#This Is Why LCs Have Shields

[a-world-in-grey]

Sola/Little Nox Dissidia au

@raven-6-10 @secret-engima

The promised trainwreck under the cut!

The Citadel's been a wreck of tension ever since Spitfire and the prince went missing. Abyssus yowling fit to wake the dead brought the on-duty glaives running to find Sola's bed empty, phone still on her bedside table and all her shoes still in her closet, all signs pointing to an unwilling departure despite a clear absence of any sign of a struggle.

They'd raised the alarm, checking on the rest of the royal family and their retinue-

-and found Prince Noctis' bed as empty as his sister's.

Then, while Citadel security was swarming like a kicked anthill, spearheaded by a blackly furious Marshal and King's Shield looking for their godschildren, those guarding the Crystal had sounded the alarm.

Which is when they'd found their missing royals, via the Crystal putting out a hologram of the two like something from a bad science fiction movie.

Tredd hasn't gotten a decent night's sleep in four days.

If it's not the palpable worry radiating from the King racking up the tension, then it's the fact that the royal children have been summoned to a desolate world to participate in what's essentially a glorified death match on opposite teams, during which Prince Noctis is in nothing but his pajamas.

No one is ever again calling Sola's insistence on keeping her deployment bags in her armiger frivolous.

Though, if Tredd has to be completely honest, Sola's younger brother's lack  of proper attire is only a fraction of what's causing the tension. No, the bulk of it goes to Spitfire's newest Uncle and now youngest brother. The once-Chancellor of Niflheim and Captain's kid. Captain's kid who's apparently the Crown Prince's clone, created from a sample Niflheim stole how knows how many years back.

Luche had dipped out to make a phone call to Axis, because those are Arra braids in Ardyn and Nox's hair, and Axis had completely neglected to mention that his recent adoptees were Lucis Caelums, leaving Tredd to watch Axis' clansmen on this fucked-up version of reality TV.

Nyx has been teaching Spitfire the Ulric Dance ever since her Rage a few months back clued them all into the fact that Spitfire's as Sky-born as anyone can get without being an actual dragon - and seriously, Tredd is this close to shaking Nyx, the idiot needs to adopt her already, for Ramuh's sake - so he's in the room whenever he's not sleeping. Which means Libertus is also here, making sure Nyx does take the time to sleep because the last thing any of them need is the twitchy Ulric doing something Dumb, aided by Abyssus literally carrying Nyx out of the room when it's time to catch some shut eye.

Crowe's anxiously watching her girlfriend fight off various monsters and champions, fingers plucking at the rubber band Crowe's worn on her wrist ever since the Burning. This hadn't been how Sola and Crowe had wanted Sola's family to find out about that particular relationship, but Crowe had adamantly refused to be barred from the room for a second until Sola came back.

Luche, like Tredd, is there as Axis' braided brother, leaving the rest of the Fourth Regiment to attend in shifts depending who's on break, with Pelagia and her Third Regiment counterpart running everything because Captain is also busy watching this clusterfuck.

The Marshal's not left since the whole thing started - has he even slept? - but the King and Shield have to leave for short periods to make token appearances lest the entire country learn the royal children have disappeared into the ether. Gladiolus and Ignis have to be forced out of the room for their studies, which has apparently resulted in temper tantrums worthy of a Raging Sola, but the two young teens have yet to convince the King, Shield, or Marshal otherwise so the process repeats every day without fail.

Sola latching on to her new uncle and brother isn't a surprise. She's Sky-born, they do that. Especially because for all that the ex-Chancellor is clearly missing more than a few lines to his sails, he equally as clearly cares for and is protective of his niece and nephews, despite his distaste for Regis and Mors.

Were it not for the danger to her brothers, Sola would probably be having fun. The chance to cut loose against other skilled fighters? No one looming over her shoulder, scrutinizing her every action and deeming anything not up to their standards as 'monstruous'? Sola would have loved that in any other scenario.

But Spitfire has two brothers to protect, and Tredd swears under his breath when Sola assigns herself to Noctis and Nox's guard team, instead letting Ardyn join the strike team. The self-sacrificing dumbass.

"Care to explain that?"

Whoops.

Tredd cringes away from the Marshal's displeasure, silently thanking the Storm-Father that the King and Lord Amicitia are off in an unavoidable meeting with one of the Councilors.

"Sola is better suited on the strike team, sir." Luche says politely, before Tredd can stick his foot further in his mouth. "She's not usually charged with guard duties in the field."

The Marshal eyes them both severely. "Izunia is stronger than Sola." He says sourly. The revelation of the former Chancellor's heritage and all it's unpleasant implications hasn't been fun for anyone. "He can take a smaller strike team, freeing more people to guard Noctis and Nox." Unsaid is the fact that neither Sola nor Ardyn will leave the princes alone with strangers.

"Yes, sir." Luche demurs. That had been the argument Sola used to convince Ardyn.

(Tredd hadn't thought anyone could be more protective than Sola of her brothers, but Ardyn has her beat by a mile. Ifrit have mercy on whoever tries to harm either of the princes in the future, because Sola and Ardyn sure as Pyre won't, and Tredd doubts there'll be enough of the moron in question afterwards to scatter their ashes.)

Tactically, the assignments have merit. As Tredd exchanges a glance with an equally grim-faced Luche, he knows tactics aren't what they - or any of the glaives - are worried about.

Spitfire doesn't do defense. It's not a matter of skill. Tredd wouldn't be worried if it was, skill they can compensate for.

No, the issue is that Sola's a damn dragon of a Sword. Her first, second, and third instinct when dealing with threats is to kill it. She can't do that on defense - her priority has to be Noctis and Nox's safety, even if it means letting her target escape.

It's not impossible. Not when she's got help.

And yet Tredd can't shake the feeling that this isn't going to end any way but badly.

.

Tredd's right.

Two days later, everything goes to Ifrit's Pyre in a gift basket.

The strike team is away, trying to complete whatever the objective is that will send them all home.

(Ardyn is a force of destruction to contend with, tearing through enemies like they're tissue paper, making the King pale with an anguished epiphany he refused to share.)

The ambush catches everyone off guard. The strange dragon-like creatures swarm the protective detail. The healers push Nox and Noctis behind them, the champions better suited for close quarters combat struggling to keep the creatures off their more vulnerable companions.

In the commotion, Tredd doesn't see what sparks it, but he sure as Pyre sees when Spitfire loses it.

A low snarl rips from her throat, gaze and focus narrowing down on the threat in front of her.

Crowe swears. "Pyre-damn it all, someone back her up-"

But none of the other champions are watching Sola's back. They're too busy with their own battles, too busy keeping the kids safe. They don’t notice how Spitfire's been drawn away from the rest of the group, don't see the blind spot left vulnerable without a glaive or Abyssus there to cover her.

If Sola's family hadn’t known before, they've sure as Pyre realized it now. It's impossible to miss the glaives' reactions - Luche's grim certainty, Libertus' hand a physical restraint on Nyx's shoulder, Nyx's hands clenching and unclenching as he resists the useless instinct to grab his kukris and throw, Crowe's snarling at people who cannot hear, the way every muscle in Tredd's frame coils as he fights off the Fury rising like a wave-

-and crests, as Spitfire staggers, the attack she doesn't see ripping through her. Magic erupts throughout the room as Sola's eyes widen and her face twists in an agonized cry that has no breath to voice.

Sola hits the ground, and Nox s c r e a m s.

Ghostly weapons tear through the remaining creatures, a constant stream of light and steel that is nothing like any armiger they've seen. Champions startle as weapons pass through them harmlessly only to shred the creatures around them, until nothing remains.

The healers rush to Sola's side, but even from here, Tredd can see that it's bad. Really bad - he doesn't know if Spitfire's going to make it even with three healers and her own regeneration trying to save her life.

There's another burst of magic and Ardyn arrives, terrified and protective - Nox's magic must have alerted him, but Tredd doesn't know what the ex-Chancellor can do that the healers can't, Lucis Caelum magic just doesn't heal…

Ardyn takes in Nox, boneless with exhaustion and sobbing in Noctis' hold. Noctis, trying to keep it together. The champions doing their best to shield them from where Sola is laying on the ground between the healers.

(None of them can see it in the blue of the Crystal's hologram, how Sola is too pale against the shock of red hair haloed around her face, nearly indistinguishable from the blood staining the grass.)

Something in Ardyn's spine steels. He strides forward, ignoring the champions' attempts to keep him back, shedding his upper layers before he kneels and gathers Sola against his bare chest.

(The scars hit Tredd like a sucker punch. They've all seen some gnarly scars, no one survived the Burning unscathed, but these… these are torture scars. Torture scars and death blows and the glowing sigil of the royal family that can't be anything other than a brand.)

(The King is white as a sheet. Tredd wants to throw up. Parents are supposed to support you, not… not this.)

(Six, no wonder Axis kept Ardyn and Nox's heritage a secret. That Ardyn is able to trust and care for any of his Kin is astounding.)

It's not until magic rises from Ardyn's skin that Tredd realized what's happening. That he realizes what the tint of the Crystal's magic had disguised. But he's seen Spitfire heal others dozens of times out in the field, he recognizes this shaping of magic, and Ardyn is so much stronger than Spitfire-

It doesn't make it any easier to watch as Ardyn's skin splits, his blooding pouring out to join Sola's painting the ground. Doesn't make it any easier to watch as his wounds close, Ardyn gasping and trembling from more than just pain as he curls over his healed but unconscious niece, even as Noctis and Nox barrel in to comfort him.

Tredd's almost relieved when the Marshal turns to them and demands, "What the fuck just happened?"

As one, every glaive turns to Nyx. He's the only Chief present, he's the only one who can make the decision to share Galahdian lore with Outsiders as he has been with Sola.

Nyx stares a few moments longer at Sola's too-still form, hands flexing. Finally, he turns to face the Marshal and the King, expression dark as a thunderstorm. "We call it the Draconian's Rage."

"We?" The King's eyes are sharp. Tredd thinks he sees something of the warrior the King must have been when he visited Galahd twenty years ago.

"Galahd. The Draconian and the Infernian weren't the only Astrals to Bless humans. The magic disappeared long before the time of the Founder, but we still Remember." Nyx glances back to where the healers are fussing over Sola and Ardyn and Nox. "You have the Draconian's Blessing. But the Draconian isn't human."

Nyx turns back to the King, storm-blue locking with armiger-blue. "The Astrals aren't human, and sometimes their Blessed aren't either."

The King's lips thin. "You're saying my daughter isn't human." Treading on dangerous ground - the King's never taken kindly to the rumors painting Sola a monster.

"Physically, she is." Nyx says, steady as the cliffs against the storm-swept tides. "In her soul? Her instincts? She's no more human than I am."

That startles the King. "You are-?"

"Ramuh's. Storm to Sola's Sky."

There were rumors that the Ulrics were Ramuh's Blessed. Coeurl-Kin. Shape-changers and Wind-Walkers and as Black as the storms in their souls.

Tredd never thought he'd hear the rumors confirmed. This is Clan History. Private Clan History only ever shared with Clan Allies. If that.

"We thought you knew." Tredd says, trying to buy some leeway for Nyx. Tredd can't reveal that he's also not-quite human. Not without his Chief's permission. He might be able to get away with telling Sola - it's only a matter of time before she joins the Clans - but King Regis? Tredd would be in serious trouble. "You have thousands of years of history. Family customs as unique as any of ours." Customs catering specifically to those non-human instincts, Tredd doesn't say.

Tredd suspected otherwise after Sola's Rage in HQ. Sola didn't know anything about her Rages, only that she'd get so angry she couldn't think beyond needing to kill something. She was terrified that she'd try to kill anyone near her, hence her retreating somewhere secluded until she could regain control over herself. When she'd come out of her Rage to find Nyx and Tredd at the end of her weapons, injured but otherwise in one piece, she'd been horrified that she might have tried to kill them.

She hadn't known that she wouldn't. That even in the deepest Rage, her instincts would recognize the difference between hers and threat. Sola would never harm an innocent bystander. Not on purpose. Not unless they provoked her first.

So Tredd had suspected. He didn't want to believe it - how could the Lucis Caelums not have any information of the Draconian's Blessed? He knows Mainlanders don't keep Tales like the Clans do, but they do keep records! Sola cannot be the first Lucis Caelum to be Skyborn!

But no. The royal family has no clue.

What a mess.

"What does that mean for Sola?" The Marshal asks while the King processes Nyx's revelation.

"She's protective." Crowe says. Tredd snorts at the understatement of the century. "She'll react violently to anything threatening her Claimed. Lethally, if she can - Skyborn don't like leaving threats alive to try again."

"Prince Noctis and Nox are her only vulnerable Claimed. Prince Nox has his uncle to protect and care for him, which will satisfy Sola's instincts." Because nothing short of an Astral will be able to get past Ardyn to harm Nox, and even then Tredd would still put his money on Ardyn. "But Sola's Sword to Prince Noctis, and the oldest and strongest of his Retinue. She's his primary protector. Not being allowed or able to kill anything threatening him will stress her instincts."

The Marshal grimaces, glancing at the King and Shield. Tredd wonders if he's thinking about how Sola came to join the Kingsglaive. She'd eventually told them the circumstances behind her joining their training, one night out on deployment. Knowing now that Sola's Skyborn, that was a really Stupid decision on the King's part, banning Sola from protecting her disabled brother. The King was lucky Sola didn't try to sneak out of Insomnia after them.

"When she's under a lot of stress, she'll lose her grasp of human language." Tredd tells them. Tredd's never had that happen to him, but he also knows that as far as Seaborn instincts go, his are fairly tame. Sola, unfortunately, is way out on the extreme end of the scale. "Sign language she can comprehend, and that empathic thing she does with her magic. She'll lose her words before she Rages, so if it's that bad don't bother talking to her. She won't hear it."

Another glance between Sola's relatives. Six, how many signs had they missed?

Tredd determinedly ignores it. "When she's Raging, either give her space to work through it or spar with her. Sola won't hold back, but she won't try to kill you. But if you need to step out of the fight, make it physically clear that you surrender. Weapons away, hands down and open, on your knees and throat bared if you have to."

The King frowns. "That seems… dangerous."

"Not with Sola." Nyx says before Tredd's temper leads him to say something snarky and unwise to the King. "She'll always recognize her own."

"Shit's starting up again." Luche suddenly says.

Everyone turns back to the Crystal, conversation tabled.

For now.

