#even soleil if you want to lol

[beevean]

You've probably said it before but who's your favorite Belmont

Daddy Longlegs Trevor <3

Yeah, I know he's probably the second most popular Belmont after Richter, but sometimes I too am basic :P

I call him the Sonic of Castlevania because he's effortlessly cool, has a bit of an attitude but a heart of gold, doesn't hold grudges against the people who shunned him, and is very, very friendly - you can infere this by how easily all sorts of people follow him in CV3, and how he doesn't hold Alucard's heritage against him when the poor guy was angsting about it. Yeah, so maybe you have to read the manual and really look into the events of a NES game to get an idea of his personality, but that doesn't mean he's a cardboard cutout like NFCV some fans think!

And his sassiness in CoD cracks me up lmao, he's so cocky and confident and he pulls a mean eyebrow and

i may be willing to sell both kidneys for a cod remaster, but only as long as they manage to recreate the sheer amount of raw gay energy exuding from all characters

also i'm a whole believer in the theory that he was so difficult to hector at first because he had a crush on him and was being all tsundere about it. because everyone has a crush on hector. also hevor canon

And even then he's humble when questioned about his title as the one who killed Dracula, he immediately gives credit to his friends <3 he cares <3

Also his design is just really good, the scars that mark him as a survivor, the outfit that is both fashionable and protective (kind of like Hector, but not as confusing lol), the longcoat that goes swish <3 he looks like a professional vampire hunter, practical but not without flare!

And of course,

Another thing he has in common with Sonic: his music slaps me into another dimension. (Beginning is also good! But I prefer his "ohshitohshitohshit the belmont wants me dead aaaaaa" theme :P)

anyway. trevor cool. he's shaped like a friend :)

Aside from him, Leon and Juste also have a special place in my heart! Leon is also just a noblehearted dude who threw everything he had away for the chance of saving his beloved, and after losing LITERALLY EVERYTHING HE HELD DEAR IN ONE NIGHT, he still had the strength to live on and not fall into the temptation Mathias had fallen into. Also his theme is literally my favorite CV track of all time, it's just perfect for him and the part in the game it plays in. Juste is just OP as all hell, and he has a funny personality - he's the prettiest Belmont by a long shot but he's also kind of rude and aggressive? lol - and with him you can start to see the Belmont legacy weigh on his shoulders. I also choose to see something in the way he vehemently denies Maxim the chance to explain what happened to Lydie in the best ending, as if he just wanted to forget everything. And the worst ending of HoD kills me :(

[callsign-rogueone]

ok but!! ive been reading some fw theories in the subreddit, and one that has a lot of diff opinions on is whether liam has a second signet or if he was wielding ice in that scene, especially since deigh’s name means ice. what are your thoughts, do you think it was just a mistake?? and what about liam in your universe?

[insert that clip of Cardi B going: “I’m glad you brung it up because I’ve been dying to talk about this for a minute”]

FOURTH WING AND IRON FLAME SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT. this ramble is not going to be proofread, nor supported with textual evidence, because I have a migraine. but if anyone wants to jump in with page numbers and quotes or things I missed / got wrong, please feel free! 

in short: I think it’s possible that Liam did have a second signet.

first, my only hangup on this theory: what are the odds of two riders in the same squad, in the same year, having the same signet (Ridoc and Liam)? I know some signets are more rare than others, but that’s still a very slim chance when there’s 20+ signets out there that we know of, and RY will probably come up with more (fr, I need to know what Garrick and Aaric's signets are. I hope they're something unique, that we haven't seen yet.) but here are a few arguments in favor of two-signet Liam:

one: I don’t think it was just “RY putting the wrong name”.

Ridoc wasn’t there at Resson, so RY would have to have confused the two boys entirely for it to be a mistake. besides them both being perfect little bbs and adoring fans of Violet, they’re not alike in appearance, dragon color, nor backstory -- what is Ridoc’s deal? like why did he want to become a rider? I need to know for my next gfverse chapter 😭 and the mistake would also have to slip past multiple rounds of editors and proofreaders as well, which is possible, but not probable.  and was Ridoc's signet even confirmed at that time? maybe this is me forgetting things, because ADHD, and it’s been a while since I’ve read FW in full, but the first time I remember hearing about Ridoc’s signet is in Iron Flame — when they’re at RSC and he’s like “I could force the locks open with ice”. that confused me at the time because I didn’t know about (or remember) his signet. and then it really clicked for me later, when he makes an ice pack for poor Brennan after Mira decks him lmao. is it mentioned earlier than that? when I search “ice” in my FW ebook it shows me every instance of “voice” and "nice" and “office” etc., too, and I'm not scrolling through all that 🙄 and neither of the reference sites I like to use have a page number listed for him getting his signet or the first time it’s mentioned. as another aside: look how gorgeous Ridoc is here. smash. EDIT TO ADD: it is mentioned in Fourth Wing, in one line on page 289 (as identified by @hockeyspiral23 - thank you!) but he doesn't actually use it. no wonder my adhd brain forgot about it when there were bigger issues at hand lol they also pointed out that it could still have been a mistake, if RY meant to have it be another one of the barely-mentioned marked riders who aren't part of the main gang, as ice-wielding is "a common signet" (FW p. 289), and there were a few students we never really met apart from Resson (including Masen and Soleil. RIP.) so it could have been one of them. another possible explanation that I just came up with for the mistake category -- unreliable narrator? the events of that day were incredibly distressing for Vi, and she literally gets poisoned and loses consciousness and doesn't wake up for three days (following the theory that FW and IF are her diary, written in an ancient language and translated by Jesinia later) so it could have been a blur / hard to remember and VIOLET could have gotten it wrong. If I were RY, and it was a genuine mistake, this is the explanation I would give lmao

two: Deigh meaning ice is another tally in the “not a mistake” column.

RY likes to have the dragons' names refer to their current rider's signets. (Tairn = thunder, Aimsir = weather...) but not all of them match (Tiene = fire, I think, and Mira makes shields.) Liam and the ice is only mentioned once, at Resson, but there are many characters who we don't see getting their signet -- really just Vi's sex-induced lightning, and a mention of Sawyer nearly killing someone in a swordfight on accident. and Sloane's siphoning, too. okay, maybe this isn't a great point. but I still want to hear how they figured these things out! especially Bodhi. and Xaden's second one. poor thing couldn't tell anyone, even his best friend, and had to figure out how to manage it entirely on his own (he had Sgaeyl, but that's it.) and maybe Liam didn’t realize he had the ice until Resson, and just started slinging icicles at the wyvern once he figured out that he could. though that's kinda unlikely, I guess, since he would have channeled in November or December and Resson wasn't until July... hm.

three: Deigh could have been the dragon of Liam's relative, giving him a second signet like Xaden has with Sgaeyl.

