetwood mac landslide :)

what they smell like: ancient greece kassandra always smells like the sea no matter how long it's been since she's spent time on the adrestia. modern-day kass smells like hugo boss cologne

an otp: brasidas of course!!! and also eivor. ubisoft i am IN your WALLS.

a notp: was never a fan of kasspasia tbh but i don't know if it's just because it was so poorly executed in the game. but i never romance her lol

favorite platonic/familial relationships: i get why we didn't get to see it, but i wish we had more (read: ANY) interactions between kass and deimos/alexios in the good ending. there's so much potential there for growing together and healing from their past traumas and learning how to function around each other or how to be a family after everything they've gone through... but then again i can see how that sort of relationship growth really doesn't lend itself well to odyssey's overall game format and ubisoft would probably have botched it anyway

a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with: fuck idk i feel like odyssey fandom is so dead i don't even remember what there is to disagree about!

the position they sleep in: she's a stomach-sleeper for sure

a crossover au i’d love to see them in: literally any other assassin's creed game ever PLEASEEEEEEEEE

my favorite outfit they’ve ever worn: i'm partial to the basic game-cover red mercenary set! i would like the modern-day suit more but it just looks cheap idk i like the concept of it more than the execution. my girl deserved to die in armani AT LEAST, not whatever polyester billboard lawyer rent-a-suit they stuck her in

eivor:

a song that reminds me of them: drum + fife by smashing pumpkins

what they smell like: bonfires and sage

an otp: kassandra!!!! also vili

a notp: ivarr. ew.

favorite platonic/familial relationships: varin!!! i would argue that eivor's relationship with her father's memory is THE defining relationship of acv, even more so than her relationship with sigurd, and although i wish we'd seen more of it in the midgame rather than just the beginning and the end, it was really beautifully done

a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with: my answer for all of these is going to be so boring because i really don't know what is or isn't popular in the fandom and i really haven't seen anything i disagree with. idk how to answer this i'm sorry!!!

the position they sleep in: fetal position, or big spoon. especially if she's sharing a bed with vili

a crossover au i’d love to see them in: it's not a crossover with any other series, but i would like to see an au where eivor turns her back on the hidden ones and ultimately for whatever reason ends up helping alfred form the templars. templar!eivor is very very sexy to me.

my favorite outfit they’ve ever worn: i think most of the armor sets in valhalla are absolutely hideous so i'll go with the very basic, no-upgrades raven clan armor for this one

niche character asks :)

[kylermalloy]

They wrote it out wrong but it sort of made sense that Elijah killed himself with Klaus, because after all he would never leave his little brothers side and will be is knight in shinning armor on the other side.

No I’m totally with you anon—I couldn’t have been happier with the klelijah ending. I often say that TO, while it crashed and burned at the end, did give me a finale where my otp made a suicide pact and died in each other’s arms. I don’t think any show will ever be so generous to me again.

The writing leading up to that finale, though, was a mess. Klaus’s story could end in his death, and I’m not completely upset that it did—although I hate that it left Hope without any parents, just for the sake of another spinoff. The final season, though, didn’t telegraph Klaus’s death.

We have him reconnect with his daughter and resolve to be there for her after she loses her mother. After all, he is the only parent she has left! Hope even begs Klaus to stay with her, because she can’t do this alone! But through the magic of plot (and the writers hoping the audience won’t remember from one episode to the next) Hope suddenly pivots to being okay with Klaus dying, and resolving to…go back to school. Weird, that.

Elijah’s death was fully telegraphed through the narrative, though. We had him go through his arc of rediscovering his family—his purpose in life, aka sacrificing himself and his happiness for his family’s. Specifically, his brother’s. We see him burn bridges by inadvertently helping cause Hayley’s death and drive him downward afterward, when he regains his memory and realizes what he’s done. Really, the only option for him is death—look what he’s done! (The joke is that…they’ve all done awful things. And not all of them deserve to die. Where were we going with this murder family narrative?)

Don’t confuse this with me saying I wanted Elijah to die and Klaus to live. That’s just what the story is telling us will happen. It’s the exact same thing TVD did with Stefan the final season—even though Damon has truly gone off the rails, Stefan is the one who killed Enzo. There is nothing for him to stay alive for. (there is, but who cares right?) Stefan dies and Damon lives a changed man. I didn’t like it then and I wouldn’t have liked it done with klelijah.

I love the idea of Klaus and Elijah dying together. Sometimes I feel like it’s the only way their lives could have ended. They spent a thousand years tangled up in this messy, hateful, inescapable relationship—but it was all they ever knew and they still wanted it. I still daydream about their eternal afterlife cuddlepile with their significant others.

It just…didn’t go with the story they were telling.