[solarwynd]

Armys indifference towards jimin is eye opening to me. Has it always been this way? I think ever since I became a solo I’ve started to see things a lot differently that’s why I don’t outtightly judge the Armys that make it seem like they’re making it up because I was them at one point and unless you’re heavily biased towards jimin or a solo stan you’re just not going to see the vitriol hate he receives. I used to be a shooter account in 2020-2021 I had a large platform defending the members all the time and even though I biased jimin, I never saw even a fraction of the shit I see now as a solo. That’s why when armys say “they all get hate” it’s coming from them only seeing what their timeline provided to them, they’re not going out of their way to see what Muri or people like him say about jimin and no one is bringing it to their timeline and this is not me defending them because I think it’s ridiculous to not even acknowledge it but in a way I understand why they are the way they are. But the part where you said they’re not to6 and most bias the two youngest members is true, taekookers are the majority of the fandom and a lot of them see jimin as the big threat not only in the fake relationship they have made up but musically too, jimin does nothing and you’ll have people constantly name drop him and his music is loved but fans even though I’d say he doesn’t have nearly as many solo stans as the other two. I think the fandom in general hold Jungkook to a much higher standard than the rest especially jimin, I remember when jimin got a #1 and a lot of them were saying “wait until Jungkook comes” like it was a threat and how he will outdo jimin like they have something to prove. It’s pathetic to witness it everytime. Ot7 is a myth no matter how much they sugarcoat it, even the members are liars, they do see each other as competition maybe less of jimin and Jin but most of them care about the charts and how they perform

No, the current indifference was a recent change. Mostly because of how well face and lc did in comparison to dday which was the catalyst. Armys have always been “fine” with jimin but almost purely in the context of bts. He’s the only member that they never allow to be anything but an extension of bts and they’re pushing him even more into that role now because they find him digestible as the group cheerleader. It’s always “jimin and his brothers” as way diminish him as an individual or use him as a prop. It’s also why Jimin can’t have anything to himself. Not even the hate that he gets because armys always have to trivialize it by making it a maknae line issue and it’s done purposefully.

They’ve crafted the narrative that pjm solos are the worst, so whenever something proves the opposite they have to derail it. And that’s why I can never give armys the the benefit of the doubt of them not knowing about the hate jimin receives at the hands of jjks/tkkrs/kths because I know they see it. They follow their accounts and they interact with them (which is why I curse the day hybe hijacked the 7 symbol and made it jk’s brand)They just do their best to shield those groups from callouts because in doing so they’d be attaching th and jk’s name to them and they don’t want those two to get dragged. But anything with jimin attached to it? Automatically in the wrong and gets witch hunted.

I’ll never forget when a jimin biased army exposed a shooter on twitter for being a giant kth solo and jimin anti and armys outright defended them despite overwhelming proof that it was the truth. They even ran the jimin biased person off site because that account being a blink doxxer was more important. That’s when I knew that the bulk of armys do not care to “defend” jimin past blinks or the kpop stans who attack him from the outside. And even when they do that, it’s still to his detriment cause a lot of times they’ll offer him up as bait using his achievements unprovoked and get him dragged in the process.

That’s another thing in itself too. Armys are also only okay with what jimin has accomplished if they can lord it over kpop stans because as soon as we bring up the fact that jimin achieved what he did with no payola or label aid, all of a sudden it’s shade to jk. I used to HATE whenever armys would be under jimin’s chart tweets with that “just wait until jk debuts” BS because it just shows how desperate they were to restore that status quo and the hidden rule in the fandom.

Jimin is allowed to be good but he can’t be better than anybody else. He’s popular but tk are the most famous members. He can dance but hobi’s the best out the group. He can have writing and composing credits but it will never compare to rapline. Jimin has always been the outlier in bts because he’s always underestimated and put into a set role. Imagine he’s the only one out of maknae line that put any effort into his album and armys still ended up centering face around joon when that documentary came out just because he gave jimin advice. Not only that, but armys also do the most to find any way possible to give tk credit for those two albums that they don’t deserve. And all because those two didn’t live up to their own pretentiousness.

This isn’t news cause I’ve shared this same sentiment before but I never believed that jk deserved the high pedestal people put him on. He doesn’t do anything significantly better than anyone else in the group but because of his looks he gets that extra boost. I’ll never lie and claim that he’s not talented but that’s about it. He’s given more room to not live up to expectations while still getting heralded as the group prodigy. And it’s like, okay? But how long will you wear that out before you actually do something worthwhile to live up to that title?

There’s plenty of things that have made me realize that outside of the group, some members just don’t appeal to me. So it’s not that they potentially see each other as competition that bothers me or makes me think that they’re liars but some decisions that have been made that has made me resentful to some degrees towards them. And I don’t think that’ll change tbh.

[mrs-monaghan]

Sis.. now you know I’m going to need your very elaborate thoughts on Jungkook concept photos 👀🫨🫢😳😱🤯🫠💃🏻🕳️⚰️

Look, if you need me to do something you can't be sending me gifs of Jimin raising his eyebrows at me. It's distracting as hell.

Okay so first things first: the word coincidence needs to be BANNED from Jikookers' mouths. Like completely deleted. Obliterated 1300% It needs to not exist anymore. No seriously, how long are we gonna keep using the word 'coincidence' and Jikook in one sentence before we all collectively decide to agree they do this shit on purpose?

"You are me I am you" can only go so far. That's for them having the same moles in the same places, them being born in Busan. Things like that, that are out of their control. Not things like this!

We know, like even if you're an anti you know JK has studied FACE. @jigokuhana and I were just talking about this, JK has everything about FACE memorised. He is prolly a bigger fan than all of us combined. And don't forget he saw everything before we did. So he knows what he's doing. Knows that we will catch similarities btwn FACE and SEVEN. Armys have noticed many things that Jikook (n members) tried to hide from us and I know over the years they have to have seen us noticing some of these things. So how will we fail to notice something that's right infront of our faces? And he knows this. Of course he knew we would notice.

So first we've all seen these floating about

Those alone are already like, crazy 😏 But then let's talk about the thorns/spikes/shards.

I mean, what are the chances??? 😳

When u support Jikook, u discover that they are actually really sappy/corny motherfuckers so you inevitably start to get corny yourself sometimes too. This is what my friends (one of them being @lovelysmyleyes) had to say about this. I'll just copy paste them, coz I absolutely agree.

The spikes being directly on Jimin's body feel like it was a more direct hit. JK wearing the spikes on the jacket is more of a defensive maybe? Like a by-product. Almost like He was acting as a shield.

The 'shots' weren't directed at him so even if they hit him they would not have pierced the skin. Whereas it was directed at JM and meant to go deep.

It is understandable, The first thing you want to do is protect your partner the best you can.

Or it can represent keeping others away from them. Roses have thorns on them to keep people/living life forms away, after all.

They got kinda deep y'all. Which brings me to the part that blew my mind;

Mud from LC

Mud on JK's trouser;

The pants. I think he is hinting that he helped pull Jimin out of the mud...or at least he was down in the mud with him when he was at his lowest. He was there supporting. Someone catch me cuz I am once again falling into that delulu train headfirst 😭😭😭

He he hee... thats so fucking deep y'all. But seeing as there's no other explanation for why JK would have "dirty" trousers (yet) i'mma go with this assumption for now. #feels 🥺🥺🥺

Like, its not even that far fetched though. When Jimin was going through what he went through JK saw it all first hand. Isn't that why we assumed he kept skipping LC in the beginning? Coz it reminded him of that time and it prolly wasn't pretty. He didn't like to remember Jimin in that bad place.

I for one believe JK was there for Jimin every step of the way. Jimin said members were there for him, I'm sure his family was too and most importantly, so was JK.

Thats why he wrote letter. He said it was his turn to be grateful. His turn to give back.

I know it's obvious

So that it's not taken lightly

Let me tell you this properly

Baby, don't leave, just stay with me, yeah

To you who saw me greater than my little self

So that I can only deliver as much as I received

I can't y'all... help 😭😭😭

.

.

.

Okay but this tweet tickled me 🤭🤭

I know some Jikookers work very hard in trying not to be delulu (not me. I jump in head first, always. Ha haa) and I applaud that. I do. But these are way, way too many similarities. Even the most clear headed Jikooker has got to find this sus.

[dollypopup]

Marina, Polin, and the False Narrative of Good Intentions

or: Fanon has Failed You

we're taking a real deep dive, babes.

bring a snorkel

Episode 1:

We are introduced to Bridgerton, Lady Whistledown first. She has the very first lines, talking about the new debutantes coming before the queen. Penelope expresses immense nervousness about this, even after Prudence faints and she writes of the blunder in her sheet, likely grateful she doesn't have to spend too much time on herself when she can highlight Prudence's fainting. In the very first mention of Marina, it's a conversation between Portia and Lady Cowper, about how Portia is taking Marina, a 'distant cousin of my husband's' in as an act of 'charity'. LC replies that she has always been quite charitable, which Portia exclaims is what Lady Whistledown should have written about, instead of 'erroneously writing that she shall only have three ladies under her care.'

That's when Penelope comes to Portia with a plea, using Marina's upcoming arrival as an excuse for her to defer.

"Unless you should like to have only 3 young ladies under your care, I should gladly sit this season out." "Penelope is nervous" "I am not nervous, Mama-" "What she is is two stone heavier than she aught to be." Phillipa: "Mmm, those blemishes on her face are quite difficult to conceal. Perhaps some lead and arsenic would help" "Should you allow me to defer but a year, just as Lady Bridgerton has done for Eloise, I may remain dedicated to my studies"

she is denied. Portia dismisses Marina to Lady Cowper, talking about how she couldn't be competition with her daughters. Marina walks in and Penelope, as though in relief, says "Oh, she's beautiful."

Because Penelope, as of this moment, only sees Marina as a tool with which to get what she wants: invisibility. We know that's what she wants based on her and Eloise's conversation in the daffodils, in which she tells her

Penelope: "No one truly notices me. I suppose that is what I like. When you are invisible, you can have all the amusement you want without any of the expectations popularity brings. It. . .frees you.” Eloise: “Do you think that is why Whistledown remains anonymous?” Penelope: “Perhaps.”

Lady Whistledown and Marina, in this moment in time, have the exact same purpose: they serve as shields. Shields that keep Penelope from being seen, from being noticed, and hopefully to give her more time. Penelope is grateful for this, LW starts taking shots at the Queen by taking shots at Daphne, saying she was falling from the grace of being named the diamond. Instead, she thrusts Marina to the forefront of the ton, declares her the true diamond, and sits relatively gratefully through Marina's flurry of attention.

Until it comes to Colin. The scene in the Featherington drawing room in which Colin comes to Penelope after calling on Marina and says it's a 'most dreadful sonnet indeed', to which she quips her famous 'Lord Byron he is not', thus making Colin laugh before he bids her good day, and she looks at him on his way out. This has often been discussed as a scene in which Penelope is starstruck that she made him laugh, but I propose something else.

This?

This is a look of concern and sadness.

What Lady Cowper had said had been foreshadowing, now Marina is literal competition for the center of Penelope's affections.

Which, let's give him some POV here

Let's talk Colin

Even in episode one, Penelope at the ball was watching Colin, a look which is mirrored later on by how Colin looks at Marina for the first time, asking who she is. He quickly joins the dance floor right next to her, clearly curious. Curiosity is a huge part of Colin's character that often gets overlooked, in fact. His wanting to travel is rooted in it. His room is FULL of Greek mythology, the first place he visits is Greece. Colin is drawn to Marina's newness, and also how pretty she is. He likes her pretty naturally. And she also clearly likes him. Even after the other suitors slough off, Colin stays.

Marina isn't pretending, here. Look at her. She finds him funny, he's turned toward her. We find out later that she's been there for about a month, at this point. As far as Marina knows, she was sent there against her will, because she doesn't WANT to be with Portia and her snooty high society attitude. Even still, Colin acts as reprieve. He comes to visit her and cheers her, she likes a lot about him, in fact, as we learn later, but let's go back to episode 1, the now.

And then we see Marina accept (and mourn) the fact that she's pregnant.

This is why she didn't come to the Vauxhall Ball, claiming illness, and Varley brings Portia the clean sheets. Portia goes to confront Marina, she'd been there for over a month and hadn't bled, accuses her of 'revolting recklessness', says she'll keep it under wraps only so her own daughters won't suffer, and when Marina informs that she doesn't want any of this, in particular her hoity superiority, Portia slaps her.

Slaps her.

As horrible as Portia and the Featheringtons are to Penelope, they have never once laid a hand on her.

Marina is made Other from the first moment she walks on screen. She is unwelcome in the Featherinton house. Even Penelope really only cares about her insofaras she's useful. In fact, episode 1 is Penelope's first taste of what her debut would be like without Marina, and in it, Colin comes to her rescue when Cressida is being mean. Penelope didn't dance at the first ball Marina was at, but she *does* when Marina's gone.

For Marina, this is a horrible night. For Penelope, it's fantastic. Simon and Daphne even became a thing, and Penelope is seen observing them. Not only did she get to dance with Colin, but she also got her gossip. This proves she doesn't necessarily need or can utilize Marina as a shield.

From Episode 1, we see the start of the divide, even before anything else, the show pits them against one another.

Which takes us to Episode 2

We open with Penelope remarking that it is 'disturbing' and Phillipa and Prudence telling on her to Portia by informing that she has questions about Marina's condition. And then

"How did it happen, Mama? Is there to be a baby?"

"Why is Miss Thompson to be kept away?" "Because her condition is catching!" [to which Penelope responds with silent astonishment]

We then have her with Eloise, walking arm in arm as Eloise complains about Daphne and Simon, talking about how being pretty and having nice hair isn't an accomplishment, and that going to university is, essentially: a lament of societal misogyny. Penelope is not only clearly disengaged with her, but even exasperated. Eloise remarks that Penelope did not listen to a word she says, which is true, and Penelope ignores that, too, except to grab her by the elbow, and tell her that she knows someone with child, and that they're not married.

This conversation is comedic, yes, but it's also interesting considering we know Colin and Marina are involved, and that Penelope's curiosity for how Marina came to be with child (outside of the obvious practical reasons for wanting to know for her own sake) doesn't stem from friendship with Marina, but rather desire and curiosity for how it affects Colin.

"She is not married" "How did she become with child if she's not married?" "I do not know. But I will find out." "You must! Otherwise, how can we make sure it never happens to us? We have accomplishments to acquire."

Penelope, even here, knows that they don't want the same accomplishments. There's a rift forming here, too. Penelope is a year ahead of Eloise, already out in society, and she's writing Lady Whistledown. As far as she's concerned, her accomplishments are to get married. Her opinion of being out in society has changed: she still wants to be invisible, but not to stay with Eloise, but instead to continue Lady Whistledown, and perhaps get married. She says so later in the series, in which she tells Eloise that people have mature problems, problems more important than some silly writer, problems like getting married.

But to who?

Three guesses.

Colin's next scene is when Eloise asks how babies are made, to which he gives his classic 'Have you ever visited a farm?' response, and cheekily teases that he and Benedict are off to take their sticks out, 'for a round of fencing!' and once again, though comedic, it's also meant to serve a second function: he becomes a suspect. That's a very dramatic way to put it, I know, but as of now, it's not revealed who the other half of Marina's bun in the oven is, and it very well *could* be Colin.