it’s my understanding that Liam, like all the marked ones (except my addition of Darling and her little sibs) were military kids, and his mom is mentioned in IF as being the one to weave the protection runes, which I believe requires a level of magic that only a rider would have. so he has at least one relative who was a rider, and therefore probably more. ngl, at first I thought it was mad suspicious that his parents were executed separately from everyone else’s, but then we didn’t meet them in Aretia, so I guess they really are dead. but how mf heartbreaking would it be if they were alive -- and the first time they see their son in a whole year of him being gone at Basgiath, it’s Xaden carrying his body into the fortress 😭 and Vi and X crying and apologizing to Mama Mairi for not being able to save him… I’M SO SORRY. IT JUST CAME TO ME, AND I HAD TO WRITE IT DOWN. if any FW writer wants to write that AU, go for it. we could all use another good cry. there seems to be a trend of the dragons who had Tyrrish riders purposely (and "illegally") bonding the descendants of their previous riders. - Xaden has a second signet from Sgaeyl as his grandfather was one of her former riders, allegedly, but he "didn't make it out of the quadrant"? so he had a kid (Fen, Xaden's dad?) before graduating? is that why Xaden mentions that his dad hated dragon riders in one of his letters to Vi? - and then I believe Imogen has the dragon of a relative, but not a direct relative, so she doesn't have a second signet, but the one she does have is just really strong? I feel like they glossed over that a little too quickly, and it remains unclear to me how that whole thing works. - and now maybe Liam, too?

I might tack more stuff on below as it comes to me, or RB with commentary, but I think that's all I've got for now.

but regardless of if it was a mistake or not, I’m not planning on putting it in Liam and Spark’s story — just his farsight, which is confirmed multiple times. if Spark believed in the gods, she’d thank them for not giving him something as destructive and deadly as her water, but Li’s still gonna have some issues with it, because I feel the need to project my issues onto my fave characters, and everyone loves some mild hurt/comfort that’s resolved with cuddles and a nap, right? 🥰

[heartfullofleeches]

i've missed the gallery, so here's a question. how would the gallery gang be with a nightguard/frequent visitor reader who's an aspiring artist? i've seen people talk about going to actual galleries for inspo or just sketching the paintings, and was wondering if the art pieces would be honored to be models or something. i dunno man this is my first ask im not sure how this stuff works lol

(I've done this as individual hcs - hope you don't mind!)

The Scavenger

"Draw, please..." "You want me to draw a candy wrapper?" "Draw."

If you want inspiration, Scavenger has got you covered. They'll pull out their finest stole goods for your seeing eyes alone - necklaces, vintage toys - and pretty much anything that catches their eye or isn't nailed to a wall. Most nights they just hold up a pocket mirror and tell you to draw what you see, because it's the best thing in the gallery. If you give them your sketches, don't be surprised if they just shove them in their mouth and return to their painting without another word. Something this precious must be kept on their person at all times.

The Painter

Gasp. A future master in their presence? Well, the only correct course of action is for two geniuses to put their heads together, and create gorgeous works of art together that will bring tears to the eyes of any manner of creature. If you are a painter like them, they create a palette for you out of their own flesh and blood. Hm, as perfect as their colors are - something feels missing. As, yes. Red. That other guard has lots, and is being selfish by hogging it all. Not to worry, dear - your muse is on the case! Sir, sir! Stop running - your sacrifice is needed for greatness!

The Lady in Red

How charming.... Will you sketch her something to put on the walls of her cabin while you are away? She'll let you go for the evening if you do. Leaving old sketches around when there are others on site will also secure their safety as she'll drop everything to have a piece of you. Draw a picture of her and she'll be the wailing ghost of the eve.

The Faceless Angel

Monitors your location and makes sure nothing disturbs you. If you ask them to sit down they will start to hum to fill the silence, stopping if you look their way. Even if you ask to sketch them, the angel is surprised when you show them the finished work. Ah, they've gone and ruined it with their tears. If they are allowed to be greedy, could you draw what you imagine their face to look like?

RoseBud

It's only logical a gallery would attract an artist. Rosebud points out the flowers that are in this season for you to warm up, and tells you to come when you're ready to draw the finishing piece. Their babes are extra yippy tonight, but they are just as excited as them and unable to contain it like their greater half. Give it directly to Rose or they will eat it, but unlike the Scavenger they feel bad and start to cry. Rosebud has some artistic skills of their own and will ask to draw you some nights

Soleil

You want to draw them? Oh, but their gears haven't been polished in ages - their casing could use a shine as well. Don't even get them started on their dials. Give them a few nights to spruce themselves up and they'll be the perfect model for you to sketch and adore

Anri

You draw? How cool! They'd love to draw with you, but they don't have the same talent as you. Would you still mind if they doodled a bit in your book anyway? Maybe when you get off work you can hit up a coffee shop and give them a few pointers.... Oh.

Julian

Outright steals your notebook and tells you to give up before you get ahead. Realizes he's doing the same as his parents and gets it back... with a few sketches thrown in the back. They're all of you in different parts of the gallery doing your job... Except for one. Why did he draw you sleeping? And why does he know the color of your bedsheets

The Director

How fun! The gallery is always open to new donations. He'd love if you drew him, or one of the many stories he has to tell. He has a perfect tale about a painter who got lost in the woods and tricked by a power beyond their understanding. Why won't you come up to his floor and let him watch you work your magic as he tells it to you? Kick back and relax. Stress is the last thing that should be on an creative's mind. Get comfortable...stay as long as you want.

[lindalofbroome]

lief: so where's barda jasmine: he's looking for the belt of deltora lief: he's wHAT

31 - Essence of Rodda

'Despair is the enemy. Do not let it defeat you.' [Zeean whispered.] DELTORA QUEST 3 The Sister of the South Ch 9 The Yellow Notice

'Norris!' shouted Rowan, shaking him. 'Even if you are right — even if we have been led by some evil force into a trap — we cannot just lie down and die!' ROWAN OF RIN Rowan of the Bukshah Ch 13 The Climb

'So it is not too late, Rye! We still have a chance to stop that future from happening! It is not too late!' [said Sonia] THE THREE DOORS The Third Door Ch 23 Three Doors

And she imagined what her companions on the shore were seeing — a dishevelled girl in a flaring red skirt, surrounded by a throng of fawning ghosts. No wonder Sky and Jewel had fled from her as soon as they were able. She quelled the wave of misery that threatened to engulf her. She had always been haunted by her past. The wraiths were just the visible sign of it. STAR OF DELTORA The Hungry Isle Ch 6 The Glittering Shore