A fact Penelope likely suspects. So, she MUST know how babies are made, because she agrees with Eloise on this: she does have accomplishments to acquire. I propose to us that instead of the 'Penelope was so selfless! She would have let Colin marry Marina so long as Marina wasn't lying to him and trying to trap him' narrative, something a bit more complicated is afoot

Penelope wants Colin. She knows she can't get involved in his current romance with Marina, but she wants him all the same. The dance they shared solidifies that for her. They're friends, she's been in love with him since she met him, and now she's *able* to get married. And she wants it to be to him.

And all her actions from there are stained with that information, including the final reveal.

It's in the middle of Episode 2, well over a month that Marina's been in Mayfair, that we have our first scene of Penelope and Marina together. We open with Marina reading letters, tearstained in her hands.

She hides them immediately under the blankets and Penelope comes in saying she found some sweets and that Marina might be able to eat them when everyone else was off at the Ball. Marina, gratefully, invites her into the room so that they may share, to which Penelope is clearly pleased.

"I hear they have decided not to send you home to your papa." "I dare say he is relieved. I can only imagine how he will react to- "Your condition? Marina, may I ask- how did it happen?"

Penelope didn't come to Marina out of the goodness of her heart at all. She came to get information. Because curiosity is also an inherit part of Penelope's character, just as it is for Colin. Penelope's reasons for wanting to know are three fold: for the sake of knowing (it's good information to have, knowing how babies are made), for Whistledown if it's a good story, and for Colin.

Marina goes on a beautiful story about George, and we, at the same time as Penelope, realize Marina is still in love with her soldier boy, who she believes is in Spain, and in a moment of immense trust, passes the letters to Penelope for her to read.

But Penelope is only relieved. It settles two of the three, clears Colin from being the father and provides her good information for Whistledown, which she doesn't get publish, likely realizing that all the secrecy means it's a big deal, but she still doesn't know how one comes to be with child.

She laments this with Eloise immediately after. Snarks that Marina said it was 'Love' and Elosie informing that made no sense, to which Penelope agrees, saying her mama had 3 children and love had nothing to do with it. Eloise then asks, in a moment of empathy no one else has granted Marina,

"Well, what else did she say? Was she not frightened?" "More. . .sad, than frightened. But there may be a chance for her to have a happy ending yet, I suppose. She wants to escape to the country where she and her love may marry."

At this, Penelope is happy. She's glad that Marina will be out of the way and also that Marina will get to be with someone else. She isn't cruel, she wishes Marina well.

She just doesn't wish Marina well with Colin.

Episode 3 has Penelope running mail errands for Marina since Marina's in confinement. With no letter in hand, she delivers her the bad news, to which Marina clearly is despondent, wondering when a letter from Spain would arrive. Penelope soothes her by informing that he's on the front lines and it's difficult for letters. "If your love is as great as your previous letters state, surely he will write back to you soon. Or perhaps even better, he is already on his way back to you here, to come and take you home."

Penelope takes on her mother after she's caught with Marina and scolded, saying that Marina's been there for ages, and it isn't fair. She leaves, and Portia insists that Marina find a husband. There is no choice for denial, here, Portia makes that clear, and Penelope takes the news unhappily from the door.

Looks like she isn't out of the woods, yet.

Because even underlying Penelope's compassion, there's a second motive. Penelope is just like Portia: she wants Marina gone, too. She just has a different, very contrasting way of accomplishing that goal, but she's making strides toward it.

She writes of Marina rejoining society, that she will be at the new exhibit. When Portia tries introducing Marina to an older man, she silently pleads for Penelope to help her and she tries to come to her rescue. In the end, Marina tells him off herself, and Penelope and Marina are united against Portia. As of now, there is nothing that really contests them. Even still, Marina acts as something of a shield for Penelope, something she is sure to notice. With Marina in the house, Penelope receives less of Portia's cruelty, and even when she's scolded, Marina gets worse of it.

As of now, Marina and Colin were a brief flirtation that took place at the beginning of her coming to Mayfair. She enjoyed his company, but she's also not suffering without it, clearly uninterested in rejoining society or getting a husband who isn't George. Being pregnant has given Marina a new dream: one in which a man she loves will return from war to help her raise their family. Even if she was open to a new love at the start of the season, she clearly doesn't care or wants to find a husband who isn't George. She tells Portia as much, that she will not bow down to Portia's schemes. She has a man who loves her, and she intends to marry him.

Portia is the instigator here, even though fandom has made Marina the villain. PORTIA insists Marina go out in society. PORTIA writes the fake letter. PORTIA is who twists Marina's arm, verbally and physically abuses her, and locks her up until she can foist her onto some decrepit man and be done with her. PORTIA is who speaks aloud Marina's doubts of George not loving her back because he hasn't sent a letter to her.

Even though Penelope and Portia's goals are the same, their methods are MILES apart. Penelope *does* have compassion for Marina, wants her to have her love story with George, and she tries to help her because she recognizes it as the path of least resistance. Portia meddles far too much, which is her downfall every time.

When a 'letter from Spain' arrives, Penelope brings it to Marina and nervously asks what it says. She's excited for the confirmation that George loves Marina back and that he'll come to take her away or marry her. When Marina falls heavily to the bed, crying, Penelope asks if he'd been wounded. Marina tells her that he pretends there was nothing between them, that he desires nothing to do with "our- my situation."

Look at the expression on Penelope's face, here.

As Marina sobs, wails, Penelope picks up the letters to read them for herself and Portia congratulates her and Varley for their efforts, justifying that Marina had to learn the truth of men, eventually.

And then we're halfway through the season

Marina starts this halfway point as a new woman. When she mourned the idea of George, she mourned a failed love story, and she also mourned herself. When she said 'My situation' she accepted that the only person who would truly help her out of this is herself. She's inspected by Lord Rutledge terribly, he asks to see her teeth as Portia gives an elevator pitch, essentially making it seem that Marina was defective but, look, she has some good parts, too! Marina informs that she's had suitors calling all week (so we return to the romance situation at the beginning with a wide net) and Portia informs they'll take too long, considering so much time has passed. That she needs someone who won't ask questions when a baby comes out 3 months early, even if they married her the next day.

Obviously, Marina's in a horrible situation. This is nightmare levels of awful. She's been abused in so many ways, treated terribly. I don't think anyone could blame her for being upset. Penelope asks her if she'd like her to stay in, but Marina refuses, and Penelope doesn't push it. [Sidenote, this is also when Albion Finch comes to call on Phillipa, and we see Portia 'rewarded' (in her mind) for her efforts in keeping Marina out. She tells Mr. Finch that Marina isn't taking visitors, but he informs he's here to see Phillipa, to which Portia expresses wonder. To her, where her entire motivation is getting her daughters married, having seen Marina as an obstacle in such, she is vindicated through this]

Penelope and Eloise have another conversation, in which Penelope listens to Eloise talking about the house being abuzz w/ Daphne's prospects, to which Penelope says 'well, she *has* to marry eventually' after Eloise says she wishes Daphne would stay on the shelf forever so that Eloise doesn't have to be next in line [Eloise seeing Daphne very similarly to how Penelope saw Marina, in that way]. Eloise laments that she wants to fly, then praises Lady Whistledown as a brilliant woman of business, praise Penelope soaks up.

Penelope guides Eloise away from her attempts to rope her into schemes unmasking LW (who we now know is Penelope herself) and Eloise says she can tell her Mama she's sick and that she's caught what Marina has. Penelope informs that Marina is recovering, and that "It would be cruel of me not to be by her side when she comes back out. I shall cheer you on your endeavors, however."

The question is: has Penelope truly formed a friendship with Marina, or does she have a second reason, once again, for being beside Marina and keeping an eye on her when she re-enters once more?

Well, it surely means nothing that the next scene is Penelope and Colin having yet another moment. Surely.

Marina, being dangled about and clearly unhappy on the floor. Penelope, looking out to the ballroom. Colin comes behind her, to her delight, and talks about the host being fussy. "Do you think if he goes to bed, we all have to leave?" he asks, making Penelope laugh and clearly glad that he did so. To Colin, he likely imagines this to be the end of the correspondence, but Penelope surprises him. Like the first time, she opens up to him, shows him her wit, and they have a moment of snark, looking at each other for a beat too long after he compliments her with 'What a barb!'

Who breaks the moment? Penelope does. She doesn't continue. She doesn't take the compliment and run with it, she doesn't prolong the conversation. She looks down, and Colin changes the subject, sensing she's perhaps uncomfortable, or at least done with the moment, and says he's been trying to get in front of Marina all night, and Penelope says all Marina's interested in is a swift rescue, which inspires Colin to go after her.

This is their first moment together since her confinement, we know since he asks how she is, and from jump he gives her an out from a man who treats her like a piece of meat, and he makes a joke right away to ease her. Colin here is exactly to Marina as Colin was to Penelope when Cressida threw her drink on her: he's the knight in shining armor, and he likes it that way. Charm dialed up to ten, he and Marina re-hit it off immediately, and she's grateful to him. Tells him to spin her off and maybe she'll recover.

And Colin does. He spins her over and over again, in circles around the entire dancefloor, and Marina smiles, and Marina grins, and Marina laughs, something we haven't seen her do since she's thrown in confinement.

Can we blame her for wanting Colin? For falling for him? Very often we talk about how he was her only option, but the truth is that Marina liked Colin from the start, and she likes him here, too. She just found out that a man she'd been in love with is forsaking her, wants nothing to do with her. She's been inspected and slapped and degraded. And Colin is kind. Colin is genuine and earnest and fun. Colin brings her to life, again. She gushes about him to Penelope as soon as they're home.

And Penelope hates it.

Her problems are not that Marina is trapping Colin. She doesn't care about the logistics of the ruse. She tells Marina anyone but Colin. It isn't that Marina's pregnant, and it isn't that Marina lies.

It's that it's Colin. Penelope wants Colin and Marina wants him, too.

And that brings them back to where they started. It didn't matter what empathy and compassion they'd cultivated: Penelope is not Marina's friend. Penelope had *never* been Marina's friend. She was her ally insofar as Marina was going to live a story that left Penelope free for her own happily ever after with Colin, and as cruel as it is, it gives Penelope DEPTH. She is not just an altruistic darling willing to watch a man she loves marry her cousin. She does literally EVERYTHING she can to keep it from happening. That's her motive. He's her motive. It's Penelope's love for Colin and her hopes that they can be together that leads her to expose Marina.

In this conversation, she tries anew. Her hopes on George now dashed, and the confinement period over, Penelope tries to sway Marina by making Colin seem like a bad match. She can't think of negative qualities to counter Marina's compliment-fest (kind, funny, excellent with children), but informs that Colin is too young to marry. That she needs someone to propose soon. And Marina says he's not like other young men, that he's eager, that he saved her, that she thinks he will propose soon.

What Penelope never says is that everything Marina thinks of Colin, Penelope already knows. She knows Colin is funny, and kind, and an accomplished dancer, and excellent with children, and that he saved her, too, at Vauxhall, and that Marina opened up to her so she'll open up the same but she doesn't: she never once tells Marina that she loves him.

Because Penelope is not Marina's friend. But Marina *is* Penelope's. She says she'll be able to stay in town, gleeful that since Penelope is close to Eloise, so they will remain friends, as sisters. Marina doesn't see the secondary motives in Penelope's actions, trying to steer her away from Colin, nor does she assume anything of Penelope. How could she? Penelope has been nothing but nice to her in a house of cruelty. Penelope doesn't deride her, Penelope doesn't hit her, and Penelope helped her with George.

But Penelope doesn't want her there, same as everyone else in Featherington House. And she doesn't necessarily want Marina to be happy. She wants Marina to be out of the picture. She'd prefer if that was with her happy, but she doesn't need Marina's wellbeing. Just her absence. Or, at the very least, she's going move bitch, get out the way.

She begins thinking of how that will happen immediately after Marina leaves. She paces her room until Eloise throws rocks at her window, and this is when we get their fight.

Eloise comes with a theory about Lady Whistledown , going on and on about what she believes, and Pen cuts her off.

"Eloise I do not care! People have real problems, mature problems, problems that have nothing to do with the secret identity of some silly writer." "And you are so mature now?" "Well I am of age, I am out in society, therefore I have more important, mature things to worry about." "Like what?" "Like marriage," "You should not care about marriage.: "What if I do? I cannot expect you to understand, not everyone can be a pretty Bridgerton!"

Eloise runs off and Penelope immediately regrets it, because her fury isn't at Eloise, but rather projecting her frustrations at Marina and Colin's blossoming relationship at Eloise. When Penelope says she cares about marriage, that is only a half truth. She cares about marriage to Colin. Very specifically to Colin.

Episode 5 sees more of the same. When Colin comes to visit Marina, Penelope is displeased. She looks on as Colin brings Marina flowers, and Marina finds them beautiful. This is not a woman who would humbly have allowed Colin to marry whoever would make him happy, a selfless woman who had nothing but the best intentions toward Colin and Marina's love story.

She doesn't care if Colin would be happy with Marina. She wants him to be happy with her.

And listen to me very clearly: I like her more for it. Yeah, I said it. Oh, it would be easy if Penelope was a sweet darling, an innocent doll who tragically falls on the sword, wanting nothing more than for her dear friend to live a beautiful love story with someone who would appreciate him. No. She believes, knows Colin would be happier with her (and, ultimately, she ends up being right in that regard) and she wants him to be with her, not with Marina. This is not an excuse for Penelope. She doesn't do good things. Her intentions are not noble. What she wants is self-serving and how she goes about it is underhanded and secretive and manipulative. And I. Like. Her. For. It. Enough of the narrative that Marina was a villain, an antagonist in Penelope's love story.

Penelope was the antagonist in Marina's.

But she is also the hero in her own. From the very beginning, the narrative made it a one or the other situation. Even when they were friends, they weren't really friends. But through it all, Marina had no idea.

Because Penelope never told her.

She spoke in circles, said Colin loved to travel, encouraged him to do so in front of Marina, said Marina didn't like tomatoes when Colin joked that he'd bring her some as a surprise to break up the monotony of bouquets. Both Colin and Marina are surprised that she's saying anything in this scene, Marina moreso than him, because she thinks Penelope is her friend and would encourage this. Penelope knows how much Marina likes Colin, and how important time is with her situation. Marina gives her the 'girl, what are you doing????' face when Penelope clearly encourages Colin to travel. Colin informs that some things in London he'd want to see more than the world, and looks at Marina. They share a moment and Penelope rushes off after her mother for Plan. . .is it D, at this point? Plan D.

Penelope recognizes Marina and Colin like each other, so she goes to her mum. asks if it's a smart decision. She feigns caring for Marina. That she is ONLY worried because Colin is young and he's years off from marriage (which she doesn't really believe, or she wouldn't be saying anything) and that Marina simply doesn't have that kind of time.

It does what she wants. Portia comes to Marina, doubling down on Lord Rutledge, saying she has until Saturday to accept his proposal. Marina refuses, clearly disliking him, and Portia admonishes her.

"Is this about Mr. Bridgerton?" "He likes me! He will propose to me, I'm sure of it." "That boy is barely out of leading strings, he has two older brothers and they're still running from the yoke. You are to cut Colin Bridgerton immediately, or I will lock you in this very room until Lord Rutledge makes you his wife."

Marina's smart, she makes a deal. She recognizes how a marriage to Colin could do a world of good for Portia's daughters, and she pleads for just a few days. Before Saturday. That he would propose. And it's only now, in this moment, that Marina makes a plan that has anything to do with Colin. Only after already liking him and envisioning a second chance romance with him, and having a good life with him.

It isn't that Colin's her only other choice. Marina had several unhappy choices. But Colin is the choice she *wants* to make. She has a time limit now, hence the deception, but it's rooted in her attraction to him. "You will seduce him." is what Portia says, but for Marina, it's not as dramatic as all that. She already likes Colin. and Colin already likes her. So maybe they speed it all along, but it's not made through falsification.

But for Penelope, who listens at the door, this is now the proof that it's becoming serious, and that this plan, too, won't work.

Plan E, it is. Chuck her off to anyone new. See what sticks. She points out multiple men at the next ball they're at as prospects. This is Marina's face when Penelope described him as pleasant.

and then that another has kind eyes. To which Marina replies, honestly, rather relatably. That she doesn't know them or care about any of them, and that she's looking for Colin.

Only now. In the middle of Episode 6, just about at the 11th hour, does Penelope ask Marina not to pick him. This is the first time. That she can do this to anyone else. She attempts Plan H: a plea for morality. That she doesn't want him to be tricked and deceived. That she's known him forever. That Marina shouldn't do this to a good man, but Marina asks if Penelope would rather she marry a bad man, then.

And the truth is, Penelope would. Penelope would rather that Marina marry a bad man than marry Colin, Penelope would rather Marina do anything rather than marry Colin. Because this entire situation is all born because Penelope loves him.

This is her way of fighting for him. It's not her way of being altruistic, it's not her way of wanting to help him, it's her way of ensuring her own happily ever after. And no, that's not a 'Penelope is such a darling angel baby' take, but it IS a human one.

And the worst of it is that Marina would have backed off of Colin if Penelope just said something earlier. Think about how their friendship was. Penelope could have informed Marina that she liked Colin when Marina was gushing about George. She could have opened up. Or when Marina was getting suitors again after her re-debut in society. Marina was rife with suitors. She liked Penelope. But Penelope never spoke up. There was an entire month and a half Penelope could have talked to Marina, and then another in her confinement.

But Marina only realizes Penelope doesn't actually support her after Penelope says not to do this to a good man. That Penelope isn't happy for her in the least. She assures Penelope that she'll be a good wife to him, that he'll be good to her in return, and that, really, it isn't Penelope's business. Which it isn't except for the fact that she makes it her business. Lord Rutledge gets engaged, and Colin becomes Marina's last way out. But, let's be real: he was was also the only one she wanted to entertain.

Oh, my sweet, darling baby boy. Earnest describes him to a T. He doesn't know he's the rope in Marina and Penelope's tug of war (hell, Marina doesn't even know someone else is pulling for him), and he gets denied a narrative in so much of this. When Marina says she's feeling faint and to find someplace more private, Colin doesn't even THINK she has alternative motives. He's concerned, takes her to a different room.

Watching this scene, you see how utterly endearing he is. He leaves the door open until she encourages him to close it, which he does post haste. He smiles at her and keeps a respectable distance. He's truly been raised to be a gentleman, and he clearly respects her. When she says they shouldn't be alone together, he finally realizes what she wants from him. When she takes a step toward him, it's subtle, but he leans back. Gets nervous. Steels his face, drops his expression. When she goes in for the kiss, he makes a few minute jerks forward, for a grand total of 2 and a half seconds, and then cuts it all off.

"You are a Lady. I must maintain your honor. And mine. No matter how. . .tempting, otherwise."

Marina, after hearing this, is stupefied. Tells him he's right. That she's a lady. She's unmarried. And he is. . .a gentleman.

And she knows Penelope is right. That he's good. She just didn't know how good Colin actually is. And in this moment, she accepts her lot. She walks away. Her last chance, her last option, and upon realizing that Colin is kind and earnest and a good, honorable person, she agrees with Penelope. She doesn't want to lie to him, to trick him, she's about to let him go. But Colin offers her to marry him, and she accepts.

Because wouldn't you? Wouldn't anybody?

Hell, her exact words are "I would be delighted to marry you." and she means it. Not as a last resort, but genuinely. We don't do Colin enough justice in this romance.

He goes on about how their long engagement is romantic, that she deserves a grand celebration, and you can tell she enjoys that, but also that she knows she'll never have it. This is where she realizes how different they are, that he's a dreamer and she's a pragmatist. And that she'll have to change his mind but can't ask for it outright.

Marina has affection for Colin. Even in season 2 we can see that, when she rightfully tells him they're in the past and that he should focus on those in his life who already make him happy. How could she not have affection for him when he's genuinely so fucking good?

And speaking of, the way he defends her to Anthony still remains one of the hottest scenes Colin takes part in. When he says he's marrying Marina for love, and not because he compromised her, he means that. When he calls Anthony an ass for insisting he go to brothels and that his interest in Marina is just lust, he's genuinely offended. Anthony says that Violet is distraught and that he won't give Colin his blessing,

"Sorry to disappoint you." "You have. In so many ways."

Colin goes to see his mum immediately after. He takes her hand and, without saying it, he all but screams 'why don't you see me?' Reminds he was courting Marina all season after Violet says she was glad she knew before Whistledown. That she was too wrapped up in Daphne to notice.

Colin wants to be seen, to be taken seriously, and it really is, as of that moment, that the only people who do so outwardly are Marina and Pen. The difference between them isn't down to looks or attitude or anything like that at all: Marina pursues Colin, she makes it clear she's interested, and Penelope doesn't. It's her greatest character flaw and the crux of her story, that she never says what she wants, that she doesn't speak up for herself. Eloise even points it out about her (and you know in friend fights they cut deep). only when she learns to speak aloud what she wants does she get her love story and happiness in society.

Penelope is near in tears when Colin announces his engagement to Marina. But the thing about Penelope is that she's persistent.

As she walks in to Marina, Prudence, and Phillipa talking about how all their fortunes are about to change with the new engagement, Penelope snarks 'Especially Colin's' to which Marina replies by complimenting her, saying she looks lovely. Penelope replies not to mock her, and Marina says

"Do not mock me." "It pains me you should think every compliment a mockery." "Do not pity me either." "I do not pity you, Penelope. I respect you. You have been a true friend since I arrived here, and I rely on your continued friendship and sympathy." "My continued silence, you mean? You think so little of me I cannot bear it. I never would have made my way through this awful tangle without your kindness. Please, do not tell me you regret it." "I would never bring scandal to you or our family if that is what you ask. But I cannot condone your actions." "I want you as my friend, Pen. Can you not try to understand and be a little pleased for me?"

Marina leaves for her modiste appointment and Phillipa talks about how they'd make beautiful babies together, to which Prudence laughs and reminds that he's not the father. Penelope snaps at them, saying Marina makes a fool of Colin already, but

but

does she not do the same to him when she outs the information later on? I like Penelope, and I ship Polin. In fact, I ship Polin exclusively, in the sense that I don't actually ship Colin or Penelope with anyone else, but this entire season is proof of Penelope's fuck ups with Marina and with Colin, both, and her justification for her actions, a thing Portia also does. She goes deeper and deeper into her disregard for Marina. Marina wants Penelope as a friend but Penelope doesn't care about Marina to that extent, even from the beginning. As Portia and Marina become more entwined in their joined ruse, Penelope sets her hopes on Violet noticing that Marina is pregnant, but Violet does her best to welcome Marina to the family, wanting to do right by Colin.

So, there goes plan G. Dire straits, then. Penelope finally has a moment alone with Colin. I've talked about the scene in which she tries to 'tell him' in a different meta, and this is already so impossibly long, but long story is that Penelope still doesn't say what she really means here. There's a narrative that Colin doesn't listen to her, but all season he listens to her. And all season, she never says what she actually wants to. When she tells him that Marina loves someone else, Colin assures he would be a hypocrite if it mattered to him that she had a romance before him. (good for you, bb boi) She doesn't tell him Marina's pregnant, which she writes in LW later on, but skirts around the subject until those precious few moments are gone.

And she lies. She says Marina loves George, still, but Marina has accepted that George wants nothing to do with her. Whether she loves him or not is outside of Penelope's knowledge. She just wants to throw whatever she can at the wall and see if it sticks, see if it breaks the engagement, and still have Colin look at her with fond eyes after the fact.

When Marina discovers them in the hallway, it's hard not to sympathize with her. She's soft when she tells Penelope Portia is looking for her, and she looks so tired. Colin apologizes for Anthony being so rude at dinner, and Marina confides in him. That her own father doesn't want her. That the Featheringtons cannot wait to be rid of her. That she thought she'd find acceptance with his family, but that was a foolish thought.

And she's right. Marina is, for all intents and purposes, fully alone. She has no one in her corner save herself. And save for Colin.

"Even your mother is just being polite." "I shall be your family, now. We shall make our own family, you and me."

And Marina wants that. So deeply, she wants that. With Colin, there's acceptance. She isn't trying to manipulate him, here, she's just hurt. Penelope has her own reasons, she loves Colin, he's a dear friend, and she doesn't want to see him hurt, and she wants him to be with her, but Marina's reasons are also poignant. Colin is the only person who made her welcome in the ton and continues to do so. Once Penelope turns her back on Marina, she just has him. And in his desire to do right by her, offers to elope.

When she says "I love you" to Colin, she's not lying. She's not trying to trick him, as is so often discussed. Is it an everlasting love? No. Is it a nonproblematic love? No. But she certainly loves what he's done for her, how he makes her feel, and she has admiration for who he is as a person. That's love, too.

This is the face of a relieved woman. Not a woman who just lied and schemed reveling in her success. This is a woman looking up to heaven, thanking God for this second chance. Just LOOK at her

We come back to Penelope, then, the day after, who feigns being sick and then runs to ransack Marina's room, looking for George's letters. (so to all the people mad at Eloise for rummaging through Penelope's room, well. . .I hope that same 'it's an invasion of privacy!' applies here, as well) Instead, she finds her duffel packed and knows they're going to elope. She searches more for George's letters and finds them, realizing one is forged.

So, Penelope waits for Marina, in her room, with the falsified letters (Plan I?), to inform her that the letter that broke Marina's heart was a forgery. She has proof that her mama faked the signature. Marina informs that it doesn't matter. George never replied to her letters.

"He has abandoned me. While Colin has embraced me." "I thought you loved him. George." "I was a fool. This changes nothing."

To which Penelope is aghast, watching Marina burn the letters, and when she asks what she'll do when Colin discovers, Marina is truthful. That she will live safe in the knowledge that Colin is a good and kind man, as he has proven to be, and that he'll take care of her and her baby. Which brings us to:

"What of him? What of Colin?"

And do I think some part of this truly is Penelope caring about Colin and his ultimate happiness? Yes. She does want what's best for him, and she does care deeply for him, but the truth of the matter is that in this, she's not doing it for him. Penelope is doing it for her. And that makes it more interesting. At every turn, every single one, Colin shows that he's infatuated w/ Marina. That he loves her, even. Nothing about his actions signify any different. And maybe it's not true love, and maybe it's a bid for him to feel useful, to feel listened to, to be taken seriously, but it's still how he feels.

The only person suffering, here, is Penelope. And Marina recognizes it for what it is. When she tells Penelope that her love is an unrequited fantasy, she has no reason to think otherwise. Penelope never opened up to her, all her criticisms are now revealed as her wanting Colin from jump, and Penelope all but said aloud she and Marina aren't friends. Marina told her to get out of her relationship, and none of us can pretend that we wouldn't do the same. Penelope is acting as though Marina is a scourge on Colin, but all Colin has done is make Marina feel cared for and wanted. We don't give him enough credit, I swear, because the reality is that how Colin is with Marina is a glimpse into how he loves. If he can forgive Marina lying to him for a good reason, he can forgive Penelope lying to him for a good reason. Marina was never Colin's endgame. Not once. It was always going to be Penelope.

And it's to show that Colin is a good man who fights for his partner, who listens, who has empathy, who wants to bring cheer, who jokes, who is wide-hearted and romantic, who puts his feelings in his hands and reaches out palms first. Give him his flowers. He was a real one with Marina. Through and through and he's gonna be a real one with Penelope. A real one to the max. This is Colin's baseline and it'll only dial up with Pen when we reunite in Season 3 but for now-

Marina says she'll be the executioner of Penelope's childish fantasy of loving Colin, but it's Penelope who's the executioner. Because even though she comes running to Eloise, even though she sobs and cries and did so much to ensure what she didn't want to happen wouldn't happen, in the end, ultimately, Penelope chooses herself. She doesn't choose Colin, she doesn't choose Marina.

Penelope chooses Penelope.

And she exposes Marina's secret. And she breaks up the engagement. By force. "Perhaps she thought she had no other option. Or perhaps she knows no shame." which is what Penelope wrote of Marina, also applies to herself in this case. When she sobs with Eloise, she's hurt by what Marina says to her, yes, but she's not weeping to mourn Colin and her one day maybe love story with him. Because she doesn't believe Marina, she doesn't think it's an unrequited fantasy. Why else expose Marina?

No, she's mourning herself. Mourning the person she one thought herself to be, and how that isn't the person that she is, that she would and can use Whistledown to get what she wants, that she has power, and how she would throw her own family and even herself under the bus for just the HOPE of her love story, and that all her intentions of fairness fly out the window because Penelope is human, and she was jealous, and she was mad.

And she continues to be. Further salt in the wound in Episode 7

"Miss Marina Thompson's recent fall from grace continues to echo through every drawing room in town days after it was revealed her engagement to Colin Bridgerton was nothing more than a sham. Of course, a Lady's disgrace does not merely tarnish her own name, like the tars on the Thames, it also leaves a smear on everyone nearby. While there is no parasol in the world strong enough to shelter a ruined woman, the fallen Miss Thompson can only hope she shall find a refuge somewhere."

Y'all

This is mean. This is twisting the knife. Portia knows it's game over. Marina is even refused from a charity room without a considerable donation. She's out of options. And it narrows and narrows around her.

And for Colin, denial isn't just a river in Egypt. He claims Lady Whistledown to publish lies and says Marina must be in agony, that he doesn't understand why he can't just visit her. Anthony informs that BECAUSE of Lady Whistledown, Colin is absolved from being the father, but if he comes near her, they will presume and he'll ruin the rest of the family for it. Even still, Colin goes to refuse, but Daphne interrupts. No one listens to him in this scene, and he's left to listen to how his family will fix what they perceive as his fuck up. He says he's sooo happy it's been settled, and storms off.

Once again, no one takes Colin seriously. He's right to point it out. Not even Penelope, as she took his decision from him just as everyone else did. In a way, Colin is also alone. I think that's what really tugged his heartstrings when Marina lamented no one wanting her around.