👇👇👇👇

[ben wyatt voice] it's about the perseverance through suffering 👌

👆👆👆👆

there's a bunch of other stuff like double meanings and being epic and found family that i wanted to do but in the end i didn't have time for lol and so i had to chase the serotonin for this last post and make a bad joke out of it to motivate me adfKSDJFH but also so serious

the suffering is not the end; there are horrors AND delights; you lose when you give up; not everything is as it seems but also multiple interpretations can coexist; i know this is so sappy and kids cartoons but it's so real hope is everything and can counter the overwhelmingness of despair; choose to be optimistic, to love, to be happy

you're gonna really feel that in DQ3 because of the high stakes but this is also like the very essence of rowan of rin. he's always being surprised when the big heroic models of courage break down, but they've never had to keep moving forward and doing so scared the way he has. norris was overconfident but he's never had to face something like the cold time and the Mountain, but this is rowan's like hundredth rodeo. this is not to dunk on norris at all but just the way that rowan of rin directly and indirectly shows courage and perseverance

anyway this was supposed to be our beloved trio being a family and looking after each other but it turned into post-mask and then i forgot i cant halfass things to save my life this was supposed to be a crappy shitpost but then i was looking up so much cirque du soleil references trying to figure out what they might wear lol. they might not actually be wearing costumes but the other acrobats with jasmine were so why not put her in one too and then how could bess not resist dressing lief up in her son's clothes etc

so lief's outfit is like a preliminary costume before a more grander and brighter one if he became fully integrated into their circle. i keep searching up baby bird and forgetting that im going to see some gangly pink guys lmao

jasmine's acrobat troupe were described as just blue costumes from what i found. and i was like. UH OH. because i was gonna have to work soooooo hard to differentiate from bede's blue bird vibe. i thought i'd go for a lighter blue than the sorta. royal blue i give him usually. and then it got me thinking sky blue. the perform acrobatics up in the air. they reach for the sky. they up there in the sky. sky costume.

[bookish-library]

Love letter to languages that are not English (as a native English speaker).

Your languages are so cool. Not only cool, but they are also so pretty, hearing people speak Spanish, or French, or Portuguese sounds like something out of this world in the best way possible.

To Spanish speakers: (personas que hablan Español)

Gosh yall sound amazing. From the incredible feat of rolling your "r's" (as someone who cannot no matter how hard I try) to how your letters interact in a way that English wishes it could, yall sound beautiful. The way of describing things is so beautiful, especially in song, everything is so romantic and described in a way that english cannot achieve. Your different ways to say "I love you", the weight each one of them carries, how your language bonds you together, strangers or no. I have been learning Spanish for around 4 years now, and I cannot get enough of it. Your music (I love Missa and Evan Craft) and the beautiful lyricism has me nearly in tears sometimes, yall have a way of saying things that english songs don't. I love the Spanish language and all that comes with it.

To French speakers: (personnes qui parle francais)

Your language is on a whole 'nother level because wow. Between the one pronunciation sound of about 7 different words that somehow all almost sound the same yet mean vastly different words and the way your words are built, English could never come close lol. Yall somehow have the ability to make noises within words and vowels that my mouth simply does not understand how to do (not from lack of trying), and yall someone manage to sound fierce, gentle, and graceful within one word. Your language is kicking my butt on duolingo lol, but it is worth it to try and learn this language. I first got into French because of Miraculous Ladybug, and yalls music is so fun. I love papa ou te [I think I spelled that right], as well as songs by Lnni Kim.

To the Portugese speakers: (pessoas que falam portugues)

Yall are so cool. Your language sounds like a friend you have not seen in a long time, but are finally meeting them once more, and they have changed, but they are still the friend you know. You've got vowels that english would have to amalgamate other vowel to even try and achieve a semblance, and you've got wayyyy more curses than english does lol. Your language reminds me of if French and Spanish had a really cool kid, that kid would be Portugese. It's rapid-fire fast, and yet somehow takes each step with grace. I cannot wait to learn this language, to attempt to wrap my head around this beautiful language.

This next part is just personal reflection

The qsmp has allowed me to learn so much about the world around me. I am finding that I can understand Spanish so much faster than I could before, and while I may not be the best speaker, just being able to listen and understand is such a fun experience. Though I do not know portugese, my experience with Spanish has allowed me to get a glimpse into this language, especially with watching Cellbit and Roier interact. Being able to at least slightly keep up with their rapid fire conversations feels like such an achievement to me, and has def inspired me to try and learn portugese one day. I am trying to learn French right now, because of traveling to France for irl events soon, and I want to be able to interact with people on their own turf. French is kicking my butt lol, but to be able to pick up words here and there on streams, or to understand bits and pieces of the songs I am singing is such a fun feeling. Getting to hear other songs that have such different rhythms, instruments, or tone is so cool, and if anyone has any reccomendations in any language, I would love to hear them. (Une fille de soleil by Lou and Adryano is a favorite, especially since it blends french and spanish) Qsmp is such an amazing project, and I love every time the cc's get into discussions about their language, or trade slang, or teach each other words. So excited to continue this language journey!

[the-crow-binary]

"Overbearing, he bends to no one's will"

So Dracula is a bratty bottom?

Deep inhale

Year 1094: Mathias Cronqvist loses his wife. In his rage and grief, he goes on to "betray God" by hurting everyone around him and achieve eternal life. He then asks, pretty much plead with Leon to understand and join him. Bratty Bottom behavior.

Somewhere before 1476: Mathias meets Lisa with who he falls in love, to the point it momentarily brings his humanity back. Bottom. Lisa dies and he gets angry, change his name into Dracula, and plot revenge against mankind this time, like he did against God so many years ago. Bratty.

Year 1476: His behavior leads Hector to betray him. He gets hurt and even more angry (even before being 100% sure it's a betrayal), sending Isaac after him, ordering him to bring him back if he is alive so he can basically torture him because he just can't bear being betrayed. Bratty but also Bottom because he seemed to care a big lot about Hector. Like. A big big lot. 🙂 Trevor and friends arrive and kick his ass, so he curse the land in return. Bratty.

Year 1479: He comes back to life and immediately goes "Hector! Why did you betray me ? ):< Humans suck and you should know it already. ):<". Then he gets defeated again and goes "I don't care my curse wille still destroy the stupid humans ):<". Then Hector goes "Nuh-huh! I can reverse it!", and he proceeds to die in a scream. Bratty Bottom.

Year 1576 to 1591: He comes back to life again wich is already very bratty of him. Fights Christopher a first time, makes him believe he died when not really, waits for the perfect moment to strike again, then years later, kidnaps his son. He then proceed to make father and son fight against each other. Bratty. And also Bottom because I bet he wanted to become Soleil's second dad.

Year 1691 to 1698: Comes back to life, sees Simon wich would turn any man into a bottom, and not only does he cast a curse on the land AGAIN upon being defeated, but he curses Simon, SPECIFICALLY, as well. What a brat. Then Simon accidentally brought him back again and killed him again. Bottom.