Colin's a hopeless romantic. In a way, he fabricated his own love story around what he wanted to hear and know. He says Leander swam each night in total darkness to see his love, and Daphne, now jaded, tells him Leander also drowned. She'll arrange a rendezvous, but she doesn't believe it'll be a love story, not really, not anymore. And Colin even though Colin seemed to be hopeful that it was a lie, when Daphne says that Marina's a stranger and that Whistledown knew Marina better than Colin did, Colin clarifies that Whistledown knew Marina's secrets.

Maybe he already knows it's true, believes it to be, but he doesn't want to see it.

"You must tell me that this Whistledown woman is mistaken, what she wrote, it cannot be true." "But it is." "You are. . .with child? I do not understand. We were to be wed. You- you said you loved me." "Colin, I hold you in the greatest esteem." "Esteem? You are a cruel woman indeed to stand here and talk of friendly affection as if you have not just committed a grave sin against me." "Speak not of sin, Mr. Bridgerton. I did not come here to be shamed by you, nor anyone else. I did not know better. You may think me a villain but I did what I thought I must. No one ever truly helped me or guided me in a different direction. I had no choice. I needed to wed. And you- you were the only man who offered me even a glimpse of happiness." "So I should feel flattered, then? Consider myself lucky that you chose me, lied to me, tried to trick me into a fraud of a marriage? I shall take my leave of you for the last time, Miss Thompson. . .You wish to know the cruelest part of your deception? If you had simply come to me and told me of your situation, I would have married you without a second thought. That is how in love I believed myself to be. But I see now that was all a lie."

This is such a fascinating conversation. It reveals more of Colin than a lot of other scenes he has does. For Colin, it's not Marina being pregnant or having come to the Ton already with child that bothers him, it's that she lied to him. He calls it a fraud of a marriage, says that she told him she loved him, and that he doesn't believe it now. One lie toppled the entire house of cards for him.

Which makes it all the more paramount that Penelope tells Colin that she's Whistledown. He shouldn't have to find out on his own, and in fact, finding out on his own would cause an IMMENSE rift between them. It would shatter his trust in her worse than learning about Marina lying to him. If Penelope instead, however, comes clean, comes to him with honesty, Colin would see that in of itself as an act of love and trust. For Colin, love is being honest. Love is being earnest. Love is being upfront. And even though Marina had every reason not to do so, to hide, to reveal to him after the fact, having lied to him is what really breaks his heart.

This is an opportunity for Bton to get some payoff in a reflection of a scene like this with Colin and Penelope. Because what so many of us Polin fans don't want to face is the fact that Penelope is ALSO keeping a life ruining secret from him. And what Marina says? Can we not also hear that in Penelope's voice? If the question is how they overcome it, the first part of that answer is by Penelope taking accountability. Coming clean.

And even though Marina has more that happens to her, this is the end of her and Colin's love story. From here, they don't really intersect. Marina does say to Daphne that Colin is a sweet boy, and for what it is worth, she is sorry, but they have very little beyond this. Until Season 2 when he visits her [we'll unpack that can of worms at a different time] Eloise comes to Penelope and asks how she's faring, Penelope says their mum swears they're ruined. But Penelope then asks about Colin, if he's in pieces, and Eloise assures that Colin will be fine as most men are, but that Whistledown has gone too far with the slander the sheet did to her family. The Featheringtons are asked to leave the luncheon, and Penelope walks off with them, realizing the true impact of Whistledown and what she's done for the first time.

One of which is Marina's brush with death. Disgraced, abandoned, and rejected, Marina drinks what she hopes is an abortive tea, and Penelope finds her on the floor after she comes to talk to her, perhaps to come clean, perhaps to make amends. Now that Colin is no longer a point of contention between them, Penelope can open her heart once more, and likely feels immensely guilty. In our final episode, Penelope is clearly feeling the weight of her actions, even when Marina apologizes to her after drinking the tea and recovering, is glad she can finally go home, and says Penelope was right. That Colin is a good man with a good heart. That Penelope was good to him, and one day, Colin will see it. It's the end of the season, now. Marina is more than ready to move on.

Enter Phillip Crane. The entire Phillip situation is tragic, how he has to tell Marina that George is dead, and how Marina has his letter as proof that George loved her, and that she thought him a villain. (Marina has a moment that I think will be reflected by Penelope in Season 3: 'I was wrong.' )

The next scene Penelope and Colin share is when he's singing for his family, his voice catching when he looks at her. Likely in gratitude or appreciation, but also this is another moment in which he looks at Penelope differently, their relationship subtly shifting. He realizes she was trying to tell him. He admires how good she is. He's touched by how she cares about him, how she tried to keep him from heartache. And she did. She really, really did.

She just also tried to keep herself from it, too.

But she couldn't. Because at the end of all of this, all these twists, these turns, and all the choices she makes 'for Colin'- he has to choose himself, too. And he chooses to leave, to escape, to heal, and to embrace his passions in travel. and this hurts Penelope, too, because it wasn't that she was trying to keep him from heartache, but rather to keep him for herself. Because she was trying to tell him she loved him.

Immediately following the end of his engagement that she orchestrated, she wanted to confess. In a way, Penelope underestimated Colin, didn't see him all season, the depth of his feelings or his gentle heart. Though she tried to keep him from heartache, heartache found him regardless. She denies his request for a dance, swallows her confession, and leaves. It hurts her that he doesn't want her, but she doesn't think of his perspective in it. To Penelope, Colin is not yet a person, but an idea. This is the first fragment in that image. Which is good. It has to shatter eventually, and it does so at the end of Season 2.

Daphne, the same woman Penelope tried to pit against Marina in the diamond wars at the start of the season becomes the only real ally Marina has. Her only true friend. And the reason Phillip comes and offers Marina marriage, thus keeping her from destitution. Penelope wasn't going to, even though she was sorry at the end. She cries after Marina walks past her without so much as a glance when she walks her way, stone faced, into a carriage with a complete stranger, her dead love's brother, to live the rest of her days in a completely new place.

And Penelope? Penelope engrosses herself into Lady Whistledown, and she continues correspondence with Colin from afar, as she is more comfortable doing, and she dreams of a someday, and she feels invincible, because at the end of the day, even though what she did was objectively not good, she got away with it. She leaves us with a smirk at the end of Season 1.

Which makes her even more bold in Season 2. Which will lead us up to her having to face actual consequences for her actions in S3, because in this entire season, not once does Penelope apologize, and in fact, the two people whom she causes the most harm to, both end up apologizing to her, completely unaware that the entire time, she'd been plotting to break them up from the very beginning

I don't think Penelope is evil, but Marina certainly isn't, either. To assume that Penelope felt betrayed by Marina, to pin the blame onto her, is to twist the narrative, and it has festered so long and so deeply into Polin, that we've seemingly completely forgotten.

Like it or not, the story with Marina serves important roles: it reveals the extent and sacrifices Penelope will go to and make for Colin, for herself, for her own happy ending, and for romance, it shows what a hopeless romantic Colin is, and how dearly he cares for others, how deeply he feels, and how desperately he wants to be heard. And, more than anything, it's the story of a woman who was thrust into circumstances that were bigger than her, that left her scrambling for answers, that revealed everyone else's cruelty in their interactions with her.

And that revealed ours, as well.

sometimes fanon festers for so long that it becomes what we swear is real, even if it isn't. it becomes a rot, in fact, manifesting in so many bad takes, particularly about Marina, in the Polin tag. we've all seen them. Penelope exposed Marina because she did it for Colin. Marina didn't care for Colin and only wanted to trap him. Colin was blind to what was in front of him all along. some of them are more cruel, people stating that Colin was an absolute idiot or that Marina was a heartless bitch.

It's enough of Marina being the Big Bad in Polin's love story. She isn't. Marina got dealt a horrible hand, and she navigated it with so much more grace than I ever could have. She endured physical abuse, verbal degradation, gaslighting, manipulation, derision, fake friends, and the death of her own love story to come out the other end a pragmatic woman with a kind heart, moving forward. Her experiences in Season 1 made her believe she had no Love Story to live. She loved, she lost, she tried again and it blew up in her face.

And she deserves our fucking sympathy

Her story is over in Bridgerton, but as Polin's love story continues, it's important to get a clean look at Penelope's intentions and how morally gray she truly is, which makes her all the more interesting and complex. It makes Polin's love story and their dynamics rich and nuanced and layered. Both Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington said "I'll do anything for love"

we get to see just far that stretches

[ladystoneboobs]

y’know, whatever the true parentage of aegon vi aka young griff, in a way he is more like rhaegar than jon snow is. by which i mean their attempts to force themselves into archetypal roles, rhaegar as the prophesied hero against supernatural dark forces and yg as the hidden-prince-in-exile come to save the country and restore peace and harmony by taking the throne.

rhaegar’s very existence is owed to a prophecy, when the ghost of high heart said the ptwp would come of aerys/rhaella’s line they were forced to get married by their father. his destiny was decided and agreed before he was born, as just a hypothetical male prince. bc ofc this promised prince must be a son born with a cock, right? no one ever looked for or expected a princess for this. and when he was born during the mysterious tragedy at summerhall, what could be more of a sign that the prophecy was fulfilled? no need to keep waiting for any more kids, anyone further down the line, this baby had such a dramatic entrance he has got to be the specialest boy of all. rhaegar likely knew all of this from a very young age. grandpa jaehaerys ii believed enough to force his kids to marry, so he wouldn’t want this important planning to go to waste by taking it to his grave, now, would he? was rhaegar reading all the time bc his favorite genre was old prophecy scrolls or was he always doing homework to become the hero he knew he already was? does it really matter when either way he never really had much choice in his role in life? one day he finally goes to train with the master-at-arms only bc he realized from his reading that he “must” be a warrior. he became as great at that as he was at anything else, according to ser barry, but he never enjoyed knighthood. 

to me that’s all a far cry from jon, who grew up idolizing daeron the young dragon and dreaming of glory and conquest. jon, who spent most of his waking hours training in the yard even when injured at the end of asos, just bc he didn’t know what else to do and it helped him blow off steam. jon, who had a nostalgic “hunger” in him when hearing the sound of swords in the yard as lc. the same guy who as of acok still couldn’t get why sam would consider old books and crumbling scolls to be treasure. jon, who has nothing but doubts once he does rise to power and herodom as lord commander and can’t conquer them. and most importantly, jon, the hero who chanced into his role as shield guarding the realms of men only bc ned won the fight at the toj after rhaegar died and took him to be raised in the north. if/when jon does return to life and take his place as a heroic head of the dragon, that role can only be his own choice, not one he was raised for his entire life, just as his membership in the night’s watch was ultimately his own choice based on his northern childhood. (jon’s conception may have also been prophecy-related, but beyond that, his path and rhaegar’s sharply diverged.)

know who was shaped for a royal destiny “since before he could walk”, though? that’s right, aegon in essos aka young griff. his destiny was already chosen for him by the schemes of illyrio/varys just as rhaegar’s was by grampy jae ii and other dragon prophecy nerds before him. he studied his scrolls and trained with the royal master-at-arms just as aegon studied in the routines of his entourages and was trained by knights of the golden company.

and, at some point, we know rhaegar realized he wasn’t the ptwp and decided it was his first son, aegon, instead. mostly bc a comet was seen the night of aegon’s conception. i remember seeing a post years ago saying rhaegar must have spotted the comet that night, run naked straight to elia, and declared they had to get babymaking asap bc the comet was a sign too significant to be ignored. a joke post, prob, but i feel like there’s prob a lot of truth to the idea of rhaegar desparetely forcing the signs to add up, concieving a child on that night after he’d already seen the comet rather than just happening to have sex with elia on the same night there just happened to be a comet sighting. i believe this bc why would it all just be lucky coincidence if aegon vi was not the ptwp? lbr now, whether he indeed got his head smashed in by the mountain or was switched out and sent to essos, rhaegar’s elder son was/is not the promised hero. (just like rhaegar himself could not be the pwtp, after all.) a previously-thought-dead-for-16-years newbie with shaky parentage credentials introduced this late in the game is not going to steal both jon’s and dany’s thunder like that, c’mon. so a comet appearing just for his conception feels about as likely as red rahloo actually killing 3 kings just for the sake of frickin’ stannis. it’s even possible that rhaegar later decided aegon might not be the ptwp either and put more stock in dragon head #3 bc of the whole ice and fire union aspect with lyanna. we just don’t have enough info about that part of the story to know for sure. but there’s no suggestion he was unhappy with elia beforehand or that either of them thought she could not bear more children until the maesters actually said so after aegon’s birth. and even if he was “right” about lyanna’s child being the most important one (ew), he was still counting on both aegon and rhaenys to be the other two heads of the dragon, and presumably planned to raise all 3 of them for their destiny together in kl as he had been. in which case his plans utterly failed, because that is just not at all what happened with any of those kids.

in that sense, death is what jon and his bio dad most have in common as they both walked fairly boldly and blindly into their doom. but the circumstances are still a bit different as jon was murdered in a mutiny rather than killed in battle, not to mention his likely resurrection as an actual hero of prophecy. despite being around 10 years older than either jon or aegon is presently, i’d say rhaegar was even more naively overconfident in his plans than jon was in his final moments. to go that quickly and without any known hesitation through each change of plans from simply being ptwp himself to becoming a warrior as well as a weirdo nerd to fathering 3 heads of the dragon to truly fulfill prophecy to organizing a political coup at harrenhal to honoring lyanna instead to eloping with her after aegon’s birth to make her wife #2 and mother of dragon head #3 to riding off to one definitve battle against cousin robert after hiding in his lovenest with lyanna for months, idk, that does not read to me as someone suffering the same questions and doubts jon did in the nw. rhaegar told jaime “when this battle’s done” not “if i return in victory” in their farewell. he had no back-up plans in case of his defeat, leaving elia with aerys and lyanna in the toj, no plans for how to protect either wife or any of his all-important prophesied progeny in the event of his loss, just as he had no immediate plans to deal with aerys yet. (compare that to idealistic young king robb stark, thought to be recklessly honorable and accused of thinking himself invincible in his youth, yet he still managed to make plans for his succession should he die childless in battle, and planned to put his wife and mother in strongholds held by trustworthy (sane) allies who could defend their positions for some time in his absence.) all that only makes sense to me if he always thought he’d still have time for all that later, never truly envisioning the possibility of house targ being overthrown so soon when all his hero kids were still babies. 

after all, whether he was the ptwp himself or only meant to raise the 3 promised dragon heads as heroes, surely their destiny was already written years before and he couldn’t go out in such a mundane way, right? i’d say aegon/yg shows the same kind of overconfidence in going along with all the gc’s changes in planning, from whatever varys/illyrio originally wanted with viserys iii alive to finding dany and marrying her after the birth of her dragons to leaving for an invasion of westeros first to conquer the stormlands himself before wedding dany as equals. he never imagined she could refuse him until tyrion told him so, and imo is still not grasping that his female relation could prove more important than him in westeros with her 3 dragons. rhaegar may have known he was doomed since his tragic birth among so much death and later knew he wasn’t the pwtp, but he likely still expected a higher doom, one as dramatic and magical as his birth at summerhall. he couldn’t imagine his chest being caved in by lyanna’s dumbass ex, his boorish cousin robert, just as aegon/yg can’t know what doom could be in store for him in westeros either. 

[another-goblin]

Dr. Ratio vs Simulated Universe

Short Version: if you have problems with Swarm Disaster V and you don't have il - use Ratio

Longer Version: I finished Swarm Disaster V some time ago, after many attempts, with Qingque on Propagation. Since then I've tried different paths with different teams, but it was too hard, no matter what I did.

And recently I thought, why not try it with Dr.Ratio, as a joke. So I used my then 70-something lvl Ratio with half upgraded relics and random LC, on Elation, with Luocha, Fu Xuan and Pela - and to my surprise they easily won. And then I thought, it was so easy, why not try other paths too, with the same team, you know, as a joke?

So they did all the other paths too, they only died twice (one time on Preservation, because it turns out that trying Preservation without a character who can make shields isn't the best idea, so I had to use Gepard). So yeah, if you have a half decent support team and don't have il - you can easily do Swarm Disaster V now.

And then I thought, again, as a joke - why not try Gold and Gears V Conundrum 12? It feels 10 times harder than Con 10, I tried several times, and I'd always die on 1st or 2nd boss (once we died on some random occurrence 2 turns before the final boss). I used Company Time and, granted, I was quite lucky with my curios that time, but it was so easy that I even got the achievement for final boss Argenti's summons dying before being able to do anything.

Speaking of Company Time, here are some fun numbers from previous runs. First is from my boy Caelus, who is chronically half-built, and the second is my biggest dmg yet, and I don't even know what made it, probably Quake

[buttercuparry]

To that specific person who in the tags went: we are failing at the challenge of not making Jon's arc about our ship...did you really quote what the night's watch said while they stabbed Jon to death. Your "For the Watch..." Pray tell oh dear reader why did they have to even yell "For the watch..."? Perhaps Jon did something not befitting the vows of NW? Paper shields and contracts were drawn of course to man the NW. After all as the LC it was on him to protect the realm from the looming threat. Rations and men and soothing ruffled feathers were needed to accomplish what he was elected to. But still pray tell what was it that broke the camel's back? Why did Jon suddenly want to march south? I mean yeah Ramsay Bolton challenged him but why be so ruffled by it? The cold wind is rising after all. Was there someone who represented the dilemma between desire and duty? Love and honour?

Also wait you quoted Wick right? What quote was it that flashed through his mind before the cold settled in? Long after Wick delivered his blow? For the watch? Or...

Stick them with the pointy end. When the third dagger took him between the shoulder blades, he gave a grunt and fell face-first into the snow. He never felt the fourth knife. Only the cold …

Oops my my whatever we shippers would do with our Jon's arc cancelling earphones on?

[wynterrolls]

【Honkai: Star Rail Build TLDR】 

❆ Gepard

For Shielder Build (Recommended!)

Optimal Relic and Ornament Sets > 4pc Knight of Purity Palace > 2pc Belobog of the Architects Get-his-Ult-Faster Relic and Ornament Sets (Estimated Total DEF = 2.5k - 3.2k+) > 4pc Knight of Purity Palace > 2pc Sprightly Vonwacq

Shielder and Buffer Relic and Ornament Sets (Estimated Total DEF = 2.5k - 3.2k+) > 4pc Knight of Purity Palace > 2pc Broken Keel

** Why Broken Keel on Gepard? Explained here.

Main Stats > Head = HP (constant) > Hand = ATK (constant) > Body = DEF% > Feet = SPD > Sphere = DEF% > Rope = Energy Regeneration Rate (ERR)

Sub Stats > DEF% or DEF > SPD > EHR > Effect RES

Things to Consider > Using +15 ERR Rope gives a constant 119.4% ERR%. To get his Ultimate up, there are two scenarios he could do. ⇢ Use 4 basic attacks to get his ult up (this considers the enemies didn't hit him) ⇢ Use 3 basic attacks and get hit 2 times within the whole rotation ** His shield only lasts for 3 turns. ** He only uses basic attacks cause using skills uses up skill points. Better have the other units use that instead. > If E0 (eidolon 0), don't build EHR (effect hit rate) on him. > If E1+ (eidolon 1 and above), it is optional to build him with 67% EHR for the freeze in his skill. > Optional: Build him with 50.1% EHR to get the Belobog set effect, if not using the Sprightly Vonwacq set. > Without 50.1% EHR: Estimated Total DEF = 2.7k - 3.4k+ > With 50.1% EHR: Estimated Total DEF = 2.8k to 3.6k+ > Optional: Build him with at least 30% effect RES to get the crit dmg buff of Broken Keel set.

Lightcones

* Lightcone list is from the HSR General Build. Link below in the post. (They did the calcs, so now we have the weapon rankings.)

Moment of Victory (5☆) [S1]

Texture of Memories (5☆) [S5]

Day One of My New Life (4☆) [S1]

This Is Me! (4☆) [S1]

Landau's Choice (4☆) [S1]

We are Wildfire (4☆) [S1]

Trend of the Universal Market (4☆) [S1]

Amber (3☆) [S5]

Long Explanation Below

— For Shielder Build —

I like how simple you'll need to build him and I like how someone already did the calcs for his builds, so I don't have to. It's much better that experts do the TC for the units than try-hard-in-calcs like me. Lmao. The general build guide recommend giving him the Guard of Wuthering Snow relic set. You could use that on him, but the shielding passive of the relic set is solely focused on the wearer, and not for whole team, which is a downside. But the %difference between the optimal set and this one is minimal, so use what you have.

— Total Defense Calculation — (Copy-pasted from my M7's build tldr and changed some stuffs a bit, lol)

Gepard's Max Base DEF = 654 DEF

+DEF% from traces = +12.5% DEF > from A3 = +5% DEF > from A6 = +7.5% DEF

+DEF% from Relic and Ornament Sets > 2pc effect Knight of Purity Palace = +12% > 2pc effect Belobog of the Architects = 15% > 2pc effect Belobog set (with EHR 50% and above) = 15%

+DEF% from Relic and Ornament Pieces > each 5* DEF Main stat Relic piece = +54% DEF > each 5* DEF Sub stat Relic piece ⇢ Max relic lvl is +15. Every 3 levels, the substats are either enhanced or added. ⇢ Substat roll for DEF could be any of these three: 16.935 / 19.051877 / 21.168754 (Average = 19.05 DEF) ⇢ Substat roll for DEF% could be any of these three: 4.32%/4.86%/5.4% (Average = 4.86% DEF) ** In the calculation, I'm going to consider the average substat as a reflection of RNG pain. This would mean that the value that would come out of the computation would be on lower side and irl DEF values more than the estimated values are more likely to happen.

Base DEF and +DEF% from Lightcones > Besides the 654 max DEF from Gepard, he could get additional base DEF from equipped lightcone. These base stats could vary from rarity, so to make my life easier, I'm just going to consider the current highest ranking LC for each rarity (not changing the calcs once newer LCs comes out in future tho) and not consider the DEF% passive of each lightcone cause I'm lazy and the LC passives are different from each other, which means not all LC gives additional DEF%. The LC ranking above was done by other people, so I'm pretty sure they already consider the LC passives in their calculations. ⇢ 5* lightcone = 595 DEF (from Moment of Victory) ⇢ 4* lightcone = 463 DEF (from Day One of My New Life) ⇢ 3* lightcone = 330 DEF (from Amber)

Calculating Estimated Total DEF for Each Build > For shielder build (optimal set) ⇢ Using 5* LC = (654 + 595) * (1 + 0.125 + 0.12 + 0.15 + 0.54*2 + 0.0486*6) + 19.05 = 3474.53 DEF ⇢ Using 4* LC = (654 + 463) * (2.7666) + 19.05 = 3109.34 DEF ⇢ Using 3* LC = (654 + 330) * (2.7666) + 19.05 = 2741.38 DEF > For shielder build (optimal set with 50.1% EHR) ⇢ Using 5* LC = (654 + 595) * (1 + 0.125 + 0.12 + 0.15 + 0.15 + 0.54*2 + 0.0486*6) + 19.05 = 3661.88 DEF ⇢ Using 4* LC = (654 + 463) * (2.9166) + 19.05 = 3276.89 DEF ⇢ Using 3* LC = (654 + 330) * (2.9166) + 19.05 = 2888.98 DEF > For shielder build (faster ult set) ⇢ Using 5* LC = (654 + 595) * (1 + 0.125 + 0.12+ 0.54*2 + 0.0486*6) + 19.05 = 3287.18 DEF ⇢ Using 4* LC = (654 + 463) * (2.6166) + 19.05 = 2941.79 DEF ⇢ Using 3* LC = (654 + 330) * (2.6166) + 19.05 = 2593.78 DEF

Sources

Gepard Basic Guide

Gepard Light Cone Shield Strength Comparison

Edisonsmathsclub's Energy Requirements Sheet

Guoba's EHR Guarantees

Belobog of the Architects

Knight of Purity Palace

Relic Stats

DEF Calculation

Gepard Artwork

Uploaded on Patch 1.1 Last Update: 07/20/2023

➥ Back to my HSR masterlist.

Update Log

07/20/2023 - Added the update log, artwork source, reformatted source list

07/27/2023 - Added the Broken Keel set

[kimberlyannharts]

I wonder if people wouldn’t have complained as much about the LC being so heavily MMPR if we actually got Multiverse stories and Retooled figures to reflect that, since Hasbro milks a figure for all it’s worth. Like if we had gotten a Ninja Zack story and explored that from Forever MMPR Black (you will always be famous). That’s literally a pre-existing body and civilian head mold. All it is is MAYBE a coin change. This is kind of random I was just looking at the comic page from Forever Black again and was just like “damn”

Yeah, I do think part of the problem isn't so much that a majority of the merchandise is MMPR; it's that it's JUST the six MMPR suits (seven if you count the White Ranger) with nothing new to them to justify buying basically the same figure again. (This is why I didn't get the Remastered Pink figure, for instance. If she had come with the Dragon Shield, I would have bought her immediately; or like how I plan on getting Blue Kim and Pink Zack. It's still MMPR, but at least it's DIFFERENT)

[jackoshadows]

Hi! I have an ask, I hope you don't mind. I really like your views on Jon. I was just wondering if you find him particularly selfless and who do you think is more selfless between him and Daenerys. For purposes of thinking whether/which one of them will sacrifice themselves in the fight against the Others. Thanks!

On the face of it, Daenerys is obviously more selfless. Her goal is the Iron Throne. Freeing those slaves in Essos and giving them a better life provides no advantages for her in Westeros. Only disadvantages - Young Griff gets to Westeros before her. She delays her campaign, against advice, and stays in Meereen because it's the right thing to do. Which is her ethos as a ruler - that a queen should do right by her people. Which is why she feels that claiming her birth right and the Iron Throne is doing right by the people of Westeros.

Meanwhile, Jon's desire to save the Freefolk is entangled with the need to defend the Wall and not provide the Others with an army of more dead. He also needs manpower and recruits for the Wall. In fact, this is one of the arguments he makes to the likes of Bowen Marsh and Othell Yarwyck.

At the same time, Jon's post as LC is in itself a selfless position IMO. Being a Night's Watch brother is a thankless role. There is no acknowledgment and reward for what they do. This is embodied in what Jeor Mormont says to Jon.

Mormont gave a whistle, and the bird flew to him again and settled on his arm. “A lord’s one thing, a king’s another.” He offered the raven a handful of corn from his pocket. “They will garb your brother Robb in silks, satins, and velvets of a hundred different colors, while you live and die in black ringmail. He will wed some beautiful princess and father sons on her. You’ll have no wife, nor will you ever hold a child of your own blood in your arms. Robb will rule, you will serve. Men will call you a crow. Him they’ll call Your Grace. Singers will praise every little thing he does, while your greatest deeds all go unsung. Tell me that none of this troubles you, Jon… and I’ll name you a liar, and know I have the truth of it.” - Jon , ACoK

And it's not just Jon Snow. It's also the other brothers. There’s Cotter Pyke who sails off to Hardhome on Jon’s orders to save Freefolk and who is probably dead. There’s Maester Aemon and Jeor Mormont. Donal Noye. Or Squire Dalbridge who stays behind to hold off the Wildlings while Jon and the others make their escape.

Or Qhorin Halfhand:

“ We can only die. Why else do we don these black cloaks, but to die in the defense of the realm.”

“Our honor means no more than our lives, so long as the realm is safe.”

They are some of the unpraised, unspoken heroes of this story. No one knows about them. No one sings songs about them. They have no titles, no lands, no crown.

Jon could have accepted Stannis' offer and become Lord of Winterfell. He could have put personal ambition above the greater good. However, he is reminded of his oaths to the Old Gods and his sense of duty pushes him to stay at the wall and get it ready for what's to come.

This

“I know what I swore.” Jon said the words. “I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. Were those the same words you said when you took your vows?”

“They were. As the lord commander knows.”

“I am the shield that guards the realms of men. Those are the words. So tell me, my lord—what are these wildlings, if not men?”

is the equivalent of this bad-ass scene:

Jorah: We don’t need Yunkai, Khaleesi. Taking this city will not bring you any closer to Westeros or the Iron Throne

Daenerys: "How many slaves are there in Yunkai?"

Jorah: "Two hundred thousand, if not more."

Daenerys:  "Then we have two hundred thousand reasons to take this city".

So I would say that both Daenerys and Jon are selfless characters in the series who put the good of the people above personal ambition. In ADwD, Jon did end up putting his personal interests - Arya - above the greater good and pays the consequences.

And this is why I think that if there is any sacrifice of a character to be done, it's going to be Jon. Jon is currently dead. One chapter of his story is over. As per GRRM, resurrection in ASoIaF is not clean and perfect. Resurrection in ASoIaF is Lady Stoneheart and not Gandalf. He's going to be different. Rand al'Thor, the protagonist in the Wheel of Time has never healing injuries till the end of the series. I suspect the same could be true for Jon Snow and his numerous stab wounds. I therefore think there's a better chance that 'Zombie' Jon sacrifices himself than Daenerys. Like, imagine if Jon is Arya's Nissa Nissa and she ends up using Needle on the person she loves most. Stick ‘em with the pointy end 😭

Sacrifice can also mean giving up something very important to them. Considering all 5 key characters survive the series in some form (As per the OG outline), this is most likely what happens. This is why one of the possible semi happy endings I can envisage for both Jon and Dany is that in order for true peace and victory over an existential threat from the Others, they go off into the Lands of Always Winter while the rest of Westeros think the Last Targaryens are dead. Depending on what type of Jon comes back, it could be Jon and Dany being a family and Dany finally getting her house with the red door. Now that would be a bittersweet ending.