Year 1748: Bro did not even actually resurrect and he still managed to be an ass a menace through his wraith. Bratty. He then talks about drinking Juste's blood to make himself "whole again", literally saying he needs to fill himself with a Belmont('s life) to live, like bro. Bottom. 😏

Year 1792: "Blablabla it's not MY fault I came back to life, it's the HUMANS' " How can you be brattier and bottomer than by having a whole philosophical conversation with your sworn ennemy about how you have no control over your resurrections it's just that people are asses. 🙄 (Dracula even has Richter dolls all around his castle for Marie to collect like bro just marry the clan already)

Year 1797: He starts as bratty as usual but then Alucard reminds him of the bottomness Lisa woke up in him, and he calms down. Less Bratty as he dies with regrets, but still very Bottom of him.

19th century: He comes back to life more corrupted than ever. Proceeds to flirt with Shanoa, then underestimate and kinda mock her, only for her to defeat him with his own power. The balance between Brattiness and Bottomness has been corrupted as well in favor of the Brattiness, but his inner Bottom is never too far.

Year 1897: Comes back to life. Gets killed by Quich Morris, but mortally wounds him as well. Bratty Bottom.

Year 1917: You have to be the biggest of Brats if it takes a whole world war to resurrect you. And yet, a big Bottom if it doesn't even prevent you from immediately getting killed again lol.

Year 1944: Came back to life not at full power. Fought alongside his eternal hubby, even fusing with him (so fighting with Death inside him 😏), and still lost to two kids. Got killed by the sun, after musing that he will regain his full power one day and that they'll see who will have the last laugh. Bratty Bottom.

Year 1999: Julius topped that man so hard he never recovered from it again. The end of the Bratty Bottom millenia-long terror.

It took Death using books about how much of a Bratty Bottom his dead husband has been to bring him back again in GoS. So, of course, he was still a Brat who wanted to play with his ennemies by fighting them, and a Bottom who let Death penetrate fuse with him to use his powers like they did back in 1944.

So, to answer your question... yes. Dracula is a Bratty Bottom. Always has been. I'd say that his whole job is to be a pain in the ass of everyone, but he's too much of a Bottom for that. 🤭

[calimera62]

I've been tagged by @flo-nelja, thank you!

If you want to do it, tagging @naehja, @istadris, @saemi-the-dreamer, @modocanis, @amethystsworld, @garnetrena and @andersssandrew

1 How many works do you have on AO3?

100. Most of them are OS and I still have to publish fics I've posted on tumblr and ffnet.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

397,865

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Der Vampire, my multichapter Tanz der Vampire fic (195 kudos)

Baise-main, a Kaamelott OS Arthur&Perceval. Not my best work so I'm surprised it has been liked so much (152 kudos)

Die Fledermaus, a Tanz der Vampire OS and self-indulgent bat!Krolock fanfic (139 kudos)

La Marque, my platonic soulmate AU Kaamelott OS between Arthur and Perceval (132 kudos)

Couronne, my first and last Arthur/Guenièvre OS that I wrote after KV1 (128 kudos)

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, I try to, though it can take me a long time to do so ^^;;

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Hum... difficult question. I don't usually write angst. There's a Van Helsing OS but I haven't posted it on AO3 yet. I do love to write certain characters turned as vampire against their will, a lot, but I can't say which fic about that trope is the angstiest... Maybe My Blood in Offering, a Krolfred OS, or even La bête humaine (Harry Potter, a Beast of Gévaudan AU, kinda). I can't say for sure...

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

LOL, most of my fics are happy fics so it will be hard to choose which one I consider to have the happiest ending. Maybe Auld Lang Syne or Sleeping Arthur, two Kaamelott OS with Arthur and Perceval.

7. Do you write crossovers?

Rarely, but it happened. I once wrote a Makai Ouji/Black Butler crossover Nevermore, and I would like to try writing for this crossover again. I also wrote a Harry Potter/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory crossover where Willy Wonka was a wizard (Le Procès de Willy Wonka), I had fun writing it!

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

No and I hope it won't happen in the future.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I did (two Krolfred OS: Behind closed doors and L'abîme des songes), not very ambitious since I'm not used writing smut but it was an interesting challenge. I also have two Grindeldore OS (À fleur de peau and Nos rencontres éphémères) but the sexual content is really non-graphic.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! Le Soleil Levant (Francis&Napoléon, Hetalia) has been translated into Polish; also two Tanz OS (Behind closed doors and My Blood in Offering) translated in Russian.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No and I'm not interested in doing it.

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Aaah it's a difficult choice. How can you expect me to choose?

Though, if I see the amount of works on my AO3, I've written for Grindeldore (Gellert Grindelwald/Albus Dumbledore) the most.

Most of my fics are mostly about platonic pairs than romantic ones.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Uuh... Maybe L'Alouette (a FrUK OS) or L'ennemi de mon ennemi (a Van Helsing multichapter fic)

15. What are your writing strengths?

Good question. I love getting into the characters's head, writing their thoughts and feelings, as well as writing platonic pairs, but I don't know if it's a strength of mine.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm so bad at describing places and clothes and furnitures D:

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

You mean adding words or sentences in another language when I'm reading fics in my own language or in English? Well... I don't mind if it's a couple of words in a sentence (and if the author adds the translation, though I found it annoying to have to go in the author's notes, at the end of the fic, to go check the translation)

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter.

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

No fandom comes to my mind, but I would love to write Alfred/Sarah (Tanz der Vampire), though Krolfred is my OTP, I have a lot of fondness for this ship and I would like to try writing about them. Same thing, I would like to write a Arthur/Francis/Ludwig fanfic (Hetalia) one day. I also wish to write about César/Astérix one day and not just them as a platonic pair

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Ouch hard to decide again. I'm still proud of La Marque as well as Sleeping Arthur regarding my Kaamelott fics. Regarding Tanz, I really love A New Perspective and Die Fledermaus. For Makai Ouji, I still love Innocence and Curiosity, though The Witching Hour is very self-indulgent hehe. I'm also fond of some fics from Gauloiseries (Astérix); but I really can't choose, between these fics, which one is my absolute favourite.

[lycanlovebites]

Tell me Everything about your angel oc GO!

!!!!!! HELLO!!!! Sorry I’m just like suprised people Want to know about my Angel oc!! I’m very happy thank you for asking me abt this!,! (Mentally I am wagging my tail out of excitement)

anyways woo boy he has a good bit of info!! Their name is Sol/Soleil, he/they, 8’6” ft tall (beanpole kinda guy lol), very very old. They’ve existed since before dinosaurs went extinct. He’s a guardian angel and has spent most of his existence guarding over many many different creatures. His first wards (beings he was a guardian angel for) were microraptors and various dromeosaurs, which is why he is so fond of dinosaurs and birds to this day. He can shapeshift and his favorite forms are microraptors, unicorns, borzois, and various birds. Out of all the time they’ve been on earth, they’ve only had two human wards (including their current ward/ boyfriend/partner Father Gabriel) so their experience with humans is very limited. for physical appearance, they’re very tall (by human standards, they’re actually a bit short by angel standards). They have little wing “ears” and four eyes. They have four big wings and sometimes they have a big fluffy tail with little wings on them depending on if they feel like having a tail or not. Sol has star/sky themed magic. Because of this, his wings can change color and have intricate, shifting designs that reflect his mood and the sky. -hiding their emotions: blank white feathers

-happy/calm/content: dawn, sunny clouds, or a clear night sky (peaceful skies, the design depends on what time of day it is)

-very passionate/intense desire/etc: bright flaming sunset or breaking dawn. The kind of sunset/dawn that reminds you that life is worth living and how beautiful the sky can be. -angry/upset: violent lightning storm

-sad: rainstorm, gloomy overcast, or deep blue dusk

-scared: either a normal sky with flashes of lighting or pure white, depending on how scared he is. Pure white is just like pure terror, but a sudden flash of lighting is like being suddenly startled or something.

As a guardian angel, Sol is very in tune with his ward Gabriel, and he has a sort of telepathic connection with him, although it’s kinda iffy. It’s less tangible thoughts but more of just picking up emotions and abstract ideas. If Gabriel feels a strong enough emotion Sol also experienced it too, which can sometimes be convenient (for more positive feelings) but is usually kinda unpleasant (like anxiety and rage.) Gabriel had to learn how to let go of those unwanted feelings otherwise he’d be uh. Not feeling great. (Funny little tangent: Sol is kinda cheeky and a bit mischievous and sometimes he will take advantage of their psychic bond to mentally airdrop cursed images/thoughts to Gabriel at inconvenient times (aka, when Gabriel is in the middle of a sermon at his WORK because he’s a PRIEST) because it’s incredibly entertaining to him.)

Sol loves animals. It’s hard not to when that’s basically what you were made for. He loves kittens and lets them snuggle into his soft wing feathers.

They love touch and physical intimacy. They’re always resting a hand on someone’s (one of their partners’) shoulder or playing with their hair or fur, brushing it out, gently holding hands, cradling someone’s chin, or wrapping a wing or two around them. Even when resting, like reading a book or chatting with friends, Sol often has someone resting in their lap or asleep on their chest, maybe even cradled to their side with a wing. Because of their size, it’s quite comfortable to have someone on them and to be held by them. Their partners are a bit like cats in that way to them. They’re smaller and just so sweet and adorable to hold, plus the added weight makes Sol feel comforted and relaxed. While it’s definitely a protective thing as a guardian angel does, protecting his partners and holding them safe and playing with their hair or fur until they fall asleep is also probably just a Sol thing. Not all guardian angels are as physically intimate with their wards as him, and like the vast majority aren’t in love or close with their wards at all. They’ll watch their wards go through life from afar and step in occasionally to help out or visit them in dreams to give good advice, but most don’t ever get physically close to their wards (at least in a way humans and most animals can perceive, anyways.) Soleil Georg, the angel who is deeply infatuated with his ward and their demon partner and lives with them in a little cottage on Earth, is an outlier and should not be counted.

Soleil has glowing eyes and eyespots on their ear wings. The eyespots only appear when they’re using magic or looking for something or trying to be intimidating. (Why an Angel would evolve eyespots is a very good discussion topic and I’m scared of the answer. I personally think it’s less of a “trait evolved to deter predators from eating me” and more of a peacock situation where some angels have eyespots to attract, especially creatures like humans. Does Father Gabriel or Valentine actually find it sexy? We don’t know, but Sol likes to hope so.)

Sol has the ability to literally smite people into stardust, and they’ve definitely used it a couple times. When there is literally no other option to protect their ward from harm they have resorted to smiting via directly channeling some of that sweet sweet divine power of theirs. Does this severely drain them for a long time? Yes. Do they LIKE smiting people? Probably not. I don’t think so. Hopefully. They’ve only had to smite people to dust like 3 times ever, and hopefully they won’t have to again.

Sol doesn’t really understand food. Like they get that it’s tasty and vital for most creatures, but they don’t need it to survive. They’ll enjoy food time to time, like special holiday desserts and dishes on their partners’ birthdays but they don’t ever really crave anything. rather than food, Sol loves art and music. Human and demonic creations fascinate him, and he likes going to museums and galleries to learn more about them. He also loves dinosaurs and visiting natural history museums to see fossils, although it can definitely be saddening to see creatures you quite literally knew personally and walked amongst in your youth just fossilized and behind glass displays.

Sol likes clothes, and they love dressing up like a gay little wizard whenever possible.

A good portion of their daily life is just… patrolling. He can usually be found perching on the roof of his cottage or the church when Father Gabriel stays late to clean up and get ready for the early morning services, just looming like an ominous omen with wings flared open under the moonlight and all four eyes glowing and looking directly at anyone who wanders past.

now after all this info, here’s some art of him!

If you’re still here, here’s some of the more nsfw info and art of them below the cut

ok so his whole emotional psychic bond with Gabriel, right? That is very convenient when they have sex, since they both have like a constant loop of excitement and pleasure between them.

Sol is often the biggest + strongest being in most situations, but it gets tiring. Was he built for being a guardian, a protector? Of course. But even the strongest need to rest and let themselves be taken care of in turn, which is something it took a while for him to learn. because of their desire for touch and also just how big they are, they often top. They’re used to it, and they thought that was all they could be. But their partners showed them that everyone, including them, deserves to rest and be taken care of and appreciated, wether during sex or otherwise. (Took Sol several millennia to learn this but now he knows that he is allowed to have reciprocated love and care 👍 we love to see it)

angel sex is wild. If you’ve seen that post abt religious ecstasy, you know what I mean. That’s what happens when you fuck a divine entity I guess. It’s great and you literally see like the cosmos like a wizard high, but you get a bit lost in the sauce for a while afterwards. Worth it though! Gabriel and Valentine can testify to this 👍

here is a little funny sketch where I make Gabriel uncomfortable per usual (I love putting that priest in situations), plus a nice sketch of Sol that I might finish up later.

[gravelynz]

what crimes do your ocs commit

OH BOY I'M GLAD YOU ASKED.

soleil

has done nothing wrong ever in her life.

just kidding i lied. Things kick off with getting accused of SORORICIDE. She didn't actually do it, but things spiral from there.

Her old order was shady, but the whole murder accusation thing happened on her first field mission, so no "corrupt paladin order" crimes on her behalf.

when you're wanted by a paladin order in greenguard the optics suuuck. she can't just go on and live her life like normal. and then she meets sidus. that's when things go from bad to worse as SELLSWORDS! it's bad business, but people don't ask too many questions which works perfectly for her.

they end up faking a hostage situation and i feel like this is the peak of their Pre-Game Crimes™

She gets a pardon from Swordhaven mid 13LoC, but things don't really improve from there. Any "crime" from this point is Alliance sanctioned.