[ashenberry]

Hi Ashen! Grace here! Okay, for your ask game:

1. If you could have an AA Game spin-off focusing on a lawyer we haven't seen as a playable protagonist yet, who would it be and why? (Bonus if you have any hc for plot/cases)

2. If you could main any weapon in Splatoon 1/2 without having to learn/take the time to learn it, which would be your dream weapon/kit? (Either one your love or one you think is cool and wish you could master)

3. What Video Game are you Completely Normal About™️ that you wish more people would know about/play?

Anyhow- have a good day! -🍮

WAH. someone who hasnt been a playable protagonist... probably WAIT I WNJDAOOIWS sholmes investigations ofc. avoiding getting into too many dgs spoilers i think a game of him and watson during then (if you know you know) would be incredibly fun however i have trouble convincing people of this because i just want "more sholmes" and they want to see what happens to the "main cast" and "sholmes cant carry a game hes comic relief" fools. non believers. AGAIN i dont wanna get too in to it because. dgs spoilers :3c ok i was incredibly normal about question 2 so its going under a cut

2. YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE CONUNDRUM YOU PUT ME IN bc like. weapons i want to insta master would be chargers & blasters WHICH I DONT HAVE EXPERIENCE IN so i DONT KNOW LIKE a good dream kit :lc sajoidajkodk ill do one for each game tho Splatoon 1: E-Liter w/ Burst Bomb & Kraken. This is basically combining its 2 kits into a really agressive kit for when it gets flanked. does it have synergy w/ the main weapon? lol probably not but what are they gonna do when i have kraken AND burst bombs Splatoon 2: Carbon Roller w/ Burst Bombs & Ultra Stamp. WAH carbonnnn got. i cant say fucked but it got really weak kits compared to the first game. first games burst bomb / inkzooka combination was INCREDIBLY powerful giving it insane moment options and a special w/ range. honestly the perfect kit for it. and then the carbon deco build had the only seeker rush in the game <- seeker lover) and seekers also really helped with movement, the same way curling does with normal roller but in 2 they gave the vanilla kit fuckin. autobombs which are arguably the weakest bombs. at best they can let u know if someones in the area and they CAN kill but honestly i would perfer. torpedos or omg. fizzy can that would be baller but they werent in game when carbon dropped so. and its special is ink storm which honestly? not half bad. wouldnt mind it honestly but i never use vanilla carbon cause the sub sucks. carbon deco got burst bomb carbons best friend the ideal sub weapon for the weapon BUT THEN THEY GAVE IT AUTOBOMB RUSH WHICH IS THE WEAKEST BOMB RUSH IN THE GAME it doesnt kill like splat/sunction bomb rush, doesnt paint like curling bomb rush, and u cant fuck someone over w/ it like burst bomb rush. its most useful for popping the rain maker shield but it loses to like. everything but burst bomb rush if someone also used their bomb rush to pop it. WAH THAT WAS A LOT OF CARBON TALK anyways i think ultra stamp would be better because 1) close range quick kills when u flip with it 2) its the best at popping the rain maker shield 3) u can throw it giving carbon a ranged option 4) omg its such a fun special anyways im sorry for being normal about carbon are we still friends

3. GOD is there a game im normal tm about that im not normal about on here :lc gduiahjdsnkam idk lol i like mario & luigi dream team u should play that uhh. wah i got nothing :(

[secret-engima]

LC Birds: Meeting Child and Accursed

(I have gotten a several asks about Ardyn and Ozpin and such and them meeting and Ardyn wigging out, but I wanted to do a nice ramble on it in a separate post just Because™ so here goes)

...

-Ardyn does not know much about the cloning process. Just that Besithia is able to take blood of himself or even of animals, sometimes long DEAD animals, and grow them into new beings in tubes. He’s never cared. The clones that become MT units are essentially tiny Besithias in his mind, and if the man wants to turn himself into a daemon a thousand times over then let him. Ardyn doesn’t care.

-What he does care about, if only distantly, is the word that comes of King Regis having another child. His two illegitimate children, found at age thirteen a few years ago, have already been the fuel of much gossip in the Niflheim courts. Ardyn had found it amusing that Somnus’s descendant could not keep his lineage in one place. But this child ... this child is his heir.

-This child will be the Chosen King. He can *feel it*.

-And he is curious, in a dark and bitter way, over what this new, “better” Chosen King will look like. So perhaps a year after the “happy” news that the child has been born and his mother recovered from her post-pregnancy complications, Ardyn decides to pay a visit.

-Slipping past the guards is child’s play. They either see one of their own, or a servant, or nothing at all depending on his desire. He steals a keycard from some fool that he allows to remain alive and makes his way up to the royal suites. It doesn’t take him any time at all to find the royal Heir. The twins are in another part of the Citadel, and the young prince’s magic is fresh and new and vulnerable. Easy to track down to a sprawling playroom where Ardyn hears miserable crying through the door.

-”Shh,” someone says as he slips inside, “It’s alright, I can make it better, it’s alright.” Ardyn stills when he sees the Chosen King, at first completely ignoring the young teen rocking him back and forth. The child looks spoiled rotten, chubby with baby fat and red from his tantrum, the source of which Ardyn can see on the chubby cheek. A tiny cut with just the faintest beads of blood. How the child managed to do that is a mystery, but Ardyn feels nothing but scorn. The sheer amount of growing this child will have to do to be anything *interesting* will take more years than Ardyn anticipated. Not that he can’t be patient-.

-Magic.

-Not his, not the child’s. It caresses the Chosen King and NOW Ardyn looks at the teen holding the young prince. The boy is dressed in comfortable finery, with an ornate cane beside him that indicates he himself is not of the best health, but none of that matters because Ardyn is too distracted trying to figure out why the boy’s magic exists. Another wayward elder spawn of the current king perhaps?

-The teen gently touches a finger to the cut, a serene smile on his face as he hums and green magic flickers to life, “There, there, it barely even stings, see?”

-The Chosen King stops crying and coos as the cut heals over-

-And reopens on the teen’s dark skinned one.

-Ardyn forgets everything, forgets stealth, forgets the Chosen King, forgets even to be angry. All he feels is something cold and ugly and fearful in his chest, all pointed at someone other than himself. The teenager is on his feet less than a moment later, the cane in his hand and pointed at Ardyn’s chest like a sword as he backs away, something fearful in his gold eyes and Astrals above.

-Those are Aera’s eyes. Not her color, this boy’s eyes are gold, but the shape, the shape he memorized so long ago, the long, thick lashes, the silver-white hair so common for the males of the Nox Fleuret line. His skin is dark and his eyes are gold but his eye-shape is Aera’s. His wispy, wavy hair is Aera’s. His cheekbones and the way his nostril flare with his fear are all Aera’s even though the magic surging out in alarm-warning-fear-battle is more Lucis Caelum than Oracle and his jawline is just a touch too broad for Aera’s even though it is achingly familiar, as if from a mirror.

-A mirror.

-Aera.

-Him.

-The magic only he had ever possessed, mixed with the warning snaps of Oracle gold that bite at him and make his human guise fall away as the Scourge rises up to snarl back. The boy looks horrified, he looks angry and ready to fight Ardyn to the death even though he has a heavy limp as he backs away with the child king and it hurts Ardyn, on a level he didn’t think he had anymore, because that is Aera’s child. Somehow, some way even though she has been dead and gone for so long. It is like looking at a dark skinned dream, a wish he’d once had that was never meant to be, but that makes no SENSE. Aera is DEAD and Ardyn has never lain with anyone. Ardyn never even laid with Aera, so he cannot be a descendant. And there is no other way for a child to come into being.

-Except there is.

-“Where did you come from,” Ardyn rasps, stalking closer even as the boy’s eyes flash emerald in warning and the cane hums with magic, “Who’s child are you?” The boy stares, and Ardyn roars over the crying child in the teen’s arms, “ANSWER ME.”

-“My name is Ozpin,” the boy manages past the terror Ardyn can see coating his every breath, past the tremble in his hands, “And I never knew the parents who gave me their blood. I woke up on the shores of an island with no memory of how I came to be there.”

-“You have Oracle and Lucis Caelum magic both,” Ardyn growls, “Is not the KING your father?”

-“No.” The teen chokes out as the magic of the twins and the king burns closer-closer-closer to his rescue, “They ran tests. The nearest blood connection I have to the current Lucis Caelum line is two thousand years old-.” He ducks, using his body to shield the child as a green shield flares and guards his back against the glass windows that just shattered. Pieces slam into place and for once even the screaming of the Scourge has no hold on his mind over the chant of Aera-Aera-Aera-Aera’s-child-MY-CHILD-AERA’S-CHILD-. Ardyn’s mind clears. For one moment he feels like himself again. Like the Ardyn he was before the sickness, before Somnus’s betrayal, before he was dragged out of his tomb by Besithia.

-The boy with Aera’s face and hair and Ardyn’s gold-tainted eyes and their magic mixed together in perfect harmony stands up again, and in his face is the sudden calm of someone who has stopped being scared because they are certain that they are going to die protecting another.

-He did that.

-He’s ... frightened the boy.

-He’s frightened Aera’s son.

-The royal twins, the king, and a host of guards burst in moments later, but Ardyn is already gone, flung himself out the shattered window and down into the city to escape, to grieve, to RAGE because he has frightened Aera’s son. A son that shouldn’t exist but DOES and-

-And he knows exactly who is at fault.

-Who should have told him.

-Perhaps it is time to sit down and have that conversation Besithia is always needling for. And when he is done, perhaps it is time for the Empire to find a new head scientist. Because he knows little about cloning, but he knows it can create life from dead bones, and anyone who desecrated Aera’s rest deserved what nightmares the Scourge screaming inside him wanted to unleash.

-(And if he is running from the guilt of frightening the child he never thought he would have, if he is running from the realization that he and Aera had a child only for that child to see him as a MONSTER for the scourge under his veins and the way he found the boy- well. That is his crisis to deal with another time)

-(Meanwhile Ozpin sags into the hold of his Shield and Sword, shaking and bordering on a panic attack as his mind replays the sudden appearance of a man who felt- who lOOKED- like SALEM. Corrupted and sick and not right in the head, and in that moment Ozpin had been so sure the cycle was going to start again, that the man would smile and somehow know to call him Ozma even though the man cannot be Salem and Ozpin knows it-.)

-(He hides his face in the crook of Raven’s neck and tries not to wonder about the way gold eyes had briefly, gut-wrenchingly cleared and become sane again. Become afraid and heartbroken again.)

-(The man had asked about who his parent’s were.)

-(Ozpin refuses to think about how in that moment of sanity, the man’s shade of gold had been exactly Ozpin’s own)

[followthestars]

Anyone remember that Bastard LC Nyx AU I had? I thought of a offshoot of it where Nyx doesn’t find out until he puts the ring on in the Kingsglaive movie. He still weirdly had magic before that, but it wouldn’t be enough against Titus. So he takes it from Luna and puts it on. The ring just, picks up that he has LC blood and that’s it, no demand for an exchange.

He catches up with Libertus and Lunafreya after and hands her the ring. She asks what price the Lucii asked for using its power. “Uhh, they were supposed to talk to me?”

Luna puts two and two together fast. Asks about Nyx’s dad and he admits his mom had him after a one night stand. Libertus is figuring it out too.

Regis might be freaking out in the ring while The Rogue laughs at him. He had a son he didn’t know about! He wasn’t involved in his oldest’s life as a dad! He could have raised two wonderful sons!

It takes a bit for Libertus or Luna to confront Nyx with the idea he... might be a bastard son of Regis. He just... represses that emotions from that for a while. Gotta focus on finding the prince! No time to unpack the fact he might be a bastard LC... or that the prince is his little brother.

Luna lives because Nyx and Libertus stick with her. Nyx set Ardyn on fire before he could hurt her.

Ardyn was offended that his favorite hat got ruined. That’s it. He didn’t care that HE was set on fire, just his hat.

Luna makes Nyx sit down and finally process that he might be a bastard LC.

Noctis overheard and actually storms into the room and puts the ring on to drag his dad out for answers right in front of the two.

Regis confirms that the ring sensed LC blood in Nyx. They get to watch him cry and apologize for not being in Nyx’s life as a father.

Noctis is unsure how to feel about having an elder brother.

Gladio congratulates Libertus on somehow ended up as Nyx’s shield without ever knowing.

Lib doesn’t know if he should feel proud Nyx trusts him that much, or cry. At least Nyx can grant him access to magic again.

Ardyn gets set on fire again because he didn’t think Nyx would join Noctis in fighting the empire.

Noctis; Why did you set Prompto on fire?!

Nyx: I set Ardyn on fire! That’s Ardyn!

Ardyn: *Dropped the illusion due to shock that he didn’t plan on an Ulric joining in.* Oops.

Noctis 100% Rushes to the train to find Prompto without thinking. He’s gotta make sure he didn’t say those horrible things to his best friend.

Nyx handles the Empire. Warp-happy LC Ulrics would be a thing of nightmares if those weren’t all MTs piloting the ships.

Prompto doesn’t get pushed off of the train, but Ardyn does cause him to fall off.

Noctis proves he’s Nyx’s brother by jumping off after him. So Prompto gets his revelations with Noctis right there to reassure him he’s not just a clone or an MT.

Libertus and Ignis both spend a good hour yelling at Noctis about JUMPING OFF A MOVING TRAIN.

Nyx stays out of it.

[a-world-in-grey]

Sola/Nox Fusion II - Glaives

Because the last part for @secret-engima was very much angst, despite the comfort, so now it’s time for Shenanigans. Featuring the glaives, some of whom would like it to be known that they did not sign up for this.

So, from Enablers to Braincells, here we go!

-Tredd, miffed that Axis picked up an LC and didn't share, decides he wants an LC of his own. It takes two days after learning that Nox is Axis' LC and about a week or so after Sola first joins the Kingsglaive practices and starts terrorizing them for Tredd to decide that he wants Sola as his LC. And since Tredd isn't trying to antagonize Sola, the two actually click almost immediately and Everyone is a Horror. Because Sola and Tredd enable each other. Luche is a Cry. (Eventually Ardyn gets involved too and Titus is a Sigh as the red heads cause Untold Chaos.) Tredd is very protective of his LC, and none of the LCs or Retinues are surprised when Tredd becomes Sola's Heart. Because Tredd isn't protective of Sola's physical well being (both are too reckless), but emotionally? Sola's practically his little sister. Anyone who hurts her is going to answer to him.

-Much like Sola and Tredd, Sola and Nyx together usually results in mass cases of Headaches for whichever poor sod is unlucky enough to be in their vicinity. Because Nyx’s idea of what constitutes as Girl Bonding Time generally includes a lot more warping than ‘normal’ (Nyx: boring) activities. And after the first time Nyx, Sola, and Tredd got up to Shenanigans together, Titus put his foot down and has banned the three of them from being in the same vicinity without supervision. Coincidentally, a number of nobles that had made certain remarks a few days earlier found themselves plagued by incessant small annoyances. Such as being unable to find a pen, or stumbling over smooth floors, or discovering someone had slipped bright green hair dye into their shampoo. (Did Titus have any evidence? No. Did he need evidence to know it was those three responsible? Also no.) Nyx bonds as Sola’s Sword, which later leads to Sola giving Nox the shovel talk (which is hilarious to Nyx just for the height differences involved) before cheerfully enabling them to sneak out on dates.