It's okay the hit the slay button if it's a bad guy! Why are you all looking at me like that

not necessarily a crime but allowing the truth serum interrogation and execution of xavier lionfang was certainly a choice.

her choices lean borderline ruthless and the war enables this. it's a slow but definitive escalation. this will have no consequences whatsoever.

anyway 13loc finale

sidus

chaotic stupid. soleil meeting him after she escaped was the best and worst thing to ever happen to her. he drags her into so much bullshit pre-game.

mild kleptomaniac tendencies. MILD.

he can show you some pretty cool sleight of hand tricks aaaand there goes your gold.

"sorry the order that raised you thinks you're a murderer and tried to kill you. my dad sucks too he doesn't want me being a sellsword and kicked me out of the house. anyway wanna go take some quests from that ranger who gives gold to monsters."

pretty much larping his swashbuckler fantasy with his new bestie (one sided). except he finds there are actual consequences. lol. lmao even. surprise you swordhaven city slicker.

he's...more normal than her in 13loc, weirdly enough. like yeah he'll take whatever option benefits him the most, but those tend to lean Good anyway.

currently in his piracy era. very ethical. that's how i wrote him out of everything post QoM. threw him into the ocean. he'll be back i'm sure

[stalwart-spirit]

If your OC were to dress up to show themselves off to their best advantage, perhaps for an existing partner, or in the hopes of attracting positive attention, what might they wear?

From this list.

Oh la la, armourous asks, I like this! I'll answer for Saeed and Soleil since they're the most fitting and "active" in PG terms, whilst Mica is more chill and Bjarni is ace and has no interest in such.

Under read more cause whilst it's PG it's still Spicy

Saeed:

Honestly he really likes to make himself good for his partners, moreso when he was younger and more stupid, keen for personal attention in a stranger's arms, a warm bed for the night, a mutual agreement where both sides wanted the same thing and nothing more. Nowadays he's likely to just do this when dating or seeking someone ahaha.

Saeed would be more into heightening his personal apperance, wearing his hair down and tousled, not one to shy from a little touching up of his face using makeup to enhance is natural features and the like. Granted, he does this in day to day life, he's a surprisingly well put together man with a skincare routine!

Clothing department isn't something he puts TOO much thought into, but still knows how to dress well when needed and if it's to turn heads he knows what helps accentuate his tall and slender frame in order to draw attention. Sometimes all it takes it being well dressed and not even in a sexy or provocative way for you to have eyes draw to you.

Same goes for the bedroom scenario, nice underwear is the extent cause in his brain; "I'm not intending to wear them for long am I?", and really there isn't anything more beautiful than the naked form itself (I can say this wholeheartedly as an ace artist who has done life drawing classes LOL).

Soleil:

The literal best way I can describe Sol is that he's a whore- Like, most of his time is spent wanting to be seen as attractive and alluring, he likes the attention! Thinks he's hot shit without even trying, but puts an insane amount of effort into his apperance and clothing despite claiming such. Woe to anyone waiting for him to get ready in the morning or to go to bed in the evening, it's a whole several step process--

Makeup to accentuate his features and push his genderfluidity, hair always well kept, smelling of only the most inticing perfumes and fragrances. Soleil HAS to be turning heads at him 24/7 or he perishes (not really but he'll act like a bitch for the rest of the day if he thinks he wasn't in peak condition).

Clothing... As mentioned, yes, 100%. Especially in private. He's actually fond of lingere (like in this gpose set), likes that it shows off his figure, how there's stuff out there that feminises his masculine form so to further toe the line of gender presentation. That is fun for him, and makes him feel even more attractive (have I mentioned he's a huge narcissist yet???).

[sweepseven]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

Another post in a seemingly unending series of posts in which I talk about writing to make me feel like I've accomplished any actual writing. Results so far are middling.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

53! How and when?? (The answer is "Kà and a pandemic.")

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

228,456

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Just Cirque du Soleil at the moment, but a long running rp is soaking up the majority of my creative thoughts just now. That's its own whole thing with a blog and fics and AUs upon AUs.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Wing Dust (Miraculous Ladybug, T, perpetually bemused that I wrote this in the first place and yet here it is at number one)

Downpour (Mad Max Fury Road, G, my first for a fandom that did so much for me as an author)

War Song (Mad Max Fury Road, T, strong contender for favorite fic I've ever written)

Idle in Neutral (Mad Max Fury Road, G, I forget I wrote this one all the time and whenever I get kudos for it I'm like whom??? I love that it has a life all its own.)

Mantle (Mad Max Fury Road, G, another one I continually forget about lol)

That's the curse of writing for tiny fandoms! The ones I have loved most, that have mangled my brain for months on end are destined to have like a dozen readers total. On the other hand it's very gratifying to know I'm writing for a small handful of people extra extra psyched to find content. And in the meantime I have these, many of which I've let myself forget, that have found their audience anyway. It's a very rewarding feeling, like I could make the effort, move on, and still leave people happy years later.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Most times yes!! And I'm so so lucky to get the most thoughtful comments of all on my most niche fics. Makes it all more than worth it.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Walkabout and I love it. Cirque du Soleil Kà, T.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Tea Series by a mile. Didn't know I had it in me until pushed by @studiokawaii , and I'm so glad they did. Cirque du Soleil Kà, T.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Honestly so few people are aware of them that it's not really a risk. What is hugely embarrassing is the confirmed knowledge that Cirque artists know about and have read some of them. But there's nothing I can do about that, lol.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes! Somehow I feel like I'm always writing it, and then I look at my total body of work and am like "...where is all of it." Historically it was mostly M/M, but Kà got me actually writing F/M for the first time. Most common themes are experience vs. inexperience and tense power dynamics. I'd love to write more dub con.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Only ever one. Decree, another for Mad Max Fury Road, in which the Vuvalini are each granted one single potentially worldshaping wish à la Puella Magi Madoka Magica. I know why people don't click on it, but I'm fond of it!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No and tbh I can't imagine anyone would bother.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No but I'd be open to it if anyone cared to take on the project! I love translated fics. What a nice thing to do, granting someone else's work the opportunity for new eyes.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but again @studiokawaii and I have had some great fic/art collaboration in the past couple years with inspiration coming from both directions.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Snape/Harry. I never talk about it, I've never written it myself (I think?? maybe in high school I did), but honestly it's been so long that I think there's no unseating it now. The amount of care, dedication, creativity, and talent coming from that group, even after so long, is truly unique and remarkable. All time favorite ship to write has been Counselor's Son/Twin Sister by a landslide.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

It pains me, but I think I'm kidding myself if I try to claim The Shape of Things To Come doesn't qualify. I love the idea, I know exactly where I want it to go, but something about the enormity of the ground that needs to be covered in order to get there has spooked me.

I also have two highly embarrassing WIPs - one for Shadow & Bone and another for fucking Teen Titans - that I doubt will ever be finished. I just adore both ideas and it's fun thinking they've at least taken some kind of shape somewhere, even if they never make it out into the world.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Creating believable characterization and distinctive voices from very sparse source material. At least that's what I've been told, which I take as an immense compliment. I also think I write tension rather well, whether it be sexual, conflicting emotions, or threatening hostility.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Well right now my ability to finish anything feels pretty fuckin weak. I struggle with action scenes, like physical fights or scenes in which a lot is going on in multiple places at once. Hitting a natural rhythm with them is very difficult for me. Pacing for longer fics doesn't come easily to me either, and I always worry if my longer work reads like a bulleted list of stuff I knew needed to happen rather than an actual story with a true and natural flow. That's part of what's bogging me down with Shape of Things.

I also love commas too much.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Depends. You can't just throw it in there imo - it's a great opportunity for mindful characterization and shouldn't be treated like checking a box, or worse, a reminder to your audience that the source material doesn't match the language you're writing in. I'm not multilingual so the most you're likely to see from me are vague hints at certain dialects and accents in Kà, for instance, since they're not speaking any real language anyway.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Teen Titans. It's still out there somewhere, likely a somewhat embarrassing blip on the radar of some long forgotten LJ community. I got some early encouragement there that put me where I am today. Nurture and welcome new writers, people!!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Borderline Suspect. I put so much into it. It was a real milestone fic for me, unlike anything I'd ever written before, and it stands so apart in my memory that I just can't choose any other. At the time I thought it was everything I could possibly want to say about Ka and CS/TS, but when it was through I found myself more motivated and inspired than ever.

Some of the most valuable and rewarding feedback I've ever gotten came from this fic, and the intensity of the response, however contained by the size of the fandom, has made me feel incredibly lucky. People came out of nowhere to talk to me about it, send art for it, push me through writing lulls with comments that turned entire days around. I made new friends because of it. I don't see myself writing anything quite like it ever again. Even if I did, I couldn't dream of a more gratifying response. Cirque du Soleil Kà, E.

[dufrau]

every so often i remember that one scene from bigfoot 1.5 and giggle because its just a perfect comic relief moment because its so fucking funny. like lets unpack this:

1: just the fact that robin and nancy left very conspicuously in the middle of the pool party to very obviously go fuck

1.5: and they were loud enough that el now knows what happy screams are rip

2: max being such a gremlin teenager about it and saying "that's hot" like ok i also saw you staring at steve, miss mayfield. i love her

3: mike wanting to drown himself in embarrassment lol. like imagine if your sister just did that and you could Hear lmaooooo

4: everyone except for mike being nonchalant about it like you go girls!!! get that gay sex!!!

anyways thank you for this funny bit to help readers like me not die due to angst. like i still did actually but this was cpr

Also it was a pool party in their honor, it was sort of a little graduation/leaving for college party for them. I didn't give a lot of thought to decorations but its even funnier if we imagine there was a "Congratulations Nancy and Robin!" banner hanging somewhere.

1.5. Their entire (short) relationship to this point has been fucking in the woods or in motels where nobody knows them or in Robin's house when her parents were away in Canada experiencing Cirque du Soleil, they have never had to be quiet before. Totally unprepared for this moment tbh. Good for them good for them etc.

2. Max is right it was hot. Also Max has been repeatedly almost killed, half her body is in casts and she's blind. She doesn't give a fuck. She is just saying what's on her mind from here on out.

3. Legitimately poor Mike. And it went on for like a while too. Steve trying to sneakily raise the volume on the radio bit by bit to drown them out but its just a little boom box it only goes so loud you know? Sometimes it goes quiet for a few minutes and Mike is like "Oh thank god" but then they're just right back at it and he is back in the pool wishing he was dead. Nightmarish. I am so sorry Michael.

4. These kids have seen too much to be homophobic. Plus they're all about to be sophomores in high school which was how old Nancy was in season one, they are hormonal little monsters if anything they are probably just jealous. Besides Mike who is mortified. And Steve who's like "You missed the cake! I baked it myself and drew you guys on it in frosting! I was so proud of that cake. Max smashed Mike's face in it though that was funny I guess."

Thank you for reminding me of this scene lol I love it so much. <3<3<3

(also if you havent read this fic here it is)

[coffinsister]

lol, pine for me if you want; im not against it, but i havent really had any romantic feelings about you. i just see you vulnerable and want you to feel better cause youre like me. we're both broken in similar shapes, with similar fractures

i am often looking, even when i try not to be seen. not on purpose. more of an accidental and platonic stalker that keeps seeing you due to being chronically online. and it helps that i forget to turn off my notifs for you.

... Abandoned at the altar by Anon 👊😔

There's something very amusing about the phrase pine for me if you want to like okay thank you for the permission

Either way thank you for having notifs on for the Soleil Show I do not how you live I post like 30 times a day and sometimes even more

But I guess, I'm glad you see similuted between us, it's always nice not to feel completely alone

[saturdays--sun]

HAPPY INIGO ANNIVERSARY KODAAAA i hope u both enjoy it :] and happy new years !! what would u do together to celebrate both occasions? :o - @catake

WAAAAH THANK U CLARA!!!! ;w; and happy new year to you, too!! :]

but AAAA..... so, for our anniversary— it feels really basic to say, but we spend the day together. ♡ he puts whatever duties he has to the side and frees up the entire day for us, plans out a whole list of things to do and places to take me only to scrap half of it because i wanted to stay in bed a little longer and he couldn't bring himself to refuse a request like that even if he tried. ♡

that said! he (eventually) does take me out somewhere — some café or tea shop (that's probably a little fancier / more expensive than i would usually go to, but he's gotta spoil me at least a little bit as if my birthday wasn't just a few weeks ago or he'll Die lol) that he's been planning to take me to all year. and then, after that, to the same place that he proposed to me — it feels fitting, in a way; poetic, even, even if doing so makes him worry that he's being too heavy-handed (he's not).

(in which, he's got this whole speech thought out — about the past year; about how he's been so happy that it feels like a dream — that he gets emotional and flustered over halfway through that then makes him worry he's ruined the moment or something. he still hasn't; i think it's very sweet. ♡ )

but for new year's specifically!! i have this headcanon (?) that ylisse (and probably also nohr + hoshido) have end of the year / new year's eve festivals, so we'd go to those! :] lots of hanging out with owain, severa, and the others, but also especially with olivia, soleil, and our son, too. ♡

and, as it gets later, we slip off to be somewhere by ourselves and watch the fireworks together; and as the year ends and the new one begins, we kiss and promise to spend the next year by each other's sides, just like the last one. ♡

bonus: modern au inigo invites me (as his date? yes, but also no; he's too shy to say it outright) to a new year's eve party some of his friends are throwing and spends the entire time leading up to midnight getting progressively more nervous until he finally musters up the courage to pull me away from everyone else and kiss me as the year turns over. ♡

[honeydots]

What do you think Siegbert’s relationship with Laslow and Soleil’s relationship with Xander are like particularly as they get older/teenagers.