-Crowe and Sola are less Shenanigans and more Explosions. Titus has still banned them from experimenting without supervision after the last time they gave half the glaives heart attacks at seven in the morning. Said magical experiments now include Ardyn, which is not what Titus meant. In this friendship it’s more Sola enabling Crowe’s mad ideas than the other way around, because Crowe’s the one who goes ‘what if we do this’ and Sola is all to willing to come along for the ride rather than reign the older woman in. Because Sola can recognize genius, and genius should be encouraged. (And because if anyone ever becomes Uncle Ardyn’s Sword, it would be Crowe. Though she’d be less a sword and more a fire blast, but the point stands.)

-Pelna ends up halfway between Enabler and Braincell. Most of the situations Pelna enables involve Abyssus in some way, because Pelna is the biggest cat person and spoils Abyssus rotten. No few times Pelna has cheerfully agreed to ‘catsit’ Abyssus while Sola and her actual enablers sneak off to cause trouble for whichever nobles have been disparaging Nox/Ardyn/the Glaives that week. (Pelna does a lot of ‘catsitting.’) As Sola’s Hand, whenever he isn’t helping enable Sola’s most recent idea, it’s usually because he’s helping refine the idea into something that will actually work and not backfire horribly. Which includes helping reign Sola in when her temper threatens to get nasty and land her in more trouble than she can brush off.

-Sonitus, for all that at first glance everyone thinks it's Luche, is the one who becomes Sola's Shield. Or he would, if Sola allowed herself to form a bond with a Shield. Because while Luche is trying to Braincell the Disaster Duo, Sonitus is the one who slips into Sola's blindspots, who silently guards her back because someone has to do it and no one else is stepping up to the plate. And sure, Sonitus thinks Sola is nuttier than a fruitcake, but Sola has very obviously Claimed the Kingsglaive and Galahdians as hers, and Sola is unapologetic about Throwing Hands to Protect that Claim. The day Sola Throws Hands with some of the Crownsguard disparaging the glaives is the day Sola unknowingly cements Sonitus' loyalty. So while Sonitus doesn’t actively enable like some of the others, he is unconditionally ready to Throw Hands with whoever’s sparked Sola’s temper this time.

-Libertus has never commisserated so much with Luche before. To be fair, Nyx and Tredd have never gotten up to trouble together before, but now whenever Libertus finds himself dragging Nyx out of trouble, more often than not Luche is there too, dragging his two red-haired Idiots out of the same mess. Which means now when Libertus is Braincelling his Idiot, half the time he’s also Braincelling Luche’s by extension. He’s discovered that if he can cut in early enough, Sola’s actually the most reasonable of the Idiot Trio. But once the ball gets rolling, it’s near impossible to stop them unless he calls in reinforcements. Though he’s only ever had to call in Titus once. For which Libertus is grateful because the Captain made them all Regret it.

-Luche wants to strangle Sola and Tredd. Can they just Not, for five seconds?! (The answer is no. Sola and Tredd are Yes, all the time.) With Libertus Braincelling Nyx, Titus Braincelling Ardyn, and Luche now Braincelling the Disaster Duo that is Sola and Tredd, the poor Kingsglaive is now out of Braincells. Which is probably why after Sola properly enlists and Nyx and Crowe start collaborating with Nox and Adryn respectively the Kingsglaive gets a heck of a lot crazier in the stunts they pull while on missions/deployment. Glaive deaths have also gone down since, which does not help when Luche’s trying to talk the Disaster Duo out of another of their boneheaded stunts. (Sola’s not even his, but the day anyone lets Tredd Braincell is the day everything goes up in fire, so Luche Sighs and Braincells Tredd’s Idiot too.) At least he doesn’t have to worry about Axis anymore, if only because Axis wound up as a Braincell to his own Idiot. 

-Titus would be the Chief Braincell, but he’s long since thrown in the towel. He’s got his own LC Idiot to cluck after, so long as no one makes it his Problem, he Doesn’t Care. And if it becomes his Problem, he’s making it everyone else’s Problem too. Until then, Sola has her own Retinue (and Luche) to deal with her Headaches.

[laqualassiel]

How does Sola's first meeting with the glaives go? Given she's a Princess, and her demand to train with them... does anyone think she's spoiled?

Ooh, Sola and the glaives! This’ll be kinda a rambly, since I’m still working my way through the walkthroughs and haven’t gotten to Kingsglaive yet. So forgive me if anyone seems out of character.

-Short version: Not Well.

-Long Version: Sola and the Glaives do not get off to the best start. She’s fifteen, her brother is crippled from an attack she wasn’t present to defend him from, and said crippled brother is in the middle of Niflheim territory with only their father as security. Sola doesn’t care that she’s only fifteen and not a Crownsguard or Kingsglaive. Her brother - her King - is vulnerable and if he’s attacked again, she won’t be there to protect him. Again.

-Needless to say, all of this does not help Sola’s already short temper. Hence her storming into a Kingsglaive training hall and demanding Titus allow her to join their training, despite not being of age to enlist. 

-Sola’s furious temper tantrum a couple days prior was... not subtle, so pretty much everyone in glaive heard about that incident even if they don’t know what triggered it. Most of them think this is just teenage rebellion on Sola’s part and figure she’ll drop out once she experiences the reality of glaive training. Sure, everyone claims she’s the second coming of Cor the Immortal, but none of the glaive have actually seen Sola fight? So most of them take that claim with a grain of salt because she’s a mainlander princess and they figure that even if she’s a good fighter, the rest of the claim is probably just empty boasting.

-But yeah, a number of glaives think Sola is spoiled somewhat. They grumble about Titus letting her join training, but she did pass the entry fitness tests so Titus didn’t really have any grounds to bar her except for her age. But Sola didn’t ask to join the glaive, just their training so the glaives assume that while Titus could keep her out (which he could), the Captain didn’t want to deal with the repercussions of the princess throwing another tantrum. Easier all around to let Sola join until she quit.

-So the glaives at Yamachangs the night before Sola starts training grumble over royal brats getting in over their heads and make bets on how long it’ll take for the princess to quit.

-As for individual glaives... I haven’t figured out exactly when or how they each really meet Sola, or even when each of them join the glaive, so this is definitely subject to changes as I figure that out and get a better handle on the glaives’ individual personalities.

-Titus: Titus wants to Sigh. He’s one of the few to know exactly what sparked Sola’s temper, and he also knows that Sola’s earned every inch of her reputation as the Immortal’s successor. He also knows that if the attack on the King and injured Crown Prince succeeds, then Sola will be Queen, and if the Princess ever figures out that Titus is General Glauca she will Immediately Throw Hands. Which, he could probably survive, but that would draw down the Marshal’s wrath and Titus isn’t sure he could survive a murderous Immortal. Despite that though? Titus reluctantly likes the spitfire. One of the worst tempers he’s ever seen, but Sola’s got an insane work ethic to match her prodigal talent. And his glaives will only benefit from training with her, once she reaches their level, so Titus maybe interferes on Sola’s behalf here or there until Sola settles into the routine.

-Luche: Luche is a Despair. He recognizes that look in the Captain’s eye. Captain actually likes the royal bratling, which means they’re probably going to keep the bratling. Which means they have to keep said Bratling alive out on the front lines, when she has a temper shorter than her height and a chip on her shoulder the size of the Citadel. And the rest of the idiots - bar Lib because Lib is the only one that doesn’t try to give Luche headaches - are going to try to run the Bratling off and Luche can already see the clash of Stubborn. He does not get paid enough for this damn it all.

-Sonitus: He was present for Sola’s initial introduction to the kingsglaive and ooh boy does that first impression Stick. Sonitus thinks Sola is a spoiled, undisciplined brat, and bets that she’ll only stick around a week before bailing, prodigal talent or not. After all, Titus doesn’t believe in going easy on new recruits, and well. There’s a reason the glaive are the elite, and it’s not just because they can use magic. Sonitus doesn’t want Sola barging in and tarnishing their rep.

-Axis: Axis isn’t fond of Sola. He keeps to himself and doesn’t interact with the Princess even though he’s a regular spectator of Sola and Tredd’s spars. He’s the first one to get suspicious over how fast Sola recovers from injuries, and the first to notice how Sola seems to shrug off damage that would at the least inconvenience other glaives after a minute and continue like she didn’t take damage in the first place. He doesn’t say anything because it sounds so odd, and even Lucis Caelum magic doesn’t let you do that. (If he notes Sola’s brilliant red hair and the golden hue to her magic and wonders if he’s not the only one with... hidden heritage, well, it would explain why Sola is not the Crown Princess despite being seven years older than her brother, and why Sola does have her own Shield like every other Lucis Caelum.)

-Crowe: Crowe is only a couple years older than Sola at seventeen. Unlike her fellow glaives, Crowe hopes Sola sticks around. Sure, Crowe isn’t the only woman in the glaive, but it’s still a bit of a boys’ club and having more girls would be nice. Crowe is fairly itching to see how much damage an LC can do with magic - that thought she does not voice aloud because Luche Will Overreact and do something stupid like ban Crowe from asking Sola for tips or tricks. Crowe is the one who bets that Sola won’t quit, because she’s seen the look in Sola’s eyes and bets the princess will out-stubborn even her stubborn comrades. (Crowe is Smug when collecting her winnings from that particular bet.)

-Nyx: Nyx is one of the ones that sees Sola storm the training session. He’s not happy about the Pipsqueak forcing her way into their training, and he’s really not happy about her steamrolling over the Captain to do it. So he’s really not inclined to be all that helpful to her. After all, if it gets her out of their hair quicker, it’s all the sooner they can get back to business as usual. Not that he intends to actively make it harder for the Pipsqueak, Captain would not be happy with them and no doubt the Pipsqueak would bring Cor down on their asses, but letting the Pipsqueak muddle through everything herself should make it clear that no one is going to hold her hand.

-Libertus: Lib’s one of the most welcoming to Sola, compared to the rest of the glaive. He’s determined to treat her like any other glaive recruit despite everyone else’s grumbling. Sola’s trained under Cor the Immortal, and Libertus can’t imagine the man going easy on anyone, not even his own goddaughter. And well, Sola’s test results speak for themselves, and Sola scored a hell of a lot better than most of the recruits that try to join up before boot camp sends them packing. As far as the princess’ attitude? Libertus can name a few glaives off the top of his head with far more irritating attitudes - Tredd - so frankly Lib doesn’t think they’ve got any right to complain about that.

-Tredd: Speaking of Sola’s fellow redhead, Tredd picks a fight with Sola five minutes into Sola’s first day of training. Sola doesn’t explode only because Titus shows up two seconds later and throws them all head first into training until they can hardly move. Tredd will grudgingly admit that Sola doesn’t do too bad for someone who’s never run Titus’ obstacle courses from hell. But well, Tredd doesn’t want some upstart princess thinking she can muscle her way into the ranks. He figures if he can get her pissed enough to throw another tantrum, that’ll give Captain the excuse needed to throw the princess out of training. Only Captain keeps showing up before the princess erupts, and the princess instead channels that anger into training and really Captain?! Tredd is very pleased when Titus finally throws them all into partner spars - no weapons or offensive magic, and anything bar maiming - and partners him with the princess because he figures this is the perfect chance to get her to blow her top.

-He succeeds in sparking Sola’s temper. Tredd walks away with a sprained knee and broken nose on top of his bruises, but Sola takes three times the damage before finally losing the spar. Then shows up the next day for training moving like Tredd hadn’t wrenched her shoulder and stomped on her foot hard enough to fracture it. Tredd isn’t the only one to stare, because it was long enough that elixirs shouldn’t have worked! Hell, Tredd isn’t running the courses for two days until the healing magic settled in his knee and he only sprained it! 

-Sola has the gall to smirk at Tredd and so starts the Rivalry. It is not pretty and Titus bans them from sparring unsupervised after one spar that got out of hand and resulted in both Tredd and Sola getting benched from training by the medics. 

-Tredd wins in all their clashes at first, but Sola is just as vicious as he is and it ironically endears Sola to Tredd and the glaive? Like, the glaives don’t quite realize it at first, but they stop betting on what will make Sola quit (absolutely nothing, they finally realize two months in), and start betting on long Sola will last in the next clash, how much damage the two will dish out before the fight ends, and just how much damage Sola can actually tank before she goes down and stays down (the answer is two broken and three cracked ribs, broken arm, and it was the concussion that left her seeing double that did it), and how the hell none of that damage ever stuck (Tredd’s face when the glaives learn about Sola’s odd magic giving her functional regeneration is a Treasure). Sola finally manages to beat Tredd three months in, and Tredd is Grudgingly Impressed. The rest of the glaives cheer for Sola and gil changes hands. Tredd swears at them even as he lets Sola haul him to his feet.

[sparklecryptid]

Post Ace Reveal, would like the council or something take a look at the shit he's pulled and shouldn't have survived and decide "Need Shield, need Shield now. Must protect bby LC"

Cor sits Ace down.

Ace is mildly uncomfortable at how Cor is looking at him. It’s like having an Extra Father that is Displeased with what Ace has been doing all his life.

(Why do I have so many Dad’s? Ace wonders. I’m not that reckless.)

“You need a Shield,” Cor says and Ace blanches.

“I do not,” he denies, “I’ve done fine without one until now. I’m good.”

Cor raises a brow.

Ace decides he hates that brow.

“Axis has informed me of many of the stunts you pulled as Hunters,” Cor informs Ace, “You are reckless.”

“I survived.”

The brow raises higher.

Ace scowls.

“I don’t need a Shield,” Ace insists.

“I spoke with your uncle, and he thinks you do.”

Ace is going to kill Ardyn, it doesn’t matter that Ardyn can’t actually die, Ace will find a way.

“Yeah, well, he thinks a lot of things.”

“He said that knowing you have a Shield would set his mind at ease.”

Fuck you, Ace thinks, Fuck you Cor for playing the Uncle card.

“Who would even be my Shield?” Ace demands, “It’s not as though there’s a plethora of them to chose from. And don’t you dare say Axis, he and I have an Understanding.” The understanding being that if Ace ever asked Axis to be his Shield Axis had every right to set him on fire.

“We could set up an interview process for willing Glaive and Guards. One of them might be capable enough.”

(Later, when Ace tells Nyx of what happened with Cor. Nyx’s face goes very still.

Later, Nyx shows up at the interview, pushes the rest of the applicants out of the way, and to Ace’s surprise goes. “Sorry, guys. This one is mine.”

Ace blinks up at his stupid lovely husband.

Nyx grins back at him.)