anon you're enabling me i LOVE their parent/child relationships as they get older!!! read more cause this got looooong

for laslow and siegbert--well first off, i think laslow always can provide a particular brand of emotionally-based support that develops more as siegbert gets older. siegbert has his Anxiety Issues, and where laslow and xander both struggle w sociality as well, i think laslow can relate in a more... empathetic way? dealing with some of the emotional aftermath and letting feelings be feelings (this isn't to say siegbert doesn't go to xander or that xander doesn't help, i just think they're good at different things). on a more lighthearted note, i think laslow's really good at getting a giggle out of siegbert, and good at finding ways to alleviate pressure. he's been doing this for years with xander. and yes, xander and siegbert need different things, but laslow's good at pinpointing those things

something i rly like abt their relationship is that i think that where siegbert more openly shows his idolization of xander (like we see in-game), he still does something really similar with laslow. looking up to him, taking inspiration from him. it just comes out in different ways. for example, siegbert probably trusts laslow's opinions... a lot. considers his sometimes more than his own. and he's just fascinated by the stories he tells. even after laslow's married to xander, i like to think he still travels (and drags xander with him as often as he can--and also drags their kids along as often as he can hahaha), and those stories in particular really entrap siegbert. which is good for a budding prince, i think something laslow (and eventually siegbert and soleil) has that xander lacks is some open mindedness, and not being so narrowly nohr-centric in his perspective--esp in upbringing, if that makes sense. this is also why i like laslow taking xander traveling, cause ultimately i think it would do him good.

ONTO!!! soleil and xander!! ive mentioned before how much i like the grumpy-dad and peppy-daughter dynamic, but. to reiterate: i really really like it gjsjfjsnf soleil, similarly to laslow but probably even more, tends to go to xander and ramble about her girl successes and failures. just barging into his office like i hope you're not busy cause i have things to SAY!! and i don't think xander dismisses her, but he does make her wait sometimes, hahaha. i also think xander will often tell soleil what she needs to hear, rather than what she wants, and ultimately for her that's better than the alternative. he's not entirely harsh (though he can be and that's something to work on), but honest. he also dotes on her more than he should by a xander-standard LOL

i think soleil provides to xander a lot of brightness--it is NOT lost on me that they named her soleil, sun, in a place like nohr. i think surrounding xander with bright people is a fantastic idea. and just like laslow's doing with the traveling thing, soleil probably gets xander to socialize a little more, haha. he isn't a brick wall that can't talk to anybody, but--he does strike me as the kind of guy who has coworkers, but not friends, ya feel me. soleil's confident and full of energy, and tbh i think she's the type to really want attention from her parents, so asking xander to come along with her is a frequent request. and that eventually, naturally, leads to xander getting out more. she doesn't have the same setback as laslow that if he gets shy enough he'll retreat entirely while they're out, hahaha

and one final note to round this off: i like to think!! that xander and soleil are both cat people (xander = cabbit, and soleil has lines about owning kitten posters), where laslow and siegbert are dog people (i have many aus where laslow has a pet dog so this is more of a 'because i said so' kinda thing) (also you might be inclined to think cat for siegbert also but i need you to look inward. deeper. i think he'd like the enthusiasm...!!! i have more i could say but i'll leave it at that)

there you go!! :D

[papirouge]

akira toriyama saying he had never seen a black person before designing his black characters is sus. like he'd never seen an international baseball game (baseball is popular in jpn) or basketball or the olympics at least. what about a famous artist like michael jackson? he did redesign some like staff officer black (yeah, he named one of his black characters black).

i remember soul eater had a few black characters. they gave the black nurse blue eyes for some reason, and the black teacher became a zombie when the series started so he stayed blue for the rest of the series. i remember they were promoting this anime made by a black man and his main female protagonist had dark skin but blonde hair and blue eyes. I dont know the obssesion with doing that, specially to brown and black female characters, but it's specially bizarre when it comes from a black person themselves.

i also recall eyeshield 21 also had a black character nicknamed black panther (or just panther), he appeared when an american team came to play with a japanese one and the white coach didnt let him play even though he was the best player because he was black and the coach wanted an all-white team because he was racist (to everyone who wasn't white, as he also looked down the japanese team). he was drawn quite differently to the rest, but so were the white characters, so i don't know if he'd be considered a caricature...

also, papi, have you noticed how characters in anime are getting like paper white, specially female ones? I'm talking they seem to be using the almost literal white color to color their skins, it's so uncanny. the other day I was watching azumanga daioh and the characters had darker tones even though they were still pale, and they actually had different tones between each other. then I watched lucky star and the characters started having that extremely pale skin, but you still had characters with darker tones like konata herself. then there's k-on and literally every single character has the same skin tone except mugi, whos paler since shes supposedly of european descent, and finally I checked bocchi the rock and EVERY single character had that same pale skin color, literally no variation. I think it's interesting how you can see this change with slice of life anime so clearly

this is stupid but something that has always bothered me its when anime and manga authors decide to make a foreign character, they always choose europeans or americans or any other white country, if not they choose a brown country and make them the lightest brown they can manage. like when pretty cure featured international cures, the only ones that werent european or northamerican were the indian ones, and the designed them SO fucking pale like they were applying too much whitening cream, what were they thinking??? then they had cure soleil, a spanish pretty cure, whose skin is literally orange. she looks like she spent too much time at the solareum more than actually being from spain. i think it's kinda funny how pretty cure has featured a boy cure now before a brown or black female cure but whatever.

but yeah, japan doesn't have the best history when it comes to black and brown characters, I guess western animation is better in that regard? i'm guessing french cartoons are better too due to france's multicultural background.

Honestly anon you would gain inner peace to not have any expectation when it comes to a decent representation of Black people from japanese mangaka lol

I grew up watching "Fushigi no Umi no Nadia", and as much it was nice to see a character looking like me, homegirl had blue eyes with non textured hair... The original storyline is she believing she was from AFRICA (when she's actually the king of some Atlantis king but whatever) so it was weird Hideaki Anno thought designing Nadia like that was conclusive in assuming she *might* come from Africa🤔

It doesn't stop me from applauding when Black characters are being done justice

I think the biggest glo up was in Street Fighter : from Elena (SF3) who's supposed to come from KENYA (???) and is a light skinned blue eyed white haired woman

(she looks like a mixed breed south american - not African, idc)

... to Kimberley who looks like an actual West African woman (I LOVE how they clocked the big forehead which is very Bantu lol i'm obsessed)

(and lmaoooo at Manon nose - they did France dirty lmao but it's true french people can have HUGE noses - look at Macron who is quintessentially so french in the face 💀)

The difference? Japanese team finally reaching out a (Black) consultant to pull out a compelling design.

I also checked her in game and I was relieved she was absolutely cute and feminine, and not brash, masculine or aggressive like most Black characters are depicted in pop